[ Neil M. Denari Architects Inc. ] HL23, New York

Developed by Alf Naman and currently in construction, HL23 is a 14 floor condominium tower that responds to a unique and challenging site directly adjacent to the High Line at 23rd street in New York's West Chelsea Arts district. Partially impacted by a spur from the elevated tracks that make up the High Line superstructure, the site is 40' (12.20 m) x 99' (30.20 m) at the ground floor. The site and the developer demanded a specific response, yielding a project that is a natural merger between found and given parameters and architectural ambition. For the client, the question was how to expand the possible built floor area of a restricted zoning envelope. For the site, a supple geometry must be found to allow a larger building to stand in very close proximity to the elevated park of the High Line. Together, the demands produced a building with one unit per floor and three distinct yet coherent facades, a rarity in Manhattan's block structure.

With a custom non-spandrel curtainwall on the south and north facades, and a 3D stainless steel panel facade on the east facing the High Line, the project's geometry is driven by challenges to the zoning envelope on the site and by NMDA's interest in achieving complexity through simple tectonic operations.

text: NMDA

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Developed by Alf Naman and currently in construction, HL23 is a 14 floor condominium tower that responds to a unique and challenging site directly adjacent to the High Line at 23rd street in New York's West Chelsea Arts district. Partially impacted by a spur from the elevated tracks that make up the High Line superstructure, the site is 40' (12.20 m) x 99' (30.20 m) at the ground floor. The site and the developer demanded a specific response, yielding a project that is a natural merger between found and given parameters and architectural ambition. For the client, the question was how to expand the possible built floor area of a restricted zoning envelope. For the site, a supple geometry must be found to allow a larger building to stand in very close proximity to the elevated park of the High Line. Together, the demands produced a building with one unit per floor and three distinct yet coherent facades, a rarity in Manhattan's block structure.

With a custom non-spandrel curtainwall on the south and north facades, and a 3D stainless steel panel facade on the east facing the High Line, the project's geometry is driven by challenges to the zoning envelope on the site and by NMDA's interest in achieving complexity through simple tectonic operations.


HL23, New York
Project Address: 515-517 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011
Schedule: Construction Commences: March 2008 / Construction Complete: Spring 2009
Client / Developer: 23 High Line LLC, New York, NY. Alf Naman and Garrett Heher, Co-developers / Project Coordinator: Elizabeth Church

Project Team
Design Architect: Neil M. Denari Architects Inc. (NMDA), Los Angeles, CA / Neil Denari, AIA - Principal / Stefano Paiocchi - Project Architect / Design Team: David Aguilo, Carmen Cham
Collaborating Architect: Marc Rosenbaum, Architect, New York, NY / Marc Rosenbaum, Principal
Interior Architect: Thomas Juul-Hansen Architects, LLC, New York
Interior Design: Thomas Juul-Hansen, AIA, Principal / Victor Druga, Project Designer
Construction Admin Architect: The Spector Group, New York / George Kuchek, Project Manager / Paul Erdman
Structural Engineer: Desimone Consulting Engineers, PLLC, New York, NY / Stephen Desimone, President / Ahmed Osman, Project Manager / Chris Cerino, Project Engineer
Façade Consultant: FRONT, New York, NY / Bruce Nichol, Partner / Michael Ra, Partner
M.E.P.Engineer: Ambrosino, DePinto & Schmieder Consulting Engineers, PC, New York, NY / Michael S. Leone, Principal in charge / Project Engineers: Juan Toro, Ken Schmieder, Tom Bassolino
Lighting Designer: Lighting Design Alliance, Signal Hill, CA / Archit Jain, LC – Vice President / Director International
Acoustical Consultant: Shem Milsom Wilke, New York, NY / Neil Moiseev, Senior Consultant
Elevator Consultant: VDA LLC – Van Deusen & Associates, Livingston, NJ / Hakan Tanyeri
Phone-data Consultants: ESCC, New York, NY / Robert Horowitz, President
Soils Consultant: Geo Tech & Surveyor / LANGAN, Engineering & Environmental Services, PC, New York, NY / Alan R. Poeppel, PE, Associate / Paul Fisher, LS, Project Surveyor / Cem Altuntas, Project Manager
Waterproofing Consultant: James R. Gainfort AIA. Counsulting Architects P.C. / James Gainfort, Prinicpal / Douglas Smith
Landscape Designer: Quennell Rothschild & Partners, New York, NY / Nicholas Quennell, Principal / Beth Franz, Project Manager
Leed Consultant: YRG Sustainability Consultants / Lauren Yarmuth, Principal / Josh Radoff, Principal / Keith Amann, Project Manager
Code Consultant: JAM Consultants Inc, New York, NY / Robert Anderson, Principal
Construction Management: T.G. Nickel & Associates, NY / Tom Nickel, President / Joe Chiarelli, Project Executive / Doug Renna, Project Executive / Paul Caradonna, Project Manager / Bill Szenher, On-site Supervisor

Building Information
Site Dimensions: Width: 39’-6” (12.00 m) / Depth: 98’-9” (30.00 m) / Height: 156 feet (48.00 m)
Number of Floors: Below grade: 1 floor / Above grade: 14 floors
Floor Area: Gross: 39,200 square feet (3,642.00 m2) / Net: 27,500 square feet (2,556.00 m2)
Interior Breakdown: Lobby: 970 square feet (90.00 m2) / Apartments range from 1,849 to 3,587 square feet (172.00 to 333.00 m2) / Gallery: 2,422 square feet (225.00 m2) / Recreation Space: 1208 square feet (112.00 m2)
Exterior Materials: Substructure: Concrete / Superstructure: AESS Steel with plate steel cross bracing / South and North Elevation: glass, steel and aluminum curtain wall / East Elevation: stamped Stainless Steel panels
Interior Materials: Public Areas: terrazzo, painted gypsum board walls, aluminum, stainless steel detailing, anodized metal cladding / Private Residence: wood flooring, painted gypsum board walls, brushed aluminum detailing, painted metal cladding and glazed partitions.
Documentation: Neil M. Denari Architects, Los Angeles, CA / Hayes Davidson, London / Armin Hess, Vienna
Brand Development: Pandiscio Co., New York / Richard Pandiscio, principal / Creative Team: Alex Kellas, David Sadighian, Tino Valentinisch