French architect Jean Nouvel recently unveiled a shining new LEED Certified skyscraper on 11th avenue in New York City. The building features a stunning facade composed of 1,700 different panes of glass and is described by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect as a “vision machine”. With apartments reaching from $1.6 million to $22 million, one wonders if New York really needs another green luxury building when there’s so much need for affordable housing. But nonetheless, 100 Eleventh Avenue is a stunning portrayal of what modern design can accomplish in a city like the Big Apple.
100 Eleventh Avenue is located near two New York City design icons: the High Line and Frank Gehry’s IAC Headquarters. The facade of the building is made from, “1,700 different-sized panes of colorless glass each set at a unique angle and torque.” The glass facade creates a west facing mirage of green and blue as the panes reflect the sky and sunlight. The north-facing side of the building is made from black brick with strategically placed windows that perfectly reflect different views from inside, like the empire state building. The entrance — when completely finished — will come complete with a suspended garden with vegetation sprouting mid-air.
On the green side the building features FSC certified wood, recycled materials, low-VOC paints and carpets and an indoor air quality management system. It seems that 100 Eleventh Avenue is worthy of its green neighbor, The High Line, and the artistic neighborhood it’s been built in. Now lets just hope that it can attract the high rolling tenants it needs to fit it’s pricey apartments.
Via Green Buildings NYC
