Adding to the landmarks of New York is the One Vanderbilt building. Along with the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, this new addition now defines Manhattan’s skyline.
One Vanderbilt is a mixed-use building that includes office, retail, and civic and cultural space spread across its 1.75-million square feet. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, the 77-storey tower is adjacent to Grand Central, to which it will also have an underground connection. By 2022, the tower will fully support the new plan for East Side Access, which extends Long Island Railroad (LIRR) service to Grand Central.
The 1.7 million-square-foot skyscraper, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) has glass curtain walls, and KPF used eye-catching, rippling terra-cotta to reference its historic neighbor, Grand Central.
Mixed use building
Reaching 1,401 feet (427 meters) in height, One Vanderbilt houses office space, it includes a 30,000 square-foot (2,800 square metre) amenity floor with outdoor garden terraces, as well as world-class dining headed by Michelin star-rated Chef Daniel Boulud. In addition to a fine dining restaurant, there will be an outpost of Boulud’s grab-and-go option Epicurie Boulud.
Inside One Vanderbilt, tenants will enjoy state-of-the-art features that are rare to office buildings in the area. Amenities include floor-to-ceiling windows with 360-degree views and column-free office space with slab heights ranging from 14.5 to 24 feet.
For this project, Schindler provided three Schindler 9300 escalators and 36 Schindler 7000 elevators, 32 of which are equipped with PORT technology, including one double decker elevator. The use of PORT ensures that the tenants and guests of One Vanderbilt get to their destinations as efficiently as possible by grouping riders headed to the same floors together. As New York fights its way back to business as usual, PORT will prove invaluable in preventing packed lobbies due to high foot-traffic. The project also includes five hydraulic elevators, including 60,000 lb truck lifts.
Highlights – Observation deck
The office building’s observation deck, will be the second-highest outdoor deck in the city and is being designed by Snøhetta. Now known as The Summit at One Vanderbilt, the 59th-floor deck will have “two step-out, glass floor ledges that overhang Madison Avenue.” The Summit will begin welcoming guests (who will pay $35 for the experience) at the end of 2021.
The observatory is 71,938 square feet, occupying the 57th, 58th, and 59th floors. At just over 1,000 feet in elevation, it will be the city’s fourth-highest observatory, coming in behind those at One World Trade Center (1,250 feet), Edge at 30 Hudson Yards (1,100 feet), and the Empire State Building (1,050 feet)–only those at 30 Hudson Yards and One Vanderbilt are outdoor decks. After opening at the end of 2021, the Summit is expected to pay $46.9 million in rent by 2024.
Sustainable technology
The team behind One Vanderbilt was heavily focused on sustainability, and the building is expected to earn the highest LEED and WELL certifications. The project incorporates recycled construction materials, 90,000-gallon rainwater collection systems, and 1.2-megawatt cogeneration.
The building’s unique design was envisioned to allow unobstructed views of Grand Central Terminal, while the top floors offer unparalleled views of Manhattan.
Amenities
Tenants at One Vanderbilt will have a combination of amenities that are absolutely cutting edge in New York City. This includes a 30,000-square-foot tenant-only amenity floor with large format meeting spaces, club-style lounge, curated food offerings and extraordinary outdoor terrace that faces Grand Central station.
Tall facts
At 1,401 feet, One Vanderbilt is Midtown’s tallest office building and the fourthtallest skyscraper in New York City (following One World Trade at 1,776 feet, Central Park Tower at 1,550 feet, and 111 West 57th Street at 1,428 feet).
