Kohn Pederson Fox and Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates were engaged in an active collaboration to develop the Concept Design for 55 Hudson Yards in New York City.

Over a three-month period, design workshops in New Haven and New York were led by A. Eugene Kohn and Kevin Roche and members of the current Roche Modern team. Collaborating with their respective design teams, they produced a series of massing and conceptual design options, which were presented jointly to the top management of the developer Related Properties. This collaborative and iterative process resulted in a striking design. KPF developed and executed the jointly developed concept.

The design for 55 Hudson Yards ties the aesthetic of the Hudson Yards district back to the industrial character of the meatpacking district and Chelsea. The building embraces the history of New York’s cast iron district, bringing that quality into a high-rise tower.

The building’s simple, orthogonal, form stands in contrast to the sculptural forms of the rest of the buildings in the district, setting it apart. The cast façade of the podium applies this aesthetic in a rethinking of the textured buildings of New York. Much consideration was given to the two different modules of fenestration between the podium and tower facades, with fenestration relating to form in each case.

Terraces are incorporated on various floors throughout the podium, which allows for usable outdoor space with trees and greenery. A larger terrace is located on top of the podium.