Nearly 100 years after its grand opening, the Steinway building, located at 111 West 57th Street in New York City, is being revived with exciting updates to its traditional structure, including the installation of decorative pieces by lighting and glass authority LASVIT. The property includes two structures: the landmark Steinway Hall and now, a new tower soaring 1,428 feet, making it the second tallest residential building in the Western hemisphere. Leading the project are developers JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group, with SHoP Architects on board for exterior architecture and Studio Sofield for the interior.
Steinway Hall’s rich history makes this renovation particularly noteworthy. At its height, the residence was known as a beacon of musical culture in New York, housing virtuosos like Sergei Rachmanioff and Vladimir Horowitz. The original building was designed by acclaimed architects Warren and Wetmore, the minds behind projects like the Grand Central Terminal. Built atop this structure, the new building exudes the classic extravagance of traditional New York architecture with eye-catching touches like a 300-foot decorative steel crown.
Studio Sofield engaged LASVIT to collaborate on the interior with additions of artful lighting and custom sculptures. Best known for its expertise in glassworking, the company has expanded its horizons for the endeavor, which focuses on combined pieces of both glass and metal.
“LASVIT has been working on this project from 2016 until now, and it was really unique for us due to the need for precise craftsmanship of the glass part, but also of the hand-made metal pieces produced in a blacksmith’s workshop,” says Pavel Koudelka, Partner and Managing Director of LASVIT’s North American affairs.
From lighting fixtures to sculptures and other installations, the building boasts 30 bespoke pieces made by LASVIT in North Bohemia. The private porte-cochere includes two of its custom chandeliers, designed by Studio Sofield to reference the charm of original pieces installed in the early 1920s. Moving into the lobby, guests and residents will stand awe-struck by two 30-foot-tall crystal urns adorned with bronze palm leaves. The 880-pound wonders were created using LASVIT’s special grinding technology to align and fuse their individual glass pieces seamlessly. Gracing the building’s South Oval, an installation of ebonized bronze trees formed from special blackened metal gives an organic, yet polished feel. Evocative lighting installations from LASVIT’s Senior Designer Jana Růžičková are interspersed throughout the building, weaving these moving parts together.
The 60 residences at 111 West 57th Street also come with an assortment of amenities. Highlights include an 82-foot two-lane swimming pool with private cabanas, an expansive terrace lounge, and a private dining area with a chef’s catering kitchen. The property is also the only new development in the city to have a padel court. With these luxuries further elevating the Steinway building’s already impressive makeover from LASVIT and others, its residences are now more enticing than ever before.
