Developed by Extell, 55 West 46th Street is New York City’s only 21st-century commercial condominium specifically created for the gem and jewelry trade. Located in the Diamond District, the 34-story tower is wrapped in a three-dimensional, folded glass facade that creates a dynamic, ever-changing surface condition through the interplay of glass and light. The facade is divided into two separate components: the spandrel (metal and spandrel glass finish) and the infill panels (metal and vision glass finish). The tower’s podium is enveloped in a uniform, fritted plane of glass, providing a simple clean volume at street level.

Certified LEED® Gold, the office project began with a year-long feasibility study and a zoning and lot analysis of the site, which was assembled from nine separate building lots. To achieve Extell’s desired square footage for this mid-block development, air rights and purchase costs of neighboring properties were evaluated. Different lot configurations and a variety of building massings were tested to optimize the available square footage. The final development scheme involved the purchase of adjacent properties and the transfer of air rights from 10 neighboring lots, which allowed the office tower to rise straight up out of a five-story podium, and to cantilever over its much shorter neighbor to the northwest. This configuration maximizes FAR and provides for consistent floorplates.

The building’s lower floors within the podium feature an elegant lobby, along with retail and dining space. The mid-rise portion of the tower is intended for industry specific tenants, with small, densely configured units that can accommodate work benches and labs associated with gem manufacturing. The tower’s high-rise section can host a single Class A office tenant. A secure vault complex, parking, and loading docks are provided below grade.