61 Ninth Avenue is a new office building in the Meatpacking District in Manhattan that creates nearly 150,000 square feet (13,900 square meters) of commercial space in three levels–including a basement level–of retail and seven levels of Class A office space, articulated within a modular frame. With its core located to one side rather than in the center of the floor plan, office layouts achieve maximum flexibility. Each office floor has a different configuration of its outdoor terraces, creating a sense of uniqueness for each level and for the building as a whole. The flexibility in the design of 61 Ninth Avenue responds to a particular market demand of the Meatpacking District neighborhood, where competing offices are often housed in converted industrial spaces. The inherent character of these large manufacturing spaces is that they provide large open spaces with generous ceiling heights in contrast to center core high rise office towers commonly seen in Midtown Manhattan. Viñoly’s design references the nature of these distinctive adaptive reuse spaces in its office floors, recreating their feel with high ceilings, large bay windows, and daylit space. Floor layout possibilities are maximized by locating the circulation core on one side of the space and each level can be fit-out to accommodate a variety of tenant needs. However, the building also creates a contemporary feel, providing outdoor social space in the form of terraces. The stacked cube-like curtain wall module is arranged in a different configuration on each floor, creating unique interiors and a varied exterior. Situated on the corner of a busy intersection in this historically industrial neighborhood, the building’s site is the former home of a lumber yard. The client negotiated air rights transfers from four neighboring buildings and the purchase of an adjacent lot to allow for a taller building with a more dynamic design that will result in commercial spaces with a greater market value. The building has been designed to accommodate a single tenant or multiple, single-floor tenants. Additionally, a major destination retail tenant has been secured for the ground floor and opened in 2019.

Project Summary by Rafael Viñoly Architects

Highlights 

(Awards | Exhibitions | Publications)

• Architect Magazine Online [A&HCI Journal], “The Ritz-Carlton New York NoMad, Rafael Viñoly Architects” by Andrea Lamberti (ISSN 2767-8873), 2019

• Architectural Digest Online [Avery Index Journal], “High-End Residences in New York City are Bringing Hotel Life Home” by Heidi Mitchell (ISSN 0003-8520), 2021      

• Archdaily, “Rafael Viñoly-Designed Ritz-Carlton Tower to Rise in New York City” by Patrick Lynch (ISSN 0719-8884), 2017

Overview

• Hospitality, 287,000 ft² (26,700 m²), 500 ft (150 m) - 35 floors, 250 keys

Tasks

• Junior Architect (Design Team: SD-DD Phase)

• Design team member.

• Development of design studies, presentation materials.

• Development of construction documents and detail drawings for submissions.

• Incorporating feedback from consultants into design.