NEW YORK | International Gem Tower l (590) FT l 32 FL

[JayPro]

A building with a skin design this good should be over 700' at the absolute minimum. I'm sorely disappointed that they chose to go conservative height-wise...unless there's a height restriction in this particular area and the developers were cornered into making a compromise.

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by JayPro

A building with a skin design this good should be over 700' at the absolute minimum. I'm sorely disappointed that they chose to go conservative height-wise...unless there's a height restriction in this particular area and the developers were cornered into making a compromise.

There's no height restriction in NYC, other than 2000feet FAA.

There is FAR restrictions which are building density zoning limits.

[reencharles]

I was already suspected this would happen. I had counted 32 floors these days, and stopped to think "I think something's wrong, if he will have 590 feet, he should be higher, with just two floors to reach the top." It's a shame. I expected a little more (in height).

Anyway, Manhattan will have several interesting projects to come.

[NYCLuver]

March 4th, 2012

[Crawford]

Re. the building height, when the recession hit, Extell Development downsized the project, to lessen risk.

They own a number of adjacent parcels, and will use the available unused air rights on the next-door project.

So it's unfortunate that this project is a little smaller than initially planned, but the same developable space will eventually go up, except the distribution of space will be different (more space in Building 2, and less in Building 1).

I don't know the details on the second project. I'm not even sure it's office/diamond district space. I do know they bought up basically all the air rights on 46th and 47th streets, so they have considerable control over the future of these two streets.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by aquablue

There's no height restriction in NYC, other than 2000feet FAA.

This is totally wrong. There are height restrictions in the vast majority of NYC.

[Dac150]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I don't know the details on the second project. I'm not even sure it's office/diamond district space. I do know they bought up basically all the air rights on 46th and 47th streets, so they have considerable control over the future of these two streets.

Interesting - I wasn't aware there's a second project in the works. I'm glad that area is in the process of sprouting some towers.

I caught a glimpse of this one from 6th last Friday and the cladding is just incredible.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Crawford

This is totally wrong. There are height restrictions in the vast majority of NYC.

At least as skyscrapers go, there are no limits. But as far as zoning goes, you can't build skyscrapers over most of the city anyway (Imagine a 100-story proposal in the middle of Staten Island). It should be no other way. But yeah, in the middle of the City's commercial districts where large buildings go, there are no height limits. Effectively, the FARs are what determine height, size, etc.

Meanwhile, this building may not be the tallest, and its really hidden midblock. But there are a lot of these hidden gems (I know) on the sidestreets of Manhattan. Blame the number and mass of skyscrapers if you will.

[mrnyc]

from the north end of the highline park?

[vandelay]

I think it's too far west to be able to see the Gem tower. I'm not sure what this construction is, probably a hotel.

[mrnyc]

^ i think yr right - wasnt sure tho.

[scalziand]

It's called the Olivia.

http://www.stonehengenyc.com/properties/the-olivia/

[colemonkee]

The Olivia looks like it's already completed, though, and the glass building just behind it. Regardless, the building under construction in that photo is obviously concrete, and not International Gem.

[scalziand]

Oops, you're right about that.

[RoldanTTLB]

It's another glenwood property on, eh, 38th?

329 w 39th/38th st Glenwood rental

To be exact.

[Duck From NY]

It's a shame the height has been lowered, but the cladding is fantastic so far, and this will still add density to a spot in Midtown that's not dense, relative to the surrounding areas.

[THE BIG APPLE]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

from the north end of the highline park?

Ha that is NOT the Gem Tower, not even close. The Gem Tower is about 20 blocks north of the building of which you took the pic. But thanks for the picture.

jwalas









This building is looking NICE!

[NYguy]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...googlenews_wsj

A Building in the Rough



By ROBBIE WHELAN
March 11, 2012

New York's Diamond District is today crummy, cramped and hopelessly outdated. With its hawkers on the sidewalk and internal gritty bazaars of gold and gems, it feels more like a developing country than the middle of Midtown.

That's why developer Gary Barnett, whose career began as a diamond dealer in Belgium, is in the midst of erecting a 34-story commercial condo building along 47th Street in the heart of the diamond district. His idea is that finally, the purveyors of the world's most beautiful, shiniest stones will have a modern, glimmering tower to conduct their business in.

"It's embarrassing that they don't have a building like this in New York City. You'd walk on 47th Street, and the first thing you notices, it's such a run-down district," Mr. Barnett said in a recent interview.

In his effort to create a building that matches the professionalism and sophistication of the steel buildings of the diamond exchange in Ramat Gan, outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, Mr. Barnett enlisted Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP to design the diamond building, which is sometimes marketed under the lofty name of the International Gem Tower. The firm is known for its sleek, international-style office towers, and, more recently, for the spiky glass behemoth it conceived for One World Trade Center.

[NYguy]

timlitchfield

[NYC4Life]

What an awesome building, there should be more mid-block towers such as this one.