277 Fifth Avenue
277 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects
Rafael Viñoly designed the tower with columns at the building’s perimeter to keep the interiors free from structural elements that might obstruct views and interrupt the layout of rooms. The perimeter columns establish a rhythm of alternating floor-to-ceiling vertical windows that frame views along multiple exposures and solid walls suitable for displaying art. One of the tower’s distinguishing architectural elements is a quartet of double-height, open-air loggias seemingly carved out of the building’s corners, spiraling downward around the building from the upper floors. Dramatically scaled and discernible on the skyline, the loggias are, as Viñoly describes them, “an interesting typology of open space and terracing that has not been seriously explored before.”