At the southern tip of Manhattan, on the rooftop of 101 Warren Street, lives a pine forest.
The building, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, is wrapped in a recurring pattern of Jura stone, which envelops large glass windows and allows residents skyscraping views.
101 Warren Street features a two story retail podium—including a Whole Foods Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Barnes & Noble Booksellers—combined with a 35 story residential tower which contains 220 luxury residences and 163 market-rate, middle-income, and low-income rental units.
But what makes this project special is that residents can admire from above, or access directly from terraces and loggias, the 101 Austrian pines living atop the building’s retail square. The pines are set in “mounded ellipse-shaped forms” and rise from beds of river stone.
According to Thomas Balsley, principle designer of the forest-terrace, “this singular expression on a roof is truly unique to New York which added appeal to the marketing effort.”
And it appears the marketing worked: in August of 2010, the Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group announced in a press release the total sellout of 101 Warren Street. The release states, “At total sales of over $650 million dollars, the sellout is by far the largest and most successful condominium offering in the history of downtown Manhattan.”
No doubt, this is an impressive feat, particularly during the economic downturn and the fallout in the real estate market. But how much of the appeal at 101 Warren Street can be linked to its elevated forest landscape? After all, there are other unique features there that draw people in.
The building, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, is wrapped in a recurring pattern of Jura stone, which envelops large glass windows and allows residents skyscraping views.
101 Warren Street features a two story retail podium—including a Whole Foods Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Barnes & Noble Booksellers—combined with a 35 story residential tower which contains 220 luxury residences and 163 market-rate, middle-income, and low-income rental units.
But what makes this project special is that residents can admire from above, or access directly from terraces and loggias, the 101 Austrian pines living atop the building’s retail square. The pines are set in “mounded ellipse-shaped forms” and rise from beds of river stone.
According to Thomas Balsley, principle designer of the forest-terrace, “this singular expression on a roof is truly unique to New York which added appeal to the marketing effort.”
And it appears the marketing worked: in August of 2010, the Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group announced in a press release the total sellout of 101 Warren Street. The release states, “At total sales of over $650 million dollars, the sellout is by far the largest and most successful condominium offering in the history of downtown Manhattan.”
No doubt, this is an impressive feat, particularly during the economic downturn and the fallout in the real estate market. But how much of the appeal at 101 Warren Street can be linked to its elevated forest landscape? After all, there are other unique features there that draw people in.
For example, the building houses high profile artwork, such as an original tapestry in the lobby by American Pop artist, Roy Lichtenstein, and an original Joel Shapiro sculpture in front of the lobby.
But, while it is true, Lichtenstein and Shapiro’s works are notable and worth viewing, they can also be found throughout the city, in places such as the Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum of American Art, among others.
Truth is, there is only one rooftop pine forest in New York City.
