Famed designer plans 'less than typical' tower

Originally appeared in the Jersey Journal on Thursday, March 01, 2007

From across the river, or from a ferry, Jersey City's skyline is dominated by the glass-and-steel tower of the Goldman Sachs building, the tallest in the state. There's also the graceful historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal in Liberty State Park, the spike-topped green 10 Exchange Place, the Colgate clock.

But the bulk of the buildings are more uniform.

Now, one of the world's leading architects is proposing a radical design for a residential building at 111 First St., envisioning a "vertical city" to usher in a new phase of Jersey City's emergence as an international player in the world of business and style.

"The time has come to do a building that is less than typical," Rem Koolhaas, whose prestigious portfolio includes the Seattle Public Library, Prada in New York and Los Angeles and the China Central Television Headquarters in Beijing, said earlier this week.

His ambitious design calls for a 52-story tower consisting of three blocks stacked perpendicularly to one another, projecting what one official described as a "Rubik's Cube" look.

The three blocks would sit on top of a longer slab that would serve as a structural base and would accommodate parking, artist galleries and retail space.

The proposed $400 million mixed-use building would feature 1.2 million square feet of space, spread out among loft style-units, artist live and work space, typical condos, retail space and a world-class hotel.

The exposed roofs on the individual blocks present a number of unique, open-air spaces in the building, Koolhaas said during a presentation at the Jersey City Museum.

"This is the most cutting-edge piece of architecture I have seen in my career," city planning czar Bob Cotter said. "I would hope this type of project would lead other developers to come into the city with unique plans."

It is Koolhaas' first large-scale residential development in the United States.

"This is another step in the ongoing transformation and revitalization of Jersey City," Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. "It's time New Jersey, New York and the world sees Jersey City as an international metropolis."

JOURNAL STAFF