Jetsons-Inspired Skyscraper Design Didn't Come From Viñoly, Viñoly Says
A rendering showing a striking, Jetsons-inspired skyscraper on the Upper East Side has raised questions about its authenticity.
The image was first released by New York YIMBY in a detailed report claiming that the rendering is for a Rafael Viñoly Architects design for 239 East 62nd St., but a representative for the firm told Bisnow "the image in circulation was not released by our office."
The Viñoly representative declined to comment on the image, or any of the details in the YIMBY post about the Upper East Side development. The proposal is reportedly for a 32-story, 510-foot skyscraper with retail and a townhouse on the ground floor, apartments from the second through 12th floors, and a sizable mechanical section splitting the lower portion from the upper on floors 13 through 16.
The 15th floor would also contain resident amenity spaces, according to YIMBY, and the 17th through 29th floors will be further apartments, with three per floor. The top three floors would contain more mechanical systems. The units would average about 1,200 SF, which is a size most commonly associated with condominiums.
Construction permits were reportedly approved late last year for the 150K SF building (with 50K SF of that dedicated to the structure and mechanical systems), from a joint venture of Real Estate Inverlad Development and Third Palm Capital said to be developing the project.
Rafael Viñoly is known for projects at the cutting edge of both design and price, such as the supertall at 432 Park Ave., the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere.
