135 W52 Condominiums

 skyscraper, condominium

498-foot, 46-story residential/office building originally completed in 1992 as a hotel. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, it opened as the Flatotel New York City. The hotel was closed in 2013, and converted to condominiums by Cetra/Ruddy Architecture, now known as 135 W52, for its address.

The new facade is clad in blue glass with silver aluminum spandrels. Above the base the facade is bisected in the center by a projecting, vertical light fixture. The original height of the tower was 475 feet, but the LED light element extends above the roof line and the new facade tops out at 498 feet. The light fixture is housed in a casing running up the middle of the facade.

The 6-story base is clad in dark blue-grey granite and glass. At the west half is a 3-story opening; the western half of it opens into the through-block arcade that runs below the end of the building, and the eastern half contains the main residential entry area. It is enclosed by a 3-story wall of glass, recessed somewhat back from the rest of the facade, with a revolving glass door facing the sidewalk. Visible behind the glass is the lobby area, featuring wood paneling at the rear wall, and a 3-story undulating wall of backlit glass in panes of differing sized and shapes facing the arcade, from behind the front desk. The east half of the base contains the office entrance and a storefront at the ground floor. The 2nd & 3rd floor have bands of windows, and the 4th-6th floors have bands of 12 projecting windows set at sharp angles, stretching across the facade.

Above the base the facade begins a series of small setbacks, above the 6th, 15th, 24th, 32nd, and 39th floor, also setting back at the front part of the sides. Behind these setbacks at the sides, the south-facing ends of the facade rise vertically, clad in grey metal, with square windows beginning at the 26th floor (one per floor on each side, expanding to two at the 40th floor. The LED light element running p the center of the tower also sets back above the 15th & 24th floors, before continuing straight up to its pinnacle above the main roof line.

The building contains 109 condominium units, beginning on the 8th floor, with offices below. The hotel originally had 289 guest rooms. To the east of the open-air arcade and the entrance/lobby, the ground floor is occupied by Osteria La Baia restaurant.