Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture was recommended by Nordstrom, which has agreed to lease 285,000 square feet at the site east of Broadway between 57th and 58th streets, according to the Wall Street Journal. Smith was the lead designer for the 2,717-foot-tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is the tallest building in the world.
The firm “is very expert in this field, and we want to do a really high-quality, great building,” Extell Development CEO Gary Barnett told the Journal. Other designers considered for the tower included Herzog & de Meuron and SHoP Architects.
Although Extell’s plans could change, at a lofty 1,550 feet, the tower could be New York’s tallest apartment building, soaring above CIM Group condo project 432 Park Avenue’s 1,395 feet. The Nordstrom development could surpass One World Trade Center, which rises 1,368 feet without its 408-foot-tall mast.
Nordstrom would occupy the bottom floors of the tower, and there will be a hotel on floors seven through 12, according to the building permit application filed by Extell late November. Apartments and mechanical equipment would occupy the rest of the levels, up to the 88th floor.
