740 Eighth Avenue (New York City, New York)

 hotel, amusement ride, bungee jumping facility, dangerous place / area, observation tower

1,067-foot, 52-story postmodern hotel/observation tower/thrill ride to be completed in 2026 for Extell Development. Designed by ODA & SLCE Architects, it is one of the most bizarre buildings in Manhattan. The building features 825 hotel rooms in its lower half and a public observatory with a drop ride attraction above. The unconventionally-shaped structure will also contain retail space, two upper restaurant floors, and a pool deck for guests.

The radically unconventional design features a stem-like protrusion capped with a slanted crown. The tower rises uniformly up to its midpoint, where a setback then gives way to a slender column that gradually widens as it approaches the pinnacle. The lower half features a more typical curtain wall while the upper half is shown clad in a distinctive corrugated façade.

The Intamin-designed drop ride will consist of three enclosed 260-foot tracks within the northern, southern, and western sides of the building’s stem. Each ride vehicle will carry up to four passengers on multiple lifts and free fall drops over a 90-second experience.

patch.com/new-york/midtown-nyc/midtown-sounds-proposed-...