New Renderings of Jean Nouvel’s Controversial Torre Verre MoMA Tower Reveal a Faceted Facade

<a href="http://www.jeannouvel.com/" target="_blank">Jean Nouvel</a>’s <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/plans-for-jean-nouvels-massive-moma-death-spire-have-been-revived/" target="_blank">impending MoMATorre Verre/Death Spire</a> has already been met with a lot of criticism, but the architect recently unveiled new renderings that may quell some of the naysaying. The drawings show a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/drawings-for-jean-nouvels-shorter-moma-torre-verre-have-been-revealed/" target="_blank">shorter-than-before, mixed-used building</a> with a faceted facade. If it moves forward, the Torre Verre is expected to rise to 1,050 feet above the Museum of Modern Art, and boast 100 hotel rooms, 480,000 square feet of residential space, and a MoMA expansion of 52,000 square feet.

The 78 story tower is 200 feet shorter than the original plan, which faced such opposition from locals that it was redesigned.

The new renders focus on the exterior of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/genslers-super-sustainable-tower-at-pnc-plaza-breaks-ground-in-pittsburgh/">proposed tower</a>, and feature a criss-crossed latticed façade.

The asymmetrical facets form three separate pathways that join together at the tower’s criticized soaring top, in three crystalline peaks.

Both Midtown residents and Amanda Burden of the City Planning Commission criticized Torre Verre claiming that at (the original) 1,250 feet it would be an eyesore on <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/crystal-green-leed-designed-luxury-apartments-are-now-available-in-midtown-manhattan/">Midtown’s skyline</a>. The plan was then hacked down by seven stories, and the original design’s “crown” was scaled down.

The final renderings of the building’s peak have not yet been released on the architect’s or developer Hines websites, but these newly released renders from Adamson Associates show that despite local opposition, the project is making progress, and will likely begin construction once funding is completed.

Whether opposed or not, the tower will add new space to the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/moma-exhibit-offers-real-solutions-to-nyc-rising-tides/">Museum of Modern Art</a>, giving the city a chance to see even more of the museum’s collection and special exhibitions.