Stern’s Abington House breaks ranks with other starchitects

Hudson Yards rental building to pay homage to old industrial neighborhood

Rendering of 500 West 30th Street and Daniel Lubitz
Rendering of 500 West 30th Street and Daniel Lubitz

Robert A.M. Stern Architects’ design for the high-end rental complex the Abington House in the Hudson Yards development seeks to capture the essence of the weathered industrial properties in that section of the city. The approach stands in stark contrast to that of fellow starchitects Neil Denari and Zaha Hadid, who each have sought a much more modernized look for their projects near the High Line.

The design features a lobby with steel beams and the exterior of painted steel beams against a brick backdrop, Forbes reported.

“The intention was not to make a new building that looked old, but a building that ties in to the existing and historic character of the neighborhood,” Daniel Lobitz of Robert A.M. Stern Architects told Forbes.

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Some have criticized the style. Wayne Turett, Architect Behind Tribeca Condominium Building 15 Leonard Street, said it does not look very original or contextual.

Prices at the 312-unit Abington House will range from $3,000 per month for a studio to $5,700 for a two-bedroom unit. [Forbes]Mark Maurer