In the “mega-development” Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side sits the new 55 Hudson Yards building. The building towers 51 stories and gained its context from “stately, cast-iron facades of SoHo and the industrial backdrop of the Meatpacking District,” as Metropolis Magazine describes. The building adds more diversity to the surrounding facades, showcasing the depth of the architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), who are responsible for the Hudson Yards development master plan.
© Raimund Koch for KPF
The architects KPF describe the exterior as, “A consistent grid of gunmetal both invokes modernism and echoes the historic, cast-iron structures of the neighborhood. Fenestration modules shift in size between the podium and tower fronts while column-free corners and multiple terraces offer enhanced views of the Hudson River, High Line, and New York City.”
© Raimund Koch for KPF
The metal curtainwall and window frames are coated with PPG’s Coraflon powder coating system in the color Black Flower, selected by KPF. Spectrum Metal Coatings applied the 20,000 pounds of coating as PPG describes, “Coraflon can be used as a one-coat paint system or a two-coat system with a primer to achieve the AAMA 2605 standard for weathering performance.”
PPG’s Coraflon ADS employs Lumiflon FEVE resin technology that protects a coating against UV radiation, rain, salt, and other environmental deterrents, preventing coat degradation. The low-VOC fluoropolymer is ideal for high-exposure projects like 55 Hudson Yards, as the FEVE resin ensures color and gloss retention of a coating which will allow the building to remain in pristine condition for decades.
The project was awarded LEED Gold Certification and the Merit Award for Architecture (AIA NY Design Awards 2020).
all images © Raimund Koch for KPF
information courtesy of Metropolis Magazine and KPF
Categories Architecture