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It's just a proposal for now, but it surely looks striking.
Dubbed the Affirmation Tower, this upside-down-looking skyscraper was designed by Adjaye Associates and submitted by the developer Peebles Corporation to the Empire State Development Corporation as a potential build on Site K—a 1.2-acre plot of land owned by the state just a block away from Hudson Yards and the High Line, also near the massive Javits Center.
We'll have to wait and see whether the design will turn into a reality, but it's worth noting that the project has the potential to become a historical one for a variety of reasons.
If approved as-is, the Affirmation Tower would stand 1,663 feet tall, effectively becoming the second tallest building in all of Manhattan (at 1,776 feet, One World Trade Center would still reign supreme).
But even more importantly, the tower would actually be the first built by a team made up of mostly Black developers, architects and builders—fitting, given that it would also become the headquarters of the mid-Manhattan branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Inclusion is clearly the name of the game as the project's partners have also decided to give more than 30 percent of construction work to minority and female contractors.
The proposed design is no coincidence either: According to Architectural Digest, Sir David Adjaye, the architect behind the project, is known for his eclectic style—but all his choices have meaning. The outlet explains that the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that are part of the structure actually sit within a milky white terrazzo facade "whose shape mimics afro picks, a subtle tribute to Black culture."
In addition to its clear social impact, the skyscraper will also be the home of a new theater, a rooftop eatery, a skating rink, a bunch of office spaces, two separate hotels and a lot of terraces overlooking the Hudson River.
Clearly, if the project were to move forward, Affirmation Tower would become an astounding addition to the West side of town, both on a visual and a cultural level.