Rafael Viñoly
An Architect’s Vision
RAFAEL VIÑOLY
Rafael Viñoly’s design for 277 Fifth Avenue embodies the combination of elegant proportions and refined engineering for which he is celebrated internationally. Viñoly designed the tower with columns at the building’s perimeter to keep the interiors free from structural elements that might obstruct views and interrupt the layout of rooms. The perimeter columns establish a rhythm of alternating floor-to-ceiling vertical windows that frame views along multiple exposures and solid walls suitable for displaying art.
One of the tower’s distinguishing architectural elements is a quartet of double-height, open-air loggias seemingly carved out of the building’s corners, spiraling downward around the building from the upper floors. Dramatically scaled and discernible on the skyline, the loggias are, as Viñoly describes them, “an interesting typology of open space and terracing that has not been seriously explored before.”
VIÑOLY’S SKETCH OF 277 FIFTH AVENUE
The most important characteristic of any great building is that it’s well proportioned.
RAFAEL VIÑOLY
architect
carrasco international airport
cleveland museum of art
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER
LAGUNA GARZÓN BRIDGE
private concert hall, new york
manhattan townhouse
tokyo international forum
VDARA HOTEL & SPA AT CITY CENTER, LAS VEGAS
A GRACEFUL CONNECTION TO NOMAD
The columns touch down lightly outside the double-height lobby, revealing their subtle, handcrafted texture at street level.
“We wanted to make a building that is timeless and that contributes to the ongoing transformation of Fifth Avenue—a unique and amazing promenade in the heart of New York City.”
RAFAEL VIÑOLY
ARCHITECT
elevating nomad
Assertively modern yet restrained, 277 Fifth Avenue adds a confident, contemporary presence to the historic streetscapes of NoMad—a new icon for one of the world’s most famous avenues.