Overview
Completed in 2022, Central Park Tower has been called a “wonder of the world”, and a “beacon of glass and steel”. It is also the tallest residential building in the world by roof height. The 131-story residential skyscraper, located at 217 W 57th Street on Billionaires Row in Midtown Manhattan, boasts one of the most prestigious addresses in the world. Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, one of the leading international experts in supertall building design and technology, the 1,550-foot-tall tower yields 179 units above a Nordstrom retail podium between West 57th and West 58th Streets and Broadway and Seventh Avenue.
Sentech’s VetraFin-G Series System wraps around the 131st floor penthouse, a 17,500 square-foot space crowned by a 1,433 square-foot terrace – deemed the highest on earth. It is also the most expensive home ever listed in the United States, carrying a price tag of $250 Million.
The structural glass balustrades, designed, engineered and supplied by Sentech, feature unobstructed views in every direction thanks to the VetraFin-G Series System. The system is designed and engineered to withstand extremely high wind loads. The system utilizes laminated, tempered, heat-soaked glass coupled with custom machined fittings, custom heavy-duty base brackets, mirror polished stainless steel railings, and built-in stainless steel lightning protection that was required due to the height of the tower.
“”There is nothing else like it. I’ve been seeing high-priced luxury homes for 15 years in my career. I’ve sold some of the most expensive homes around the world, and I have never seen anything like this home.”
– Ryan Serhant, CEO & Founder, Serhant
The height of the tower, combined with building movement, high wind loads and navigation were some of the key challenges faced by the design and engineering team. Other challenges arose due to wind pressure, parapet loads and designing a system to be installed from the inside of the terrace, instead of from the outside of the terrace as would typically be done. Transparency, structural integrity, seamless elegance and integration with the surrounding cityscape were key design mandates for this system, and the result is nothing less than the tower it sits atop- iconic.
Awards
2021 Award of Excellence by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)
Credits
Architect: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Contractor: Lendlease
Glazing Contractor: American Industries Corp
Photography: Michael Young, New York YIMBY
