19 Most Unusual Buildings in NEW YORK CITY

let's face it there's always construction happening in New York City and always a new building popping up in recent years we've had so many additions to the skyscraper lineup that the City skyline will be forever changed though many of these new buildings are miles tall and very impressive they leave much to be desired in the creative Department however there are many less prominent but ingenious modern masterpieces out there whose originality will stop you dead in your tracks today I plan to take you along on a trip throughout the city so that we can explore some of the pork yes the most creative modern architecture you will feast your eyes on in the mix are some new construction as well as some more established ones that have been around for decades tourist architecture buffs design freaks and even locals hold on tight cuz it's gonna be a fun and crazy ride today so without further delay here are the 19 most unusual buildings in New York City number one 56 Leonard Street this is another one of those shiny new tall and skinny skyscrapers built just for the billionaires only thing is instead of being on billionaire oh this condominium building is in Tribeca completed in 2017 56 Leonard Street looks more like a bunch of stacked blocks with the blocks shutting out even more at the top kind of reminds you of a Jenga tower doesn't it it's no wonder some people call it the jungle building number two the oculus this four billion dollar project was completed in 2016 and is located in the heart of World Trade Center used as one of the major transportation hubs bringing New Jersey commuters into New York via the path trains this stark white structure is also a popular shopping center as well as just a really cool place to explore designed to look like a bird flying from a child's hand it pays tribute to those who fell in 9/11 and is probably one of the most unique structures the city has ever seen number 341 Cooper square Cooper Union is a small private college and was famous for providing free tuition to all of its students up until 2014 what you see here is their new academic building that was completed back in 2009 from its foundation building dating back to 1859 to this new academic building here what do you think a drastic change may be just a tad number four vessel not exactly a building more like an enormous outdoor interactive sculpture all we know is that it looks like an upside-down beehive or maybe even some kind of metallic vortex it costs the city tons of money to build but it's absolutely free for you to visit vessel is the jewel of Hudson Yards it's a sight to behold from afar and even more interesting at night when it lights up what it is is an enormous open-air jungle-gym of spiral stairs leading you to nowhere but great views of the Hudson and the neighboring buildings if you're scared of heights skip it but if the weather is cooperating and you're up for a good workout then it'll be a fun and unforgettable experience number five the shed at the northern tip of the High Line and just a few steps from vessel you'll come across this sleek ultra-modern box like thingamajig another quirky piece of architecture added to Hudson Yards this one is actually a Cultural Arts Center offering you galleries performances rehearsal space and more what's cool is that the puffy outer shell sits on massive sets of casters which glide on Rails this means it can roll out into the plaza and in turn double the size of the building for one an event calls for more space this has got to be one of the coolest and most versatile pieces of architecture you'll ever lay eyes on [Music] number six the Guggenheim Museum one of Frank Lloyd Wright's last major works he in fact died six months prior to the opening of this iconic landmark located at the corner of 89th and fifth on Museum Mile the Guggenheim is a private art museum displaying modern artwork along its stark white walls in a spiral fashion you'll find that the architecture of the building is itself a stunning piece of art and at times will steal attention away from the art exhibit that you came to see in the first place definitely a must-see if you plan to be on the Upper East Side number seven Hearst tower this 46 storey building is home to Hearst communications publishers of many of your favorite monthly magazines what you'll see here is one of the best examples of high-tech modern architecture merging with the old in New York City at the corner of 57th and 8th is a six story limestone historical building but when you look up you will see the same building transformed into a gorgeous Tower of triangular glass and steel though the upper floors are strictly reserved for those doing business with the company feel free to poke your head inside the lobby to see it's famous three-story glass waterfall display number eight the TWA flight center this is one of Eero Saarinen /great works before his untimely death in 1961 he is the starchitect responsible for the world's famous Gateway Arch and the womb and tulip chair among many other designs you'll find his TWA flight Center at JFK Airport adjoining JetBlue terminal 5 you can't miss it as it looks like a building straight out of the Jetsons completed in 1962 at the height of the space and jet age it stands as a gorgeous testament to mid-century design a shear work of art as well as a very functional building after a major restoration the TWA flight center is now home to the 512 room TWA hotel which is the only hotel on airport premises the hotel features several cool lounges views of the runways a number of amenities as well as a museum displaying the history of TWA Airlines and the mid-century modern movement number nine the Barclays center this massive bronze basket-weave structure sits at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn home of the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Islanders this multi-purpose indoor area plays host to a multitude of sport events concerts festivals and awards ceremonies what's unique about Barclays Center is that half of the building seems to be somewhat suspended in midair while the other half digs into the ground plus when you look above there's like a huge hole in the middle of the floating side and you have grass growing on the roof it's above out the noise escaping from the concerts number 10 the new Museum located at 235 Bowery between Stanton and Rivington streets the new museum is a seven story facility that looks very much like a stack of shifting white boxes it stands proud next to all of the Bowery older historical facades without overpowering or taking all the attention away from its neighbors even with its clean stark look if it's right in the museum is known for introducing new art and new ideas by artists who I'm not well-known and those who have not received significant exposure number 11 via 57 West the little pockets of New York that most of us just don't know about this has got to be one of my favorites via 57 West is a pyramid shaped building located on West 57th Street between 11th and 12th avenues unless you're from the neighborhood most people in New York have no idea of this building's existence however those across the water in Jersey can tell you all about it they have unhindered views of this