| The Copper | |
|---|---|
.jpg) View from the East River | |
 Interactive map of the The Copper area | |
| Former names | American Copper Buildings 626 First Avenue |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | 626 First Avenue Kips Bay |
| Coordinates | 40°44′40″N73°58′19″W / 40.74454°N 73.972°W /40.74454; -73.972 |
| Completed | 2017[2] |
| Management | GO Management GO Partners |
| Height | |
| Roof | 540 feet (160 m) (West tower) 470 feet (140 m) (East tower) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 48 (West tower) 41 (East tower)[1] |
| Floor area | 824,000 square feet (76,600 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | SHoP Architects |
| Developer | JDS Development Group |
| Other designers | SCAPE (landscape architect) |
| Main contractor | JDS Construction Group / Facade by The Elicc Group |
| Other information | |
| Number of units | 761 |
| Parking | 294 spaces[3] |
The Copper (formerly known asAmerican Copper Buildings and626 First Avenue) is a complex consisting of two luxury residentialskyscrapers in theMurray Hill neighborhood ofManhattan inNew York City. The buildings were developed byJDS Development and were designed bySHoP Architects[1] with interiors by SHoP and K&Co.[4] The buildings are one of several major collaborations between JDS and SHoP; others include111 West 57th Street, also in Manhattan,[5] andThe Brooklyn Tower in Brooklyn.[6]
The site of the two towers was originally a lot that hostedConsolidated Edison'sKips Bay Generating Station. The developerSheldon Solow bought the generating station's site and resold a portion of the site to JDS in 2013. JDS built the American Copper Buildings from 2014 to 2016; American Copper West opened in April 2017, and American Copper East opened in late 2018. Thefacade is clad in copper and glass, and the structures are designed so they appear to bend toward each other. The two towers are connected by a three-storyskybridge, which includes some of the buildings' amenity spaces. The buildings are residential and include 761 rental units, 20% of which are affordable.
The site of the two towers was originally a lot that hosted theConsolidated EdisonKips Bay Generating Station.[7] The lot was one of three parcels purchased bySheldon Solow (along with the former Consolidated EdisonWaterside power plant on the east side of First Avenue from 38th to 41st streets) and was planned to be redeveloped as part of a seven-tower, $4 billion complex designed bySkidmore, 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 architectRichard Meier.[8]
Solow sold the southwest corner of the lot in 2010 to theNew York City School Construction Authority for $33.25 million, which was used to build P.S. 281 – The River School.[9] He later sold the remaining plot on 35th Street to JDS and Largo in 2013 for $172 million. JDS and Largo secured a loan from Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors to purchase the land.[2] Following aULURP, Solow changed his plans to a twin-tower structure, which JDS followed per the zoning, although with a new architect. JDS executives were attracted to the lot in part due to the waterfront location and proximity to theUnited Nations andLangone Medical Center.[10]
Construction began on the site in mid-2014, and the copper cladding was first applied in mid-2015.[11] The west and east towers topped out in late 2015 and early 2016, respectively, and installation of theskybridge between the two towers began in January 2016.[12][13] The official name of the towers – The American Copper Buildings – was released in April 2016 as the property launched initial leasing efforts.[14] In December 2016, the project received a $500 million senior mortgage fromAmerican International Group along with a $160 million mezzanine loan fromApollo Global Management andSL Green Realty.[15]
The two separate structures opened in phases for renters, with American Copper West opening in April 2017 and American Copper East in late 2018.[16] A cafe called Hole in the Wall opened in the base of the east tower in June 2019.[17]
JDS and Baupost entered into a contract to sell the property to investors Black Spruce Management and Orbach Affordable Housing Solutions in December 2021 for about $850 million.[18][19] The high price has been interpreted as indicative of broader investor confidence in the recovery of New York City despite the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic.[20]JPMorgan provided $675 million in financing to Black Spruce and Orbach in March 2022.[21][22]
The north and southelevations of the building'sfacade are clad in copper, while the east and west elevations are floor to ceiling glass. The two towers are designed such that they appear to "dance" with each other.[2] They are connected by a bridge approximately 300 feet from the ground, three levels in height.[23] The west tower is 540 feet in height, and the east tower is 470 feet tall.[1]
The copper exterior haspatina, which took twenty years to grow upon theStatue of Liberty. Pure copper exposed to rain grows a thin, dark-brown film that densens over time and lightens to a pale gray with blue-green hues, calledverdigris (meaning green-grey in French), similar in color toceladon.[24] The architect used the copper facade for texture and added variation by staggering the panels in patterns that emanate from the skybridge.[24] The facade was installed by the Elicc Group.[25]
The two towers are connected by a three-storyskybridge on floors 27, 28, and 29, which includes a portion of the project's 60,000 square feet of amenities such as a 75-foot lap pool, and lounge for residents. The skybridge also includes a mechanical floor used by both towers for efficiency, creating space for the east tower's roof deck pool and lounge.[26] Atop the skybridge are private outdoor terraces attached to adjacent apartments.[27] According to the developers, it is the first such bridge constructed in Manhattan in eight decades.[28] The bridge structure is composed of steel trusses that weigh up to 421,000 pounds.[29] Measuring 100 feet long, the skybridge is clad in glass that contains an aluminum mesh interlayer that reduces solar gain and gives the appearance from the exterior as an opaque material.[24] The skybridge was furnished by design firm K&Co.[29]
The buildings are residential and include 761 rental units.[30][31] Nearly twenty percent of the units in the two towers, or 160 apartments in total, are designated as affordable, with the remainder rented atmarket rate.[31] The buildings are split between 725,000 square feet (67,400 m2) of residential space, 94,700 square feet (8,800 m2) of amenities and facilities for residents, and a small 4,100-square-foot (380 m2) retail complex on the ground floor.[12] Each tower includes its own lobby with 25-foot ceilings, custom lighting, and wood paneling. Apartments range from studios to three bedrooms. Finishes include oak flooring, light fixtures designed by the architect, Miele appliances, marble countertops and backsplashes in kitchens, and "crocodile" marble accent shower walls.[32]
The bridge connecting the development's two towers includes a pool, whirlpool, and a lounge for residents. The building includes a gym, a landscaped plaza, and other amenities.[33] An outdoor pool and lounge are on the top of the east tower, with the top of the west tower reserved for mechanical space.[34]
While the buildings' parcel was for sale duringHurricane Sandy, rainfall turned an onsite pit into a "small lake".[35] The buildings were therefore developed with precautions against floods and extreme weather caused by climate change. In the event of power loss caused by a storm, there are five emergency generators to power the buildings' eight passenger and two freight elevators and to provide power to tenants' refrigerators and a single outlet in each apartment for an indefinite period of time.[35] Architectural choices were also informed by potential floods. Lobby walls utilize stone instead of wood, and the buildings' copper covering begins approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) above the ground, preventing potential damage from high waters.[35]
The project has been praised by architecture critics for moving away from all glass design to embrace texture, depth, and character.[26] It was named the Best Tall Building in the Americas at theCouncil for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's 2018 Tall Buildings Awards.[36] SCAPE Landscape Architecture also received the ASLA-NY 2019 Award for the First Avenue Water Plaza, in the General Landscape Architecture Design category.[37]
