Designer Façades on the East River

By Editorial Staff - 16 June 2025
Pichler projects has participated in the project

Overlooking the eastern bank of the East River, in the heart of Greenpoint – one of New York’s most forward-thinking neighborhoods – the high-rise apartment blocks Eagle+West and The Huron are injecting innovation and contemporary design into a district with deep industrial roots, reshaping the area through experimentation and technology. Designed respectively by OMA and Morris Adjmi Architects, both developments were envisioned in constant dialogue with the waterfront on one side and the city skyline on the other. Each project comprises two towers, joined at the base by communal areas and amenities that remain open and connected to the surrounding urban landscape. Pichler projects played a key part in achieving the end result, creating façades to ensure uninterrupted visual and spatial continuity between the interiors, the East River and Manhattan, while respecting the neighborhood’s historical and cultural fabric.

The sculptural twin towers of Eagle+West – rising 40 and 30 stories – are immediately identifiable by their signature modular grid, which fuses visual rhythm with high performance, functionality and magnificent views over the river and skyline. The façade’s dynamic nature comes from striated shingle-textured precast concrete panels, lending versatility and a sense of movement.

For this project, Pichler supplied more than 15,000 sq. m of glazing, spanning over 40 different window types and nearly 2,700 large-scale units, each designed to accommodate interior HVAC systems. The result is a building that shifts its appearance throughout the day, shaped by the structure’s irregular geometry and the changing light conditions.

The Huron’s 13-story twin towers, linked by a central atrium, also capitalize on sweeping views of the river, the bay and Manhattan. For this project, Pichler developed a custom façade system featuring large-scale windows tightly set side by side and vertically modulated from floor to floor – a rhythm that echoes the structural language of historic industrial buildings. That reference is further reinforced by the building’s overall color palette. Around the windows, metal cladding takes its cue from the warm tones of brick and wood, once again reinforcing the building’s industrial character. The entire façade was installed from the interior and the assemblies deliver high thermal and acoustic performance. Here, the building envelope was engineered to support natural ventilation systems.

Both projects share a distinctive design decision: staggered top floors that carve out generous private terraces or recessed niches that are spacious enough to host intimate rooftop gardens overlooking New York.