Pier 57 in Manhattan has been transformed by a redevelopment project with walls of Bendheim channel glass in an effort to blend old with new.
About the transformation
Designed by Handel Architects, the $410 million restoration and revitalization project created 350,000-square feet of mixed-use space on the midcentury structure, with an additional 50,000-square feet on the ground floor for public amenities. With Google as the anchor tenant, Pier 57 will also offer a food hall curated by the James Beard Foundation, a public gathering place called the Living Room, and flexible meeting space for booking by community organizations.
The building’s rooftop park, nearly two acres in size and open to the public, is the largest of its kind in New York City. The venue will also provide outdoor screening space for the annual Tribeca Film Festival.
The glass used
Positioned to reflect Hudson River's sunsets, the building’s walls are made of 6,400-square feet of Bendheim channel glass in the company’s SF60 frame system, installed by David Shuldiner, Inc. The lower-level walls are primarily made of Clarissimo glass, a clear material allowing extensive river views from the lobby and restaurant areas on the ground floor. The walls of the second story offices and other selected panels are made of glass with Bendheim’s 504 Rough Cast texture. The choice of a translucent finish for the glass on this floor shields the workspace from glare while creating a glowing exterior. Throughout the building, low-e coatings serve to minimize the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that is allowed to pass through the glass walls, while maximizing the transmission of visible wavelengths.
What people are saying
“As a new structure built on a historic building, we wanted the pavilion on the roof of the Pier to read as a light intervention, both in material selection and the language of design," says Jessica Levine, Senior Associate at Handel Architects. "The channel glass achieves this balance for us by acting as a diffuser of light and also in its industrial appearance–complimenting the nature of a historic shipping pier. The channel glass allowed us to have a cohesive design by providing the flexibility between translucent and transparent finishes.”
“We are proud to participate in the ongoing revitalization of New York City, including this important development. Our channel glass allowed the architects to build walls that are both functional and beautiful, making the most of Pier 57’s spectacular setting on the Hudson," says Bendheim co-owner Robert Jayson.
