American Copper Buildings

American Copper Buildings
General information
Status	Under construction
Type	Residential
Location	626 First Avenue Lower East Side
Estimated completion	2017
Management	JDS Development Largo Investments
Height
Roof	540 feet (160 m) (West tower) 470 feet (140 m) (East tower)
Technical details
Floor count	48
Floor area	824,000 square feet (76,600 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	SHoP Architects

American Copper Buildings (originally known as 626 First Avenue) is a dual-tower residential skyscraper under construction in the Kips Bay neighborhood of New York City, in Manhattan. The building is being developed by JDS Development and was designed by SHoP Architects. The building is one of several major collaborations between JDS and SHoP; others include 111 West 57th Street, also in Manhattan, and 9 DeKalb Avenue, in Brooklyn.

History

The site the two towers occupy was originally a 6.4 acre lot that hosted a power plant. While owned by Sheldon Solow, the plant was razed, and Solow paid to have the land cleaned, although he later sold the plot to JDS in 2013 for $172 million. JDS secured a loan from Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors to purchase the land. Solow's plans for the site involved a seven-tower, $4 billion complex designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The SOM plan would also have included a park and a public school, as well as an adjacent public space designed by American architect Richard Meier. Solow later changed his plans to a twin-tower structure, which JDS preserved, although with a new architect.

Construction began on the site in mid-2014, and the copper cladding was first applied in mid-2015. As of late 2015, the towers were nearly topped-out, and installation of the bridge between the two towers began in January of 2016. A website for the project appeared in April of 2016, and the name of the towers was changed from 626 First Avenue to the American Copper Buildings.

Design

The exterior of the building is clad in copper. This metal cladding is similar to other SHoP-designed buildings, such as Barclay's Center. As of April 2016, the copper exterior has begun to patina, and the structures will eventually change color entirely. The two towers are designed such that they appear to "dance" with each other. They are also connected by a bridge approximately 300 feet from the ground, which will be three levels in height. The taller tower will be 540 feet in height, and the shorter tower will be 470 feet tall.

Skybridge

The two towers are connected by a skybridge which will include amenities for residents. According to the developers, it is the first such bridge constructed in Manhattan in eighty years.

Usage

The building will be residential, and will include 800 rental units. Twenty percent of the units in the two towers will be designated affordable, with the remaining eighty percent to be sold at market.

The building will be split between 725,000 square feet of residential space, 94,700 square feet of amenities and facilities for residents, and a small 4,100 square foot retail complex on the ground floor.

Amenities

The bridge connecting the development's two towers will include a pool and a lounge for residents. The building will also include a squash court and a gym with views of the East River. Other amenities will be concentrated on the top of the east tower, with the top of the west tower reserved for mechanical space.