551 West 21st Street
Foster + Partners' only NYC residential tower. 44 residences, private gallery niches, Molteni kitchens.
| Building Type | glass tower |
| Era | Ultra-Contemporary (2015–present) |
| Governance | Condominium |
| Board Approval | Not Required |
| Year | 2015 |
| Architect | Foster + Partners (Norman Foster) |
| Interior Designer | Foster + Partners (integrated architecture and interiors) |
| Landmark | No |
| Units | 44 |
| Price Range | $4.0M - $15.0M |
| Design Register | Starchitect Contemporary |
| Flooring | French herringbone floors (Foster + Partners specification) |
| Kitchen | Molteni & C Dada (designed by Foster + Partners, custom for building) |
| Countertop | Blanco Macael marble (beveled) |
| Backsplash | Blanco Macael marble (matching countertop) |
| Appliances | Sub-Zero + Miele + Gaggenau |
| Appliance Suite | Sub-Zero refrigerator, Gaggenau cooktop, Miele appliances; penthouse: wine refrigerator |
| Bath Fixtures | Custom illuminated vanities; heated floors |
| Bath Stone | Stone finishes throughout; cast-iron soaking tub in primary bath |
| Ceilings | 11–12 ft |
| Windows | Floor-to-ceiling glass with warm metal surrounds designed to reflect western light |
| Smart Home | Not specified |
| Collections | Standard (2-5 bedrooms), 3 penthouses (12-ft ceilings, wood-burning fireplaces, libraries) |
| Lobby | Art niches for contemporary works illuminated by prismatic glass wall; 24-hour doorman; private gated drive court with 20-foot green wall |
551 West 21st Street is the only residential tower in New York City designed by Foster + Partners — the firm behind Apple Park, The Gherkin, and the Reichstag dome restoration. For Norman Foster, this was an exercise in material warmth and privacy within a small, carefully composed building.
The cast-concrete exterior with warm metal window surrounds is contextual — West Chelsea's former industrial buildings have concrete and steel vocabularies, and Foster respected this. The lobby features niches for contemporary works of art — a curatorial design choice that announces the building's identity as a home for collectors.
The three penthouses sit at the building's top three levels with 12-foot ceilings, wood-burning double-sided fireplaces, adjacent club rooms and libraries, and 360-degree views. The West Chelsea arts district context — with Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and David Zwirner all within walking distance — creates a client base that is art-sophisticated and design-literate.
- Foster design philosophy (warmth, natural materials, integration) guides design register clearly
- Lobby art niches set the expectation: this building is for collectors — art integration in residences is expected
- Blanco Macael marble is unusual (Spanish, not Italian) — opportunities to extend or create tension with other stone
- French herringbone + cast concrete = warm + industrial tension to resolve or amplify
- Penthouse fireplaces and libraries demand traditional design elements within contemporary architecture
- West Chelsea gallery neighborhood means clients are visually sophisticated — design that challenges is welcome