The Olivia (New York City, New York)

 skyscraper, apartment building, 2001_construction

500-foot, 35-story residential building completed in 2001. Designed by SBLM Architects, it was originally called Pennmark Towers before changing name to The Olivia. It is comprised of 333 apartments located on floors 8 through 35, as well as 205,671 square feet of commercial space in the basement and on floors 1 through 6, including a movie theater, and an underground parking garage for 250 vehicles.

The tower is set far back on the north and south sides, rising up from a large 7-story base clad mostly in aluminum panels. On the south side, on 33rd Street, the recessed main entrance is at the east end. To the left is a glassy storefront, and entrance and exits to the parking garage. The 2nd floor has a glass curtain wall with green-tinted panes. The entrance and 2nd floor bay above it are framed in grey granite, with a grid of green windows and black metal frames at the 2nd floor. The floors above are windowless silver aluminum panels, with a setback above the 4th floor. Outward-jutting pyramidal spikes adorn the top edge of the 4th floor at the setback. The 5th & 6th floors are similarly clad, with the top of the 6th floor having a series of vents separated by more spikes. The 7th floor is decorated with large aluminum squares with inscribed circles and Xs.

The north facade of the base on 34th Street is similar; it has a green-tinted curtain wall on the lower two floors, with storefronts on the ground floor. Above the entrance to the movie theater, which has a rounded marquee, the glass curtain wall is continued up the base to the 4th floor. The rest of the base matches that on the south facade.

The tower is clad on all four sides by a curtain wall of silver metal spandrels and green-tinted glass. On the south side, a gentle series of cascading setbacks narrows the tower toward the ends. The north side has alternating bays of recessed and projecting areas running the height of the tower. The 2nd-from-the-top floor sets back at the west end, topped by a glass-surrounded roof terrace. The rest of the top floor has a concrete band course along the top, with a taller mechanical penthouse at the east end. In the center is a tall cylindrical water tower, screen by a row of thin metal spires that increase in height towards the center. The spires light up at night.

Besides the movie theater, the 34th Street Loews, the ground floor is occupied by a Vornado realty office, Five Guys Burgers, Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins, a small Bank of America ATM branch, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and FedEx Office.