50 West Street
Helmut Jahn's curved glass Financial District tower. Thomas Juul-Hansen interiors. Stained walnut kitchens, granite waterfall islands, Miele and Sub-Zero. 64th-floor harbor observatory.
| Building Type | glass tower |
| Era | Contemporary (2000–2015) |
| Governance | Condominium |
| Board Approval | Not Required |
| Year | 2016 |
| Architect | Helmut Jahn |
| Interior Designer | Thomas Juul-Hansen (same as One57) |
| Landmark | No |
| Units | 191 |
| Price Range | $2.5M - $20.0M |
| Design Register | Luxury Contemporary |
| Flooring | Wide-plank white oak |
| Kitchen | Custom stained walnut cabinetry (Thomas Juul-Hansen design) |
| Countertop | Granite (waterfall island) |
| Backsplash | Granite |
| Appliances | Miele + Sub-Zero |
| Appliance Suite | Miele wall-mounted oven and convection, gas cooktop, refrigerator, freezer, wine refrigerator, dishwasher, vented hood |
| Bath Fixtures | Hansgrohe polished chrome; electronic Toto toilet with integrated bidet; floating backlit marble vanity; radiant heated floors |
| Bath Stone | Marble (floating backlit vanity); marble throughout; radiant heat |
| Ceilings | 10–14 ft |
| Windows | Floor-to-ceiling curved glass; 3,000 glass panels (500 curved — more than any other building at the time); stainless steel spandrels; New York Harbor, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Hudson River views; 64th-floor outdoor observatory |
| Smart Home | Yes |
| Collections | 191 residences (1–5 bedrooms + duplex and double-height spaces); 64th-floor observatory (binoculars, two outdoor kitchens, outdoor dining, banquet table); motorized shades; 4-floor amenity package including Water Club spa and pool, golf simulator, screening room |
| Lobby | Helmut Jahn (O'Hare United Terminal, Sony Center Berlin) designed a gently curving glass facade with stainless steel spandrels and a slanted top angling toward One World Trade Center. 3,000 glass panels (500 curved — a construction record at the time). Thomas Juul-Hansen, who also designed One57, created the residential specification. |
50 West Street is Helmut Jahn's most significant residential building in New York — a 64-story curved glass tower in the Financial District whose 500 curved glass panels create a flowing form that references the Hudson River waterfront it overlooks. Jahn's slanted top angles toward One World Trade Center, creating a dialogue between the two towers that defines the Financial District skyline.
Thomas Juul-Hansen, who designed the interiors at One57, brings his reductionist Danish sensibility to 191 residences: stained walnut cabinetry, granite waterfall islands, wide-plank white oak floors. Miele and Sub-Zero appliances. Hansgrohe polished chrome with floating backlit marble vanities, electronic Toto toilets with integrated bidets, and radiant heated floors. This is the same quality tier as One57 but in a downtown tower priced at $2,500–$4,000 per square foot.
The 64th-floor observatory — with binoculars, two outdoor kitchens, outdoor dining areas, and views of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor, Ellis Island, and the Hudson River — is one of the most dramatic amenity spaces in any New York residential building.
- Thomas Juul-Hansen stained walnut kitchen is same designer as One57 — comparable renovation baseline and quality tier
- Curved glass facade creates unusual light patterns — direct sunlight angles vary from standard rectangular towers
- Granite waterfall island is restrained choice — renovation can maintain granite or upgrade to more distinctive stone
- Floating backlit marble vanity in bath is an architectural element — renovation must engage with the lighting system, not just the stone
- Hansgrohe polished chrome is a step below Dornbracht — renovation can upgrade to Dornbracht or AXOR for higher-end positioning
- 64th-floor observatory context means clients on high floors are positioned as 'downtown penthouses' — design should support this identity