Terra Cotta Ties One Vanderbilt to Midtown Surroundings

Rendering courtesy of Kohn Pedersen Fox.

Boston Valley has been manufacturing the terra cotta for One Vanderbilt, soon to be the tallest office tower in Midtown Manhattan. The structure, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox neighbors the Grand Central Terminal, connecting to the building at the station’s concourse. At 42nd Street, pedestrians will be able to admire a perspective of Grand Central hidden from view for 100 years.

From the building’s inception, it was emphasized that One Vanderbilt would complement the surrounding masonry structures in the Midtown neighborhood with a glass and high-performance terra-cotta curtain wall system. Referencing the historic buildings nearby, terra cotta details are incorporated throughout the structure, from the podium, base and up to the spandrel at the top of the tower. The unique white terra cotta glaze required an extensive glaze development process.

Read what the media is writing about KPF’s design below:

• Glass and terra-cotta rise at One Vanderbilt
• One Vanderbilt, Midtown East’s supertall office tower, begins its vertical ascent
• 4,000 cubic yards of concrete poured for One Vanderbilt’s foundation
• KPF’s One Vanderbilt breaks ground, signaling new era for Midtown East