NYC Filigree Achievement

“Drawing from these influences, the building features an expressive glass and metallic bronze façade, accented with chevron patterns, intricate detailing and expansive windows, referencing a classically gotham aesthetic interpreted in a modern vocabulary,” says John Cetra, FAIA, founding principal, CetraRuddy Architecture, New York City. “Decorative lighting illuminates the tower’s base, reinforcing the elements of classical skyscraper design, while highlighting the building’s unique articulation.”

METAL-AND-GLASS UNITIZED SYSTEM

Rose Hill’s façade is a metal-and-glass unitized system with a unique repeating chevron pattern in the vertical pilasters. “The chevron motif was an important way for us to emphasize the verticality of the building, reference the building’s design inspiration, and respect its richly detailed context,” Cetra says. “Working with the façade manufacturer, we were able to develop a bent metal process to replicate the design at scale and make it feasible to implement across much of the façade of the building.”

The building was designed to take advantage of the surrounding views with both tall windows and lofty ceilings. The façade system had to achieve these large sizes, so a unitized aluminum-and-glass curtainwall was used. For the curtainwall system that ran from third floor to the top of the roof, Nanuet, N.Y.-based W&W Glass installed a hybrid-wall unitized curtainwall system with custom chevron insulating metal panel infills from Brampton, Ontario, Canada-based Sotawall Inc. The metal used was 3003-H14 aluminum alloy coated in Duranar Sunstorm Chocolate Bronze from Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries Inc. For the storefront, Carlstadt, N.J.-based Coordinated Metals Inc. installed a storefront system from Norcross, Ga.-based Kawneer Co. Inc.

“The system was chosen over other façade systems due to its high thermal performance values as well as the flexibility of the exterior appearance,” Cetra says. “Additionally, a unitized curtainwall system is much better at handling wind loads and seismic loads in such a tall and thin building. No exterior caulking is required in a system like this, which sped up completion of the envelope to meet construction schedule requirements.”

The use of aluminum in the vertical pilasters produced a warm sueded bronze finish, which respects the neighborhood context and creates a different look as it reflects sunlight at different times of day and throughout the year. Aluminum helped create detail with a combination of extruded shapes and corrugated panels. “The façade design balances aesthetics with sustainability, meeting New York City Zone Green requirements,” Cetra says. “[Also,] using metal in our façade system allowed us to reduce the weight of the overall façade compared to masonry or other materials.”

Insulated metal panels for the north shearwall were supplied by Kingspan Insulated Panels Inc., Deland, Fla. Exterior soffit panels made of 4-mm ALUCOBOND PLUS aluminum composite material (ACM) were supplied by 3A Composites USA Inc., Davidson, N.C. Construction Specialties Inc., Cranford, N.J., supplied RSV-5700 Stormproof Louvers.

CRAFTSMANSHIP AND DETAIL

2022 Metal Architecture Design Awards judge Mark Roddy, FAIA, principal, Mark Roddy Architects, Sacramento, Calif., reviewed Rose Hill by saying, “It’s just so gorgeous.” Furthermore, he was impressed with its craftsmanship. “Look at the detail. It feels modern. It has simplicity of metal panel selection and that really simple texture; very elegant and admirable.”

Awards judge Lee Calisti, AIA, lee CALISTI architecture+design, Greensburg, Pa., agrees that its detail is impressive saying, “The fact that they had this detail all the way up the building really says something. One problem with 20th century tall towers is they don’t have any detail beyond ground level as our predecessors did. There’s no ornamentation at the Seagram’s Tower or pick any other tower out there. But this architect convinced his client to replicate these panels all the way to the top and so kudos to that. There’s an elegance to that.”

Awards judge Rand Elliott, FAIA, principal at Rand Elliott Architects, Oklahoma City, calls Rose Hill’s details stunningly beautiful. “It’s so hard to do something like this and make it believable; that knocked me out. Someone has thought through it and given this incredibly elegant filigree to a 21st century building. What should the filigree be? How do you make this fit the context, which is really an important piece of the puzzle? How do you take a building in the 21st century and make it fit in this context? Maybe what it says is architecture shouldn’t have any limitations to it: stylistically or contextually or based in time.”

SERVES AS A BEACON

Overall, Cetra says, “We are especially proud of how the building integrates lighting in its base and at its crown—accenting the chevron motif of the glass-and-metal façade—and allowing the building to serve as a beacon in the downtown skyline as well as at street level.” Illuminated at night, Rose Hill’s place is cemented in the skyline.