Sheffield 57 (New York City, New York)

 skyscraper, condominiums

505-foot, 48-story modernist residential building completed in 1978. Designed by Emery Roth & Sons, the tower has a plan of a Greek cross, with 5-story wings at the base the project out on the east end. As built, it was one of the largest rental buildings in Manhattan with over 800 units. After being purchased in 2005 by Ken Swig & partners for a record breaking $418 million, it was converted into 583 condominiums.

The ground floor was re-clad in beige granite and glass during the conversion. Plaza spaces created by the space between the west wing and the north and south wings feature matching granite walls and seating. The ground floor is recessed under the rest of the building at the ends of each wing of the cross. Entrances and exits to the underground parking garage are located at the ground floor at the projecting east 5-story wings on 56th & 57th Street. The four floors above are clad in dark-grey metal spandrels and mullions and glass. The other three bays on the north and south facades have plate-glass storefronts. The main entrance is in the west wing, facing the plaza space to the west.

The upper floors are clad in dark reddish-brown brick, with dark-grey metal mullions and spandrels up to the 5th floor. Above, the spandrels are brick as well, and the window mullions do not extend across floors. The north facade has three bays at the north-extending wing; the middle bay has paired single-windows, and the other two bays have wider bands of windows with two large panes flanked by narrow end panes. Black meta air-conditioning vents are located below the inner part of these two bays. The brick piers project out slightly between the bays, with dark-grey stone bands across each floor. There are two north-facing bays on either side, on the north-facing elevations of the west and east wings, set farther back. The inner of these bays have two joined bays of double-windows with panes of unequal width, and the outer bays have two joined tripartite windows. The inner bays are slightly more recessed than the outer bays. The south facades mirror those on the north.

The west facade continues the pattern of the other wings. The end of the east wing abuts the adjoining Hearst Tower, but the east-facing sides of the north and south wings have three outer bays (with tripartite windows flanking wider bands of joined tripartite windows), and two slightly recessed inner bays with tripartite windows.

A redeveloped 2-floor residents club called Club57 is located on the 57th and 58th floors, and features a private restaurant, screening room, a full-service health club and spa, and outdoor sun terrace. The ground-floor retail spaces are occupied by NYC Valet Cleaners, a Starbucks coffee, and New York Road Runners Run Center

www.thesheffield.com/