The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park in midtown New York, designed by Cook + Fox Architects, is the first commercial high-rise to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The design and high performance of this building is intended to set a new standard for commercial construction and for the office-work environment. By focusing on ways to emphasize daylight, fresh air and a connection to the outdoors, the architects redefine the parameters of the skyscraper as more than a glass box. More on the strategies implemented in this project after the break.
The 55-story, 2.2 million square foot project is a new addition to the towering blocks around Bryant Park in midtown and its dense context already challenges the role of the architecture. Cook+Fox establish a highly transparent corner entry, blending the public street with the private office building. It gives the lobby plenty of daylight and becomes a a mild threshold between the city life and the work day. Green roofs and an Urban Garden Room bring the park nearby into the architecture and, combined with the natural lobby materials, emphasizes the natural qualities that can be found within city life.