Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has finally completed its hotly-anticipated Via 57 West 'Courtscraper' in New York City. BIG's twisted- triangular high-rise building photographed by architectural photographer Iwan Baan, showing the building's final reach in the dense fabric of New York city. Iwan Baan's images show different situational perspectives as well as interior images in order to prove that how the building is perceived from different points of the city in this urban context.

The 830,000 square foot highrise combines the density of the American skyscraper with the communal space of the European courtyard, offering 709 residential units with a lush 22 000 square foot garden at the heart of the building.

Image © Iwan Baan

BIG’s project in NY is a hybrid between the European perimeter block and a traditional Manhattan high-rise, West 57th has a unique shape which combines the advantages of both: the compactness and efficiency of a courtyard building providing density, a sense of intimacy and security, with the airiness and the expansive views of a skyscraper. 

By keeping three corners of the block low and lifting the north-east corner up towards its 467 foot (142-metre) peak, the courtyard opens views towards the Hudson River, bringing low western sun deep into the block and graciously preserving the adjacent Helena Tower’s views of the river.

Image © Iwan Baan

The form of the building shifts depending on the viewer’s vantage point. While appearing like a pyramid from the West-Side-Highway, it turns into a dramatic glass spire from West 58th Street. The courtyard which is inspired by the classic Copenhagen urban oasis can be seen from the street and serves to extend the adjacent greenery of the Hudson River Park into the West 57th development. 

''In recent decades, some of the most interesting urban developments have come in the form of nature and public space, reinserting themselves back into the postindustrial pockets, freeing up around the city; the pedestrianization of broadway & times square; the bicycle lanes, the high line and the industrial piers turning into parks,'' explained Bjarke Ingels. 

Image © Iwan Baan

''Located at the northern tip of the hudson river park, VIA continues this process of greenification allowing open space to invade the urban fabric of the manhattan city grid. in an unlikely fusion of what seems to be two mutually exclusive typologies — the courtyard and the skyscraper, the courtscraper is the most recent addition to the manhattan skyline,'' Ingels added.

The slope of the building allows for a transition in scale between the low-rise structures to the south and the high-rise residential towers to the north and west of the site. The highly visible sloping roof consists of a simple ruled surface perforated by terraces—each one unique and south-facing. 

The fishbone pattern of the walls are also reflected in its elevations. Every apartment gets a bay window to amplify the benefits of the generous view and balconies which encourage interaction between residents and passers-by.

Image courtesy of BIG

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image courtesy of BIG

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © Iwan Baan

Image © BIG

Image © BIG

Image © BIG

Image © BIG

Image © BIG

Image © BIG

Project Facts

Project name: VIA 57 west
Location: New York, USA
Program: Housing
Status: Completed
Size: 77,202 sqm (830,995 sqf)

Client: The durst organization
Collaborators: SLCE Architects, Starr Whitehouse, Thornton Tomasetti, Dagher Engineering, Langan Engineering, Hunter Roberts, Enclos, Philip Habib & Associates, Vidaris Inc, Nancy Packes, Van Deusen & Associates, Cerami & Associates, CPP, AKRF, Glessner Group, Brandston Partnership Inc.

Project Team
Partners in charge: Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Christoffersen, Beat Schenk
Project architect: David Brown
Team: Aleksander Tokarz, Alessandro Ronfini, Alessio Valmori, Alvaro Mendive, Benjamin Schulte, Birk Daugaard, Celine Jeanne, Christoffer Gotfredsen, Daniel Sundlin, Dominyka Mineikyte, Eivor Davidsen, Felicia Guldberg, Florian Oberschneider, Gabrielle Nadeau, Gül Ertekin, Ho Kyung Lee, Hongyi Jin, Julian Liang, Julianne Gola, Justyna Mydlak, Laura Youf, Lauren Turner, Lucian Racovitan, Marcella Martinez, Maria Nikolova, Maya Shopova, Mitesh Dixit, Nicklas A. Rasch, Ola Hariri, Riccardo Mariano, Sheela Maini Søgaard, Sören Grünert, Steffan Heath, Stanley Lung, Tara Hagan, Thilani Rajarathna, Tiago Barros, Tyler Polich, Valentina Mele, Valerie Lechene, Xu Li, Yi Li.
Project leader, interiors: David Brown
Project manager, interiors: Beat Schenk
Team, interiors: Aaron Hales, Alessandro Ronfini, Brian Foster, Christoffer Gotfredsen, Ho Kyung Lee, Hongyi Jin, Ivy Hume, Jenny Chang, Lauren Turner, Mina Rafiee, Rakel Karlsdottir, Tara Hagan, Thomas Fagan, Tiago Barros, Valentina Mele.

Top image © Iwan Baan

> via BIG