53W53 is Pritzker laureate Jean Nouvel's first New York skyscraper: a 1,050-foot crystalline obelisk that tapers as it climbs, its faceted crown dissolving into a cluster of glass spires against the Midtown sky. The building is held up not by an ordinary internal core alone but by a sculptural concrete 'diagrid' exoskeleton, a lattice of angled load-bearing members that Nouvel exposes rather than hides, so the structure itself becomes the architecture, threading dramatic slanted columns and tilting windows through interiors designed by Thierry Despont. Rising directly above and expanding the Museum of Modern Art, the tower devotes roughly 40,000 square feet at its base to new MoMA gallery space, fusing a world museum and a private residence into one address. Every home is essentially bespoke, since the diagrid means almost no two floor plates are identical, and floor-to-ceiling glass frames sweeping views of Central Park, the Hudson and the Manhattan skyline.
Roughly 40,000 sq ft of MoMA gallery space occupies floors at the tower's base, expanding the museum itself.
Exposed concrete 'diagrid' structural exoskeleton is both the support system and the defining architectural feature.
1,050 feet tall, ranking among Manhattan's tallest completed towers.
Jean Nouvel's first residential skyscraper in New York City.
Facade uses 5,747 triple-glazed glass panels manufactured in Germany.
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The tower sits on West 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, at the cultural heart of Midtown steps from MoMA, whose galleries occupy the building's own base. Fifth Avenue's flagship boutiques, the shops of Rockefeller Center, and Central Park's southern edge are all within a short walk, alongside the city's finest hotels and restaurants. It is one of the most connected corners of Manhattan, with a dense web of subway lines and rapid access to Grand Central and the Plaza District.
Transit: E/M at Fifth Avenue-53rd Street (one block) · B/D/F/M at 47-50th Sts-Rockefeller Center · F at 57th Street · N/R/W at Fifth Avenue-59th Street · short reach to Grand Central
The tower was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel, with residence interiors by Thierry Despont. It was developed by Hines, Pontiac Land Group and Goldman Sachs and completed in 2020.
53W53 rises directly above the Museum of Modern Art and incorporates roughly 40,000 square feet of new MoMA gallery space across its lower floors. Residents also enjoy direct access and membership privileges to MoMA.
The tower stands 1,050 feet tall across 77 physical stories and contains 145 condominium residences, from one-bedroom homes to full-floor and duplex penthouses.
It is the building's exposed concrete structural exoskeleton -- a lattice of angled load-bearing members that both holds the tower up and shapes its tapering form. It means nearly every apartment layout is unique.
More than 30,000 square feet of amenities including a 65-foot lap pool with vertical gardens, cold plunge, hot tub, saunas and steam rooms, spa, fitness center, golf simulator, squash court, a double-height lounge overlooking Central Park, library, wine-tasting room, screening room, children's playroom and 24-hour concierge.
Pricing has ranged broadly from roughly $3 million for lower-floor homes to about $63.8 million for the top penthouses, with recent asking prices averaging in the low-$3,000s per square foot.
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