Congratulations to our partners in the 170 Amsterdam, Equity Apartments project, Handel Architects for being shortlisted for the 2015 World Architecture News Awards. This impressive building sits between Central Park to the east and the landscaped open space of the Lincoln Towers to the west. The building’s architecture and the exoskeleton that defines the exterior is derived from its location between these large green spaces. At ground level, the columns create a dynamic street wall, with the exposed structure angling into the sidewalk. That is where Blondie’s design principal, Tina Dituri served as landscape architect for the project. By creating mass plantings the in-ground garden beds are visually divided into blocks of color and texture. On the west side of the building a courtyard serves as a private garden for tenants. Here you will find lime green bistro tables set amongst a stand of River Birch and an electric blue sculpture titled “Tidal” by artist John Clementsit. The outdoor courtyard is mostly groundcover such as pachysandra and Hakonechloa macra with sporadic flourishes of perennials and is meant to be a visual green space that takes the user from the hard surfaces of urban dwelling to the lush and heady breadth of the forest understory.
The 236-unit apartment community “is an iconic new fixture on the Upper West Side and itself a livable work of art,” said George Kruse, first vice president of development with Equity Residential.