New York City’s beloved Manhattan is about to get a fancy new skyscraper, said to be unlike anything the city has seen before. Calling it Avenir, the project was taken on by New York’s renowned real estate developer, Silverstein Properties, who seem to have major plans for development.
Photo Courtesy: Silverstein Properties
The New York-based firm announced its decision to build two soaring skyscrapers that will occupy 2 million sq. ft. space on a 92,000-square-foot unoccupied stretch of land, between 41st Street and 11th Avenue. The prestigious project will include luxury accommodations in the form of a residential complex, along with a casino, a hotel, and other entertainment provisions.
Photo Courtesy: Silverstein Properties
“Our City and State face a confluence of historic challenges right now,” said Larry A. Silverstein, Chairman of Silverstein Properties. “These include a housing crisis, public safety challenges, budget shortfalls, and a commercial real estate market in transition. We need to work with State and local leaders to do everything we can to make New York the best place to live, work, and visit. We’ve done it before, and I am confident we can do it again. I’ve always said you should never bet against New York; This City and State will come back bigger and better than ever before.”
Cutting edge designÂ
Apart from Silverstein Properties, the Avenir project will also be designed by architects, Steelman Partners and CetraRuddy. As of now, the project is designed to be clad in glass with gold-hued vertical fins running from the multi-story podium up to their parapets. The most prominent design feature is a 630-foot-high sky bridge connecting the towers’ 45th floors, where the performance hall will be housed. A soaring glass atrium sits atop the podium between the towers, supported by a framework of broad arches that illuminate at nighttime. Vehicles will access the property through a porte-cochere tucked along West 41st Street adorned with chandeliers and surrounded by oversized artwork lining the sidewalks.
Photo Courtesy: Silverstein Properties
The first eight floors will be dedicated to entertainment and will feature gaming zones and a restaurant complex featuring 12 full-service restaurants as well as a food hall showcasing local restaurants.
Additionally, Avenir will include a 1,000-key luxury hotel and a 1,000-seat performance hall on the 45th floor. The performance hall is undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights of the project that is  “designed to complement—not compete with—Broadway theatres,” according to Silverstein. The space will host exclusive events like concerts and will also be open to the local community and school groups. The residential section of the building includes affordable housing but in a limited amount of just 100 apartments, which will be given out via the existing NYC housing lottery system.
Photo Courtesy: Silverstein Properties
Sustainability first
Sustainability is a top priority for Silverstein and so all aspects of the Avenir will be built to the highest energy efficiency standards. These include all-electric building systems with no fossil fuels on-site, built with a number of environmentally friendly components such as high-recycled content and renewable construction materials.
Photo Courtesy: Silverstein Properties
Through a project that will produce 4,000 well-paying union construction jobs and 5,500 permanent union jobs, billions of dollars in direct and indirect economic activity for the State and the City, funding for the MTA, and more than 100 affordable apartments amid a worsening housing crisis, the company is now prepared to aid in the economic recovery of the City and the State.
“Our company has been part of the Hudson Yards/Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood for nearly 40 years,” said Lisa Silverstein, vice chair of Silverstein Properties. “We have already built 549 affordable homes on West 42nd Street and look forward to developing over a hundred more as part of this project. The Avenir is an opportunity to create much-needed affordable housing, jobs, and economic development, along with many neighborhood improvements in an isolated and often-overlooked part of the city.”
