A Prismatic Corner in Manhattan: 121 East 22nd by OMA

121 East 22nd, OMA’s first condo complex in Manhattan, connects the quiet residential district surrounding Gramercy Park with the bustling Madison Square on a corner lot. In the north tower, the two neighbourhoods are connected by a horizontal façade that flows into a prismatic corner at 23^rd and Lexington Avenue.

As a collage consisting of various reflections of its surroundings, the design makes explicit references to Cubism, which is characterized by a geometric simultaneity of several angles of view. In an historical divergence from the neighbouring pre-war buildings, black concrete frames the juts and recesses of the corner’s surfaces in order to accentuate each particular degree of indentation.

In the south tower, the 121 East 22nd construction continues with a slightly wavy window façade. This area houses the main entrance to the living units and a funnel-shaped lobby, which develops into a valley that acts as a link between the two towers. In correspondence to the outer shell of the building, OMA have made the perforated aluminum façade of the inner courtyard sway to and fro in Cubist rhythm.