The making of a New York icon

In 1971, the Solow Development Corporation tasked SOM with designing an office tower that defied all conventions of a skyscraper. The building had to maximize interior capacity, attract pedestrian attention, and satisfy New York City zoning rules, which mandated that sufficient space remain between buildings to allow sunlight to reach the street. The result—9 West 57th Street, also known as the Solow Building—is still today one of the most prominent and distinctive buildings on the threshold of Central Park. The 49-story tower is distinguished by north and south elevations that gradually slope inward.

The typical floor plan is rectangular, with a central service core that maximizes space and views along the perimeter. Gray-tinted glass covers the facade’s inclining walls. A steel frame lies underneath. On the eastern and western sides, two travertine-clad end walls contain the building’s structural, X-shaped steel wind-bracing and mechanical systems. The exposed portion of the structural bracing, between the travertine walls, is clad in black aluminum.

The building has a distinctive presence at street level, with slanted pillars that create a portico at the entrance. Upon the building’s completion in 1974, designer Ivan Chermayeff created the iconic red number “9” sculpture that marks the building entrance.

A modern classic gets a contemporary update

SOM is now leading a comprehensive interior renovation of the Solow Building. In the original travertine lobby, artwork and new lighting is introduced to brighten the previously dark space, while a new vestibule leads to the lower level. Underground, a former storage space is being transformed into a fitness center, the core of which will be visible from the street through a new skylight installed within the tower’s glass-enclosed rotunda.

The fitness center will open in April of next year, and in January, the new 27th-floor amenity level will begin serving all tower tenants. Meeting rooms will be situated along the northern side of the building, set against expansive views of Central Park’s tree canopies. A central lounge, with abundant seating, tables, greenery, and coffee bars clad in blue marble, will provide a relaxing setting to convene. These private spaces in the sky will be complemented by an outdoor public gathering place at street level, set within a revamped western plaza with new trees and cafe-style seating—all of which will renew 9 West 57th Street as a fresh yet familiar landmark.