The Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge in Covington, Kentucky, is a 20-story residential tower that was completed in 2008. Reaching 300 feet at its pinnacle, the 310,000 sqf building includes 70 residential units, a swimming pool, garden facilities, large public event space, and a restaurant on the plaza level. The Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge was awarded a CNBC Americas Property Award for Best High-Rise Development in 2008.
Project description, images, and drawings after the break.
Architect: Daniel Libeskind
Location: 1 Roebling Way, Covington, Kentucky, USA
Architect of Record: GBBN Architects
Structural Engineer: THP Limited
Mechanical/Electrical/ Plumbing Engineer: KLH Engineering
Contractor: Dugan & Meyers Construction
Client: Corporex
Project Area: 310,000 sqf
Project Year: 2008
Photographs: Corporex, BitterBredt, Studio Daniel Libeskind, Michele Nastasi
Its curving crescent form and sloping roofline are designed to maximize views, resulting in unobstructed visibility of the Cincinnati skyline from every unit. Sizes of the units range between 950 and 7,000 sqf, with most being around 2,000 sqf.
The tower, located at 1 Roebling Way – a street renamed by city officials to better fit the building – echoes the colors of the Suspension Bridge. Built in earth tones, its windows reflect the sky and river images.
The ascending height of the building mimics the suspension cables of the nearby Roebling’s Bridge, a central feature of Covington’s waterfront. It also links the low horizon of residential structures to the east with the more modern commercial buildings to the west.
Through the vertical, non-repeating articulation of the facade, the building breaks from the conventional, horizontal orientation of typical high-rise buildings. Its multiple layers blur the distinction between interior and exterior, both visually and experientially. The resulting texture also provides shade to all units from the eastern sun.
In the words of Daniel Libeskind, “History is not over. This building, while modern in design, is based on shapes that reflect the history, traditions and landscape of Greater Cincinnati, yet calls to mind the possibilities that lay ahead. The Ascent is less a structure than a living, breathing piece of art that stirs the soul and lifts the spirit. The Ascent will provide a lifestyle unlike any other in Ohio, Kentucky, or Indiana. It is a building that will inspire a region. It is a call to greatness.”
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- © BitterBredt
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- © BitterBredt
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- © Studio Daniel Libeskind
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- © BitterBredt
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- © Corporex
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- © BitterBredt
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- © Corporex
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- © Corporex
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- © Corporex
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- © Michele Nastasi
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- © BitterBredt
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- © BitterBredt
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- © Michele Nastasi
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- © BitterBredt
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- © BitterBredt
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- © BitterBredt
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- © BitterBredt
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- © BitterBredt
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- sketch © Studio Daniel Libeskind
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- site plan © Studio Daniel Libeskind
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- plan © Studio Daniel Libeskind
wow, who can tell more about this design firm or architect/designer?
This looks so out of place in a city like this, am I off base?
Its actually not that out of place. There are tons of examples of contemporary architecture in Cincinnati, such as Hadid’s CAC and Eisenman’s DAAP building.
My issue with Libeskind’s building is that it is clearly meant to stand out, however due to its height and the way it ascends away from the Ohio River, it creates the opposite affect of blending in (which creates a paradox due to its very unorthodox fenestration).
I’ve seen this in person.
PROS: Not bad for developer work.
CONS: Libeskind can do better. A surface pattern like this is rarely satisfying.
It stands out primarily by being deliberately and pointlessly NOISY.
the balconies look wired
Wired or weird?
… just because there are other starchitect buildings in town doesn’t mean this fits the context. It has nothing to do with suspension bridges either. Tired zigzaging of a cocky architect who thinks his graphic design is ‘It is a call to greatness.’
Ad nauseum…
this is terrible! just one more cheap speculation over his own name.
regular Libeskind indeed….
Taking ugkiness to new levels …
Taking ugliness to new levels …
Horrible!
How can one man be responsible for so many appallingly crude designs? Does he hire the worst graduates, or merely the most pretentious?
It’s the worst type of developer schlock, oddly made much, much worse by being “jizzed up” (convenventional architectural vocabulary can’t really be applied here), with some meaningless graphic skin tacked on by last year’s flavor-of-the-month celebrity architect. It adds nothing to architectural discourse beyond underlining how far some people will stoop to get the media attention they crave. – “Mr. Libeskind, are you listening?
‘jizzed up’ – I love it! that’s what Mr Libeskind is best at in our profession: give some good head… (excuse my French!)
Puke. It’s a piece of architectural puke.
It’s worse than bad. It’s disgusting!