The Cortland

The Cortland is the most unexpected collaboration in this collection: Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Olson Kundig — a classical New York firm and a Pacific Northwest design practice known for elemental materials — working together on a single building for Related Companies. The massing and proportions are RAMSA; the material language is Olson Kundig. The result has more visual warmth and tactility than either firm achieves alone.

Olson Kundig's Jack box kitchen concept — a building-signature folding island system, Olson Kundig's first large-scale NYC residential project — is the interior signature piece. Statuario Belgia marble imported from Italy, hand-brushed metallic lacquer accent cabinets, and Gaggenau appliances create a kitchen that is both functional and sculptural. The Olson Kundig vocabulary — elemental materials, industrial references, West Coast informality — creates a living environment that feels distinct from any other building in the West Chelsea cluster.

The facade's one million hand-laid bricks in a five-color blend with LaSalle limestone and metal-rivet detailing references the industrial heritage of the neighborhood and the nearby London Terrace complex that inspired it. The double-height lobby with its Markus Haase custom light sculpture and Italian marble establishes a quality level that the residential interiors sustain.