Cascading Greenery and Spectacular Views — The Spiral is the West Side’s Newest Skyscraper

The latest Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) designed skyscraper to grace the west side, The Spiral is really taking shape — and what a shape it is! BIG won plaudits and awards with VIA, its distorted pyramid on W57th Street, and with The Spiral the design company is again thinking outside of the box.

Featuring shiny glass facades and stepped landscaped terraces, the 314m tall skyscraper at the intersection of the High Line and Hudson Boulevard Park is planned over 65 levels. One of its primary tenants is pharma giant Pfizer, who are relocating their headquarters to NYC.  

The building gradually tapers from the ground to the top, with cascading green terraces that become a double-height atrium when you step inside. The unusual shape takes its inspiration from a more familiar New York landmark — the Rockefeller Center — with The Spiral’s design team hoping their latest effort “will become a future classic on the Manhattan skyline.”  

Inside, The Spiral’s 2.85 million sq ft of column-free floor plates lend themselves to flexible, open floor plans for office and retail space. The design gives each floor access to the continuous green pathway that spirals around the building and green outdoor spaces, as well as offering spectacular views of the city.

The building houses an array of formal and informal settings suitable for meetings, events and recreation which also serve to connect multiple levels inside the tower, “offering an alternative to elevators that encourage physical activity and interaction amongst colleagues,” explains the design team.  The top floor will be home to ZO — a clubhouse with an open-air terrace at the southeast corner of the 66th floor, giving breathtaking panoramic views to the city. Its amenities include a furnished lounge, all day grab-and-go food and beverages as well as space for special programs and events.

“The Spiral sets a new standard for the contemporary workplace, where nature becomes an integrated part of the work environment while spatial features are continuously adaptable to the changing needs of the tenants and their organisations,” Bjarke Ingels told STIR World.

Photo Gallery documenting the construction of The Spiral
by Gary Hershorn.