260 Eleventh Avenue

New York City

Located in Manhattan, New York, this new office development will restore two adjacent historical buildings and combine them with a new structure on a contiguous empty lot, all of which fall within the West Chelsea Historic District. The most significant existing building is 260 Eleventh Avenue, formerly the world headquarters of the Otis Elevator Company, built in 1911-12, and occupying the full length of the project site’s Eleventh Avenue frontage. It neighbours 549 West 26th Street, built in 1900-01 for the John Williams Bronze and Iron Works. The project is completed by a site at 550 West 27th Street, the sole vacant lot in district.

Location New York City, USA

Date 2016 - ongoing

Client Vornado Realty Trust

Site Area

44,067 sq ft

GFA

265,491 sq ft

Architect of Record Adamsons Associates

Architects

Structural Engineer

BuroHappold Engineering

Services Engineer

Jaros Baume + Bolles

Facade Engineer

BuroHappold Engineering

Fire & Safety Consultant

Holmes Keogh Associates

Historic Preservation Consultant

Building Conservation Associates

Landmark Preservation

Higgins Quasebarth & Partners

A new glass clad construction will extend above the existing buildings, cantilevering over a rooftop terrace created on the John Williams Building and forming a new one-story addition above the current roof of the Otis Building. A glazed atrium containing the vertical circulation will serve to unify the complex.

The existing floors within the Otis Building will remain. The brick and stone facades will be stripped of paint and/or cleaned, the windows replaced, new storefronts introduced and the metal cornice restored. The rear brick facade will be restored/replaced in accordance with the new design.

The John Williams building will be more extensively altered. One bay from the rear will be removed and the floors will be newly constructed behind the retained facade. The facade to 26th street will have the brick and stone stripped of paint and/or cleaned, the windows replaced, new storefronts introduced and the metal cornice restored.

Forming one unified building all three elements will need to comply with current zoning and building codes. The project was unanimously approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in April 2019.