Herzog & de Meuron designed the 160 Leroy, Ian Schrager's highly sought after new luxury residential development in New York City. The project will be completed in 2017.
Oscar Niemeyer describes the building as curvaceous, sensual, free-flowing, seductive and sexy. Much like at the hand of a sculptor, this creation possesses a tactile quality and evokes a sense of purity and pristineness with its white concrete façade and diamond faceted floor-to-ceiling windows that reflect the sky and the water. There is a distinctive inherent rhythm to the building, making it otherworldly at any perspective.
Despite its shape, 160 Leroy was designed from the inside out. The bespoke layouts of the 49 one-of-a-kind apartments are spacious and comfortable, maximizing the expansive views of the Freedom Tower, the Hudson River, North towards the George Washington Bridge and city views East. Some of the apartments even possess views East and West from the same Great Room for rare, idyllic sunrise and sunset views. The layouts were designed for the modern lifestyle-open floor plans to accommodate both entertaining and family life, with just the right amount of privacy.
Residents cross through the arched entryway of the building into a lush private landscaped courtyard and find themselves immersed in a serene, pastoral garden designed by Madison Cox, with a specially chosen 30-foot willow tree, boxwood hedges, ivy covered walls, undulating lawn and benches for enjoying the space. If it weren't for the old-world New York City cobblestones that pave the driveway, you wouldn't even know you were in New York City.
Inside, the lobby's curving, specially imported glass walls bring the atmosphere of the verdant courtyard indoors-blurring the distinction between inside and outside-where the cobblestone gives way to imported Pietra Serena floors-it is like going on a journey from the sidewalks of 19th century old New York to the sidewalks of Florence and ending up back in New York again in the 21st century. Framed in rich mahogany, the custom designed glass evokes the luxurious window vitrines of a fin de siècle Viennese department store. All of these global references come together and an alchemy happens. The end result is a sum greater than the individual parts. This fresh, new look is impossible to categorize.
Fluted mahogany panels are dramatically uplit to create an intimate but welcoming entry that glows invitingly in the evening. Off of the lobby, a private 70-foot pool and whirlpool spa with floor-to-ceiling glass, abounds with natural light. There is also a recreation lounge area complete with a state-of-the-art kitchen suitable for private events, a kids' clubhouse ideal for birthday parties and a gourmet take-out and delivery restaurant. A few steps below the jewel box-like lobby is a fully equipped state-of-the-art fitness center with a yoga room, a sauna and steam room with changing rooms, and a fully equipped private massage room.