remarkable building that will at times be mistaken for a massive sailboat on the Hudson completed in 2016 via 57 West is a 35-story residential building with 700 nine apartments the coolest part about this structure is the courtyard garden oasis that sits within the rectangular pocket emulating what Central Park is to Manhattan and giving residents that much needed respite from the hustle and bustle of Midtown number 12 the met broiler this is currently the modern and contemporary extension of the Met Museum located on 75th and Madison its the blocky brutalist style gray building that was the former site of the Whitney Museum since its inception designed by Marcel Breuer and completed in 1966 the top-heavy building has minimal windows and relies on artificial light which Breuer thought would provide a better display for the artwork inside after the Whitney moved to the High Line in 2015 they leased the building to the met who then gave it a much-needed update and reopened as the met Breuer in 2016 rumor has it that the Frick will be subletting from the met in the near future I wonder what new name they picked up for the building number 13 Alice Tully Hall another brutalist building for you this one is on the Upper West Side at the corner of Broadway and 65th Street Alice Tully Hall is a performance hall that's a part of Lincoln Center but sits across the street from the main complex it is home to the New York Film Festival as well as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in addition the same building houses the Juilliard school's theaters rehearsal spaces classrooms and living quarters the core of the building was completed in 1969 however the ultra-modern cantilever design wasn't achieved until the renovation in 2009 it features outdoor bleachers an all-glass entryway a sunken public plaza and a protruding dance studio thereby bringing performers together with the outdoor urban environment [Music] number fourteen the IAC building another unusual building on the outskirts of Manhattan's West Side and that not too many get to see this Frank Gehry building is the corporate headquarters for a company called interactive Corp the owners of Vimeo Expedia tinder Angie's List and so much more located at the corner of West 18th Street and the West Side Highway the office building consists of two major levels a large base of twisted towers with a second level of smaller towers sitting on top of the first all throughout the building's facade the windows fade from clear to white from their top and bottom edges the 10 story steel and glass IAC building was completed in 2007 and takes on a unique look at every angle number 15 111th Avenue and across the street from the IAC building is 111th Avenue another building designed to beautify the Hudson River skyline and have Jersey residents eating their heart out completed in 2010 this 23-story residential tower sitting at the corner of 19th and the Westside Highway is formed along a curve on the sides facing the street the highlight of this site is the front facade glistening with a kaleidoscopic composition of glass changing colors at every angle to contrast the shimmering front view you have a straight and angular gray back with punch-out windows which can be viewed from the neighboring Highline number 16 520 West 28th Street speaking of the High Line we can move further up the tracks towards the building otherwise known as the zaha hadid building this l-shaped luxury condo building is an absolute gorgeous retro futuristic work of art and is starchitects ahahah deeds only residential project in New York City as well as one of the last projects before her death in 2016 completed in 2017 the 39 unit boutique condominium building features her signature sweeping curves and a sculpted metal and glass facade it is the only residential building in New York whose amenities include a private IMAX theater and several art galleries situated directly off the High Line on 28th Street this striking gem is one of the most memorable buildings you will encounter you definitely cannot leave this off your list [Music] number 17 the maritime and dream hotel these are two separate luxury boutique hotels on 16th and 17th streets off of 9th Avenue the maritime Hotel is a tall flag building facing ninth Avenue resembling a pizza box the dream hotel is the building right behind it with a slanted metallic facade in fact it has entrances on both 16th and 17th streets though neither hotel are related to each other they both have porthole windows and the two buildings adjacent to each other make a smashing combination number 18 the vag ELO's Education Center what a beautiful building this 14 story glass tower is Columbia University's medical and graduate education building located on Haven Avenue at the Columbia University Medical Center in Washington Heights it incorporates state-of-the-art classrooms collaboration spaces and a simulation center reflecting how medicine is taught learned and practiced in the 21st century now how do I become a Columbia medical student because I'm so jealous right now [Music] number 19 the new school University Center the new school is a private university with multiple buildings in neighborhoods surrounding Union Square at the corner of 14th Street and 5th is a bronze tower with diamond-like horizontal windows serving as the central hub for all students of the University completed in 2014 the sixteen story University Center houses classrooms dormitories computer labs break areas and much more and for sticking with me this far I've decided to throw in a bonus structure it's number 20 the Apple Store okay so there are several Apple stores in the city but the one I'm talking about is the 5th Avenue and 59th Street store like is it even a building it's just this big glass box indicating that the Apple store is down below at the foot of the glass staircase architectural marvel maybe not but it sure as heck looks cool and gets everyone to come in and shop [Music] and there you have it New York City's most unusual buildings with all the construction taking place I'm pretty sure five years from now we're gonna need another video just like this one listing even more buildings however for now this will have to do if you've encountered any other unusual modern buildings on your travels around New York that didn't make this list don't be shy please do share it with us in the comments below and be sure to LIKE subscribe and click on the bell icon if you'd like to be the first to know when another video comes out on New York City our favorite city that never sleeps anyway thanks for watching and we'll see each other next time [Music]

Channel: ALL NYC

Views: 210,448

Rating: 4.8707781 out of 5

Keywords: new york city, nyc, new york travel, nyc travel, living in nyc, brooklyn, queens, manhattan, manhattan buildings, nyc skyscrapers, nyc buildings, the high line, high line nyc, oculus nyc, vessel nyc, the shed nyc, guggenheim museum, hearst tower, twa hotel, twa flight center, barclays center, new museum nyc, via 57 west, met breuer, alice tully hall, iac building, jenga building, zaha hadid building nyc, maritime hotel, nyc architecture, new york architecture, allnyc33

Id: detCvyP8id0

Length: 16min 57sec (1017 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 14 2020