Herzog & de Meuron has designed a curving white concrete apartment block for New York's West Village, the latest in its ongoing collaboration with developer Ian Schrager.
Planned for a site overlooking the Hudson River, 160 Leroy will offer 49 luxury homes in a building billed as "curvaceous, sensual, free-flowing, seductive and sexy".
It will be the latest in a series of collaborations between Schrager and the Swiss architecture firm, following 40 Bond in NoHo and 215 Chrystie, a hotel and residential project set to open next year on the Bowery.
Herzog & de Meuron's design features an undulating facade of large windows framed by white concrete, which the developer claims will "evoke a sense of purity and pristineness".
An arched entranceway will lead residents into the building via a plant-filled courtyard by landscape designer Madison Cox, including a 30-foot (nine metre) willow tree, boxwood hedges and lawns.
"The courtyard is one of the many features that sets 160 Leroy apart from all other new residences in the city," says Schrager in a statement."It's a separate intense reality. The experience of arriving at 160 Leroy will be transformative."
Beyond this, a "jewel box-like lobby" featuring glass walls and fluted mahogany panels will provide access to a recreation lounge, a children's clubhouse, a gourmet restaurant and takeaway, a fitness centre, and a private swimming pool and spa.
“We chose amenities that enhanced living," added Schrager. "We didn't want to overdo it and offer amenities that were not useful. We especially did not want to get roped into the amenity arms race going on today."
The 49 apartments will come in a variety of layouts, offering views of landmarks including the Freedom Tower.
According to Schrager's company the homes will have an abundance of wall space for hanging art, lofty ceilings, Scandinavian larch floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
French designer Christian Liaigre has designed exclusive furniture for the project, while British lighting designer Arnold Chan has created custom flexible lighting.
"The only thing that mattered to me was to turn a residential apartment into a real home," said Schrager. "I sought to capture the details of life in the details of the architecture."
Schrager is perhaps best known for being behind the Edition hotel brand, which now has branches in New York, London, Miami and Hawaii. He often works with well-known architects and designers, with examples including John Pawson and Philippe Starck. He was also one of the co-founders of New York's infamous Studio 54 nightclub.
The developer claims 160 Leroy takes its inspiration from the work of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, as well as from International Style architects such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson.
"This is a building where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts," he said. "It's the evolution of effortless luxury living and a truly new New International Style."
Photography is by DBOX.