Two Manhattan West, the final building in the mixed-use Manhattan West development to the west of Moynihan Train Hall, topped out Wednesday morning at a height of 935 feet. Developed by Brookfield Properties and designed and engineered by SOM, the tower caps a decades-long effort to transform the underutilized space above active rail lines into a vital new destination that ties together the West Side of Midtown Manhattan.
As commuters, pedestrians, and residents pass through the neighborhood from east to west, Two Manhattan West and its already-complete neighbor One Manhattan West mark their entry into the site. Clad in high-performance glass, these two-million-square-foot, LEED-Gold-targeting skyscrapers accentuate a soft, graceful simplicity that reflects the sky. Their gently curved and sloped profiles create a dynamic visual dialogue and serve as the development’s most prominent architectural symbols.
Manhattan West, which formally opened on September 28, encompasses seven million square feet of retail, office, residential, and hospitality space in six buildings — three designed by SOM, and all but one engineered by SOM. The development is organized around a series of public spaces designed in collaboration with landscape architect James Corner Field Operations, including a vibrant central plaza lined with 225,000 square feet of retail.
Having now reached its full height, Two Manhattan West is expected to complete construction in 2023. Later this year, a new, elevated pedestrian pathway linking Manhattan West’s public spaces to the High Line – designed by SOM and developed by Brookfield Properties, Empire State Development, and Friends of the High Line – will also break ground, further knitting Manhattan West into the fabric of New York City.
