The formal opening of the 76-story 870 foot skyscraper New York by Gehry (previously Beekman Tower) was held this past Saturday. In celebration with hundreds of guests, the occasion also marked the Pritzker Prize winning architects 82nd birthday.
New York by Gehry, located within the Lower Manhattan skyline, has a recognizable facade of stainless steel cladding appearing as draped fabric. Now the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere the building boasts 903 luxury rental units and 22,000 sqf of amenity space. A building under a lot of scrutiny during its design and construction phase, the completed New York by Gehry received remarks of praise from architecture critics stating that it is “the finest skyscraper to rise in New York since Eero Saarinen’s CBS building went up 46 years ago,” (NY Times) and from the New Yorker, “one of the most beautiful towers downtown”.
Our previous coverage of New York by Gehry including a short video about the design can be found here.
Hundreds of guests–cognoscenti of the architecture, design, and real estate worlds gathered– in the 76th floor penthouse of Frank Gehry’s New York by Gehry building to honor the architect on the occasion of both his 82nd birthday and the formal opening of the gleaming Lower Manhattan tower.
On the gorgeously clear evening of Saturday, March 19th, guests included Bono and wife Ali Hewson, Candice Bergen, Mike Nichols, Ben Gazzara; art world stars Chuck Close, Claes Oldenburg, Cai Guo-Qiang, Thomas Krens, Lisa Dennison, Larry Gagosian; architects Robert A.M. Stern and David Childs, Marilyn Taylor; as well as real estate and business leaders Marshall Rose, Peter Lewis, Mary Ann Tighe and Kathy Wylde.
Guests admired stunning 360˚ sunset views of New York City and beyond, gravitating to the space’s signature large free-form bay windows to marvel at the sight of the largest moon in nearly two decades rising to the east.
The celebration’s host Bruce Ratner, Chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies presented Frank Gehry with a 40-inch silver birthday cake shaped like a whimsical Gehry-esque tower as guests sang “Happy Birthday” to the 82-year old architect.