The top of 200 Amsterdam Avenue, as seen in a new rendering.
There’s a very deep hole in the ground now at 200 Amsterdam Avenue at 69th Street, but developers expect to fill it with a 668-foot condominium tower that is expected to be the largest building on the Upper West Side.
The site this week. Photo by Stephen Harmon.
New renderings show the building with “a glazed aluminum curtainwall, profiled metal panels, and composite masonry,” NY YIMBY explains. You can see the alternating lines of masonry and glass going up the building in the image below.
The base will have black granite and limestone. The exterior is being designed by Boston firm Elkus Manfredi.
YIMBY thinks it emulates an Art Deco style and calls it “extremely impressive.” But The Real Deal’s James Gardner is underwhelmed.
“Judging from the renderings, 200 Amsterdam will not do much to add any level of architectural sophistication to the Upper West Side skyline, but it’s also not likely to fall far beneath the level of quality in the rest of the city — certainly of the Upper West Side — over the past few years…the new building will have a somewhat distinctive, but hardly revolutionary, design.“
Two groups have filed challenges with the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals to try to to stop the project, which they say doesn’t adhere to zoning rules. The zoning lot was stitched together using several surrounding parcels.
Underwhelming/Shmunderwhelming !
It (esp. the “black granite and limestone” base, which is what most people will see) will certainly be a lot more attractive than that horrible “XXX-building” with its ugly exterior just down the Ave. at 170 Amsterdam.
And where were the professional-whiners when THAT monstrosity went up?
I think the new version looks cool. Great addition to the neighborhood!
Certainly more creative than what’s been built recently. I’ll take the views from the upper floors.
NOT!
Maybe it’s in the details but this building is starting to grow on me. It will be a nice addition to the neighborhood, although I agree with TRD’s assessment that maybe more “revolutionary” architecture might be in order. Either way it’s great to see some positive news on the UWS being featured in the headlines, not just stores closing, crime, or people protesting the AMNH expansion!
A very striking design that will add some much needed visual interest to an otherwise drab section of the UWS.
Any Tower of such height should undergo advanced review prior to being approved for the NYC Skyline. Developers obviously do not care, but as New Yorkers we certainly should. You may have noticed the last time you took the Lincoln Tunnel that the Empire State Building is no longer part of the view from that area, it has been replaced with the boring new structures along the West Side. It will not take long for NYC to become another generic city if our new Towers are not designed with the same bravado that has made New York the most iconic City on Earth.
Noticed the West Side skyline from the NJT driving home last Thanksgiving late at night. Yes, it has become completely cluttered from literally Battery Park City to really almost low 60’s with high rises.
If this keeps up much of Manhattan will look like much of Hong Kong.
I think my head just exploded
I like the look.
A look sort of like the twin towered buildings on CPW.
Looks like some great architecture and a nice addition to the UWS which hasn’t had many new buildings of distinction in years. Its good to finally see some nicely designed buildings going up instead of the awful ones that went up in the 1960’s & 70’s that are eyesores and blight the landscape.
whomp whomp
You have got to be kidding.
55 stories- where is the pay off here?
UWS- no more than 15 stories-
Another glut of people and more shadow. Ruins UWS
Please don’t support the building of this megastructure! No matter what the builders say it’s too big and UGLY!
Resist, resist, resist!
Down with the “resistance” movement! The design of the building is magnificent, and it will be a splendid addition to the Upper West Side! This is the kind of progress that should be embraced and applauded……NOT “resisted!”
Could be voyce, but magnificent would be to stop this kind of dreck altogether (and tear down a few)
That is ONLY your opinion!
As is yours, Christina. This is a forum for opinions, remember?
Not everyone shares your sentiment you know. Many of us support this building.
You “support this building”? Why? Unless you’re planning on buying a unit, what’s there to support?
It provides no benefit or utility to anyone who doesn’t plan to live there.
many of us DO NOT SUPPORT THIS many stories!
@ builditplease:
more DON’T support it!
I’d love change and I love new things, this is awesome !
A monstrosity is a monstrosity by any definition. And an illegally built monstrosity is an affront to the neighborhood and its citizens.
It’s perfect. They should put the Trump name on it.
So very Trump in every sense
Just what we need. Another new humongous building to house more people that can’t fit into the subways and busses any more
Bah Humbug!!!
Lost view of Empire State Building last year due to construction nearTime Warner building. Don’t mind the city landscape change but most monster buildings are ugly, IMO.
If you want to protect your view, move next to a cemetery.
Could care less what this building looks like. If you live, shop or commute within a few blocks-radius of 72nd and B’way, you already can’t move because there are too many people. This is a nightmare..
Totally agree!!
My fear is what is Extell going to stick on the corner of 96th and Broadway. It makes me sick. You know they’re going to want more than 30 stories and we just don’t want anything more than 20. Another thing to fight. I’m sick to my stomach about all these rich people shoving things down our throats that we don’t want.
You don’t get to decide what people legally do with their property.
People decide to change the law. Slavery used to be the law. Debt prisons used to be the law.
You kidding? That crappy corner should be so lucky to have a building like this!
This building is so disproportionate and so out of place for the location. If it were 20 stories shorter it might look ok. As it is, it just looks like it’s ready to topple over backwards. The 72nd Street train station is a nightmare now; I can only imagine what it will be like one this behemoth is fully occupied.
Don’t worry, the impact on the subway will be minimal since either most owners will be overseas or be the type of owner who wouldn’t dream of using the subway as a mode of transportation.
but their help will add ridership
It’s an eyesore; -it looks something like an old fashioned laundry washboard.
Sorry but I prefer to look up and see the sky. I when I walk on the street I like to feel the sun.
Don’t be fooled by a glitzy painting of something you will never actually see.
Doesn’t belong on the UWS!! Way too tall and the design is out of place here. Who is getting paid off to allow this thing?
Have you been to the Lincoln Center area in the past 5 years? It’s all tall buildings around this proposed building. Maybe you should get out more, you might realize that the neighborhood has changed.
Most of us do get out (but thank you for the suggestion). We don’t like to see super tall buildings and the way it changes the neighborhood and the city all together. No matter how many times we get out and completely realize it is changing.
This is my hood and although I think the architecture is quite beautiful, it’s wrong for the location. It’s completely out of scale and makes an already ugly stretch of Amsterdam with it’s mishmash of buildings, even worse. New York needs a new city planner!
When it comes to how the building will fit into the neighborhood and how neighbors will respond to it, how “revolutionary” a building is is irrelevant. The revolutionary and influential Starchitect Rem Koolhaas says, “The work we do is no longer mutually reinforcing, but I would say that any accumulation is counterproductive, to the point that each new addition reduces the sum’s value,”
In other words, because he and his Starchitecture colleagues put so much emphasis on creating revolutionary and novel buildings, their designs don’t work well with existing buildings to create good city streets or a pleasing skyline.
I would like to know how such a tall building can be built on the UWS?? What is the point of Zoning LAWS? Also the air rights have to be part of the zoning laws. Is this going to be affordable housing? a joke! But who cares about the middle class and the underserved.
It looks fine…… for a skyscraper that should be downtown or in midtown. Absolutely does not belong on the Upper West Side. It’s disgraceful. Hopefully the city council members representing this district, who are all against it being built, will help lead the fight against such a tall building being built in an area whose subway station can’t handle the influx.