111 W 57th St

111 W 57th

Comprised of two interconnected buildings, 111 West 57th Street is arguably the most historically entrenched Billionaires’ Row address. While the original, landmarked Steinway Hall building was erected in 1925 by era-defining architecture firm Warren and Wetmore — once housing the hallowed piano producer’s flagship — the 1,428-foot SHoP Architecture-designed tower right next door was completed in 2021. Holding its own among the seven or so ultra-luxury supertall residential buildings that define this especially upmarket area, the JDS Development Group-constructed complex is defined by its particularly tapered, seemingly paper-thin, pinnacle. With a proportional ratio of 1 to 24, it’s the thinnest skyscraper in the world — and also the fourth tallest building in the United States. With an eclectic architectural style on its exterior, the condo is unified by a cohesive interior design scheme carried out by award-winning practice Studio Sofield. “With 111 West 57th Street, I set out to create interior architecture that was unmistakably and quintessentially New York,” said William Sofield, firm principal. “While celebrating the vibrancy of today, I’m a historian by nature and sought to honor and evoke the splendor of our city’s gilded age.” Accentuated by a full suite of amenities and a choice of views of Central Park, expansive units are adorned with the same level of sumptuous yet restrained finish, details that are equal parts historical and contemporary. While the original 16-story, Neoclassical Steinway Hall building is clad in Indiana Limestone, a prerequisite turn of the 20th-century building material, the 92-story addition consists of ornate, precision-engineered ceramic panels cast in 22 puzzle-piece variations. Inlaid filigrees seem to make the building glisten at times. “The building was conceived of and shaped through light and shadow, as seen in its feathered setbacks and the sun’s reflection in the glazed terracotta curves and textured bronze detailing,” says Dana Getman, SHoP Architects principal. “Its design is completely unique on the skyline yet immediately recognizable as a part of the city.” Like other super slender supertalls that span the stretch, the tower at 111 West 57th Street is a major feat of engineering. To mitigate extreme winds and swaying, the building was constructed using 14,000 psi-strength concrete reinforced by 5.5 million feet of rebar. A sturdy core anchors 14-foot-high floorplates and pedestals a top-level 800-ton tuned mass damper: a spring-based device mounted in structures to reduce mechanical vibrations. For a building that inspires so many superlatives, it only contains 60 residences spread across both structures. Full-floor units and even duplexes, especially in the thin tower, are the norm here. Each of the 46 Tower and 14 Steinway Hall residences groups around a central entrance with elevator bays and emergency stairwells. Private and public wings radiate off these foyers, accessible through separate entrances. Leading off in one direction, “Great Hall” living rooms in the tower portion frame uninterrupted “horizon deep” views. Smoke-gray solid oak and Macauba stone floors are accentuated by 9-foot tall macassar and lacquer doors fitted with P.E. Guerin bronze hardware. Homes in Steinway Hall also feature cast-stone urns, gold leaf embellishments and, in some cases, generously sized terraces. Across the offering, kitchens are outfitted in Crystallo white quartzite countertops and Gaggenau appliances. Dramatically veined white onyx clads the floors and walls of mostly en suite bathrooms. William Holland brand freestanding metal tubs, rendered in antique polish, hint at the Art Deco influences ingrained in the building; certainly in terms of material quality and the level of application. “One hallmark of my work has always been the studio’s collaborations with the most renowned artists and artisans of our time,” Sofield adds. While 2,600 square foot two bedrooms have sold for $5 million to $9 million, three bedrooms — many of which are still in original sponsor condition — can go for anywhere between $12.5 million to $26 million depending on the position in the building and the views. A 6,500 square-foot penthouse with a spiral staircase and half-floor principal suite sells for $50 million. Perhaps the best vestige of the building’s past is the block-long lobby, which is rendered in limestone, marble, blackened steel and end-grain wood accents. This 16-foot-high Art-Deco-esque hall is adorned with massive blown glass luminaires produced by Czech company Lasvit as well as a distinct sculpture by Kelli Bedrossian. Adjoining public rooms, unsurprisingly, feature historical and contemporary Steinway & Sons grand pianos, as well as mirror paneled walls, carved bas-reliefs, velvet-covered domes, carefully painted frescos, ebonized trees, lighting fixtures that resemble organ pipes and “fanciful elephants roaming freely.” Residents can also enter via personal car or chauffeured service through a private porte-cochere on 58th Street helmed by valets, 24-hour door attendants and concierges. This northern entrance is decked out in Louis XIV-style furniture and an Irish Rococo mural depicting woodlands with birds and squirrels. A bookable dining room comes complete with lacquer panels inlaid with mother of pearl and an art piece by Nancy Lorenz. Modeled after the iconic King Cole haunt, the bar also has custom murals and an ornamental balcony. The adjoining salon is lit by skylights and includes a 19th-century Chinese smoked rock crystal vase and a Carlo Bugatti table inscribed with a Persian poem. Kentia palms, cabanas, and an arched ceiling complement the 82-foot-long pool, a space that might be mistaken for a ballroom. Other in-complex services include a barber shop, hair salon, spa treatment rooms, a shoeshine and a padel tennis court. The triple-height fitness center seems like an obvious addition. 111 West 57th Street is in the heart of Midtown but isn’t far from the Upper East Side or Upper West Side either. Residents are a stone’s throw away from Columbus Circle, its 40-store mall and Whole Foods Market grocery store. Prestigious eateries abound nearby, as do cultural offerings. While Lincoln Center hosts the Metropolitan Opera House, Rockefeller Center has Radio City Music Hall. Other areas venues include Carnegie Hall and the Museum of Modern Art.