While the signs of economic recovery in Miami's real estate market were being reported last summer in anticipation of the December art and design fairs, the New York property scene was also undergoing something of a renaissance. Grand schemes have been brewing in different parts of town, developers have been in fervent planning and many leading architects are now flocking back to the city after the hiatus caused by the noughties' financial turbulence.
See the residential developments set to reshape New York’s skyline
The result? Construction is booming once again in Manhattan and beyond. And while in Miami the quest lies in creating the most iconic seaside condo with the best ocean views, greenest gardens and most exclusive pool bar, in New York, this friendly competition often turns to height.
The Rafael Viñoly-designed 432 Park Avenue tower - set to be the tallest residential building in the Western hemisphere - is already underway and slated for completion by 2015, while another mega-tower (designed to reach 411 metres high), the 111 West 57th Street by SHoP Architects, will break ground this summer. Also in the pipeline are somewhat shorter - yet still sizable and fittingly glamorous - luxury developments by some of the biggest names of international architecture, such as Zaha Hadid, BIG, Herzog & de Meuron and Shigeru Ban. Many of these flank the celebrated High Line, while others are high-end redesigns of NY classics such as the Walker Tower Residences.
Exclusive boutique projects are joined by larger complexes, such as the Hudson Yards development at the western edge of Manhattan. Diller Scofidio + Renfro and David Rockwell are working on its residential 15 Hudson Yards tower, while the gargantuan 28-acre scheme will also include an SOM-designed mixed use residential highrise, and luxury retail and office blocks. Meanwhile Hunter’s Point South in Long Island City by ODA will be a small town of commercial units and affordable housing.
The first wave of residential projects will see completion by 2015. The Tower Verre by Jean Nouvel is one of the latest additions to the city’s plans, scheduled to break ground in 2019. New York’s new luxury residential selection is growing by the day, joining the city’s big upcoming cultural and commercial buildings, such as the new Whitney Museum Renzo Piano and the landmark One World Trade Centre, which is gearing up for inauguration later this year.
-
Rio Kobayashi’s new furniture bridges eras, shown alongside Fritz Rauh’s midcentury paintings at Blunk SpaceFurniture designer Rio Kobayashi unveils a new series, informed by the paintings of midcentury artist Fritz Rauh, at California’s Blunk Space
-
New York restaurant Locanda Verde’s second outpost will transport you to a different time and placeLocanda Verde’s expansive new Hudson Yards osteria exudes a sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere overflowing with art treasures
-
LVMH watch week 2025: everything we know so farOur guide to LVMH Watch Week 2025, taking place in New York and Paris, starting 21 January; keep an eye out for our updates
-
LA Mayor Karen Bass outlines her plan for rebuilding the cityFollowing the devastating LA wildfires, which have destroyed more than 12,000 structures, the city’s mayor has outlined her plan for reconstruction
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House, a Usonian modernist Michigan gem, could be yoursFrank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House in Michigan is on the market – a chance to peek inside the heritage modernist home in the countryside
-
Cabin House is a simple modernist retreat in the woods of North CarolinaDesigned for downsizing clients, Cabin House is a modest two-bedroom home that makes the most of its sylvan surroundings
-
A Texas ranch house blends Californian charm and Asian minimalism in a 'balance in hybridity'Pontious, a Texas ranch house designed by OWIU, is a home grounded in its owner's cultural identity, uniting Californian, Chinese and Japanese roots
-
The three lives of the Edith Farnsworth House: now, a modernist architecture icon open to allThe modernist Edith Farnsworth House has had three lives since its conception in 1951 by Mies van der Rohe; the latest is a sensitive renovation, and it's open to the public
-
Year in review: the top 12 houses of 2024, picked by architecture director Ellie StathakiThe top 12 houses of 2024 comprise our finest and most read residential posts of the year, compiled by Wallpaper* architecture & environment director Ellie Stathaki
-
A vacant Tribeca penthouse is transformed into a bright, contemporary eyrieA Tribeca penthouse is elevated by Peterson Rich Office, who redesigned it by adding a sculptural staircase and openings to the large terrace
-
We walk through Luther George Park and its new undulating pavilionLuther George Park by Trahan Architects and landscape architects Spackman Mossop Michaels opens to the public, showcasing a striking new pavilion installation – take a first look
