Maverick Chelsea by DXA Studio

Maverick Chelsea, a new residential building designed by DXA Studio and developed by HAP Investments, officially opened today. Located at 215-225 West 28th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, the project is the largest building to date by DXA Studio, and the firm employed a series of design strategies to mitigate the building’s size and make it feel like a part of its urban fabric within Chelsea.

Defined by the Gallery District, the High Line, and local institutions such as the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), Chelsea is as diverse and constantly changing as any neighborhood in the city. Maverick Chelsea consists of two residential towers, rising 210 feet high (20 stories) and totaling 312,500 square feet over five separate zoning lots.

Photo © Holzherr

The condo building on the east houses 87 units and the rental building on the west contains 112 units, including affordable housing. The five lots were combined, creating a single 200-foot-long site, which might have led to an imposing street wall. DXA Studio saw the most crucial challenge as reducing the perceived scale of the building.

To achieve this, the first strategy employed was to capitalize on zoning setback requirements and dormer allowances to break down the massing. After numerous studies, a tripartite division between the base, middle, and upper portions of the street-front facade was adopted. Beyond this massing strategy, the design of the south-facing street facade also had to animate the static nature of its square elevation.

Photo © Holzherr

Through the use of modular construction, in which asymmetrical triangular patterns fold in on each other, all interacting differently with daylight, frame each window, the firm was able to capitalize on orientation and views, and maximize light and air within the residential units. The effect feels almost like origami. The two towers mirror each other but differentiate themselves through the materiality of their facades.

DXA collaborated with BPDL, an architectural and structural precast concrete fabricator based in Canada, to develop a modular system for the facades made up of 25-foot-wide precast faceted concrete panels. Lightly acid-treated white concrete with hand-painted bronze reveals makes up the east facade of the condominium tower, with a contrasting, darker concrete used for the rental tower.

Photo © Holzherr

The divergent materials delineate the two addresses, and also reduce the perceivable width of the development’s street elevation. ateriality on the inside of the building was also given great consideration, especially in the more than 12,000 square feet of amenity spaces, which include a gym, sauna, indoor pool, children’s playroom, community lounge, and rooftop terrace.

Although there is a relationship to the facade, such as the triangular terrazzo patterns of the flooring that mimic the white concrete panels, the focus of these spaces was the health and wellbeing of their occupants, with ample light and materials with luminous qualities. Maverick Chelsea’s condo residences are now over 50% sold and closings have commenced. Source by DXA Studio and photos Courtesy of Kubany.

Photo © HolzherrPhoto © HolzherrPhoto © HolzherrPhoto © HolzherrPhoto © HolzherrPhoto © HolzherrPhoto © HolzherrPhoto © HolzherrPhoto © Holzherr

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