The Bryant: the charm of classic New York

Midtown Manhattan, the heart of New York, is one of the largest financial districts in the world and home to some of the city’s most important buildings. The Bryant, a 32-story tower building designed by David Chipperfield Architects, is a new addition to this rich and varied setting.

The building is the British architect’s first in New York. It includes 57 private residences on the upper levels and a hotel on the first fourteen floors.

The design was inspired by the shapes of the surrounding historic buildings, such as the Knox Building to the west and the New York Public Library to the north. Reflecting a New York tradition, the structure and functional layout of the tower is divided in three: a base, middle, and crown.

The base occupies the full width of the site, and includes a double-height ground floor and the first four levels of the hotel. A smaller footprint, along with increased floor-to-ceiling height in the hotel bar and lounge, mark the start of the middle section. The crown is defined by double-height spaces that form the two penthouses at the top of the tower.

From outside, the building essentially appears as a grid composed of polished precast concrete slabs and columns, giving it a solid, classic appearance. The concrete mix used aggregates identical to the stone varieties found in the masonry facades of the neighboring buildings, further entrenching the tower in its setting.

The interior hides an interesting design novelty, with each apartment featuring a timber structure in the middle that separates the rooms and allows free circulation along the outside walls. Using sliding screens, also in the center, residents have the flexibility to change the rooms as needed.