New York firm Morris Adjmi Architects has designed a residential tower for the city's NoMad district, with a window pattern that becomes more decorative towards its top.

The almost 500-foot-tall (152-metre) skyscraper, developed by Ekstein and Pinnacle, will be located at 30 East 31st Street and aptly named 30 E 31.

Its neighbourhood, known as NoMad, is north of Madison Square Park and home to an abundance of furniture stores. Significant buildings in the area include the classical-revival Morgan Library and Museum, the iconic Flatiron Building, and several neo-gothic and art deco towers.

"Our goal with 30 E 31 was to capture the essence of this historic neighbourhood reimagined in a contemporary and luxurious 40-storey tower," said Morris Adjmi Architects.

The building's facades feature vertical strips of glazing between light-toned stone cladding. Towards the top, the cladding curves to form lancet windows – typified by arched tops – an eventually become a diamond lattice.

"Resembling a cathedral's barrel-vaulted ceilings, the stunning facade at the nearly 500-foot tall property features six columns that emphasise its soaring height and reach a crescendo on the upper floors in a diagrid pattern," the firm said.

The tower will house 42 one- and two-bedroom apartments, most of which will span entire floors and feature floor-to-ceiling windows. Interiors will be lined with wide plank European oak flooring and custom millwork throughout.

Kitchens will be furnished with walnut cabinetry imported from Italy, paired with "Taj Mahal" quartzite countertops, while bathrooms will feature lots of white marble with European white oak vanities.

A 3,354-square-foot duplex penthouse will crown the tower, with three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms surrounded by the diagrid windows.

Architect Morris Adjmi established his eponymous firm in New York City in 1997, following a 13-year collaboration with Italian architect Aldo Rossi, and has designed a handful of residential projects in the city.

The tower is scheduled for completion in 2019, with residences currently for sale. It is the latest in a slew of proposed New York skyscrapers with more decorative facades than those recently completed with fully glazed exteriors.

Examples include DDG's grey-brick Upper East Side tower, and CentraRuddy's filigree-patterned skyscraper and David Adjaye's 61-storey proposal for Lower Manhattan.

Renderings are by The Neighbourhood.