SOM unveils plans for Lever House renovation in New York

Architecture firm SOM is renovating the glass Lever House skyscraper that it designed in New York in an effort to preserve the modernist office building's "very important legacy".

Completed by SOM in 1952, the 22-storey Lever House is considered one of the first modernist landmarks in New York, helping to popularise glass curtain walls and the International Style architecture movement in the US.

SOM is renovating the Lever House skyscraper that it designed in New York

However, many of the 70-year-old building's original elements and newer additions are ageing and in need of an update.

SOM's aim for the restoration is to reverse this, preserving Lever House's original appearance while also enhancing its sustainability performance to meet modern-day standards.

Lever House "transformed the design of urban towers"

"Lever House introduced the International Style to America and transformed the design of urban towers around the world," explained SOM partner Chris Cooper.

"That is a very important legacy to preserve," he told Dezeen. "It stands out among all the large-scale commercial development underway around the city."

The International Style was a modernist movement defined by simple cubic forms and the use of glass and steel, stripped of any ornamentation.

The renovation aims to preserve the skyscraper's "very important legacy"

But according to Cooper, the building's architectural significance is not the only reason the renovation is important. Its design and location are also particularly unique.

"Its relationship to Park Avenue, with its unique floorplate and the direct access to daylight, nature, and views up and down the avenue, makes this an opportune moment to reinvest in the building," Cooper said.

SOM collaborating with material scientists

Externally, Lever House is characterised by its rectangular form that is surrounded by a glass curtain facade and stainless steel detailing, and elevated over a marble-lined ground floor plaza.

Many of the materials on the ground floor are now deteriorating, while inside, the 21 storeys of offices still rely on its original 20th-century mechanical systems.

SOM is striving to meet LEED Gold through its improvements to the building's environmental performance, which is the second-highest certification attainable by the green building rating system.

The updates to the ground-floor plaza, which are now underway, include the replacement of paving – which is not original to the building – with durable concrete cast in-situ to resemble the 1952 design.

The ground-level plaza will be updated

Overhead, the plaza's water-damaged plaster ceiling will be substituted for a more durable version, while the surrounding stainless steel columns, black limestone and white marble walls will be restored with the help of material scientists.

"This project required a deep exploration into materials science," Cooper explained.

"We worked with specialists to examine all the primary materials that we were working with, and how we could upgrade some of the existing elements."

The glass and steel facade on the ground-level storefront, which is currently cracked and dented in places, will also be rehabilitated, while existing planters are soon to be updated with new birch trees.

Upgrade will "look as close to its original appearance as possible"

Another key element of Lever House's design is the 15,000-square-foot (1,400-square-metre) terrace on the third floor, which is also set to undergo a complete revamp.

The terrace's landscaping will be updated with new shrubs, flowers and birch trees, while the non-original red paving will be swapped out for grey precast concrete to better suit the tower's aesthetic.

As part of the renovation project, the terrazzo flooring and mosaic tile wall inside the tower's lobby will be repaired, while the lighting system will be upgraded to be brighter and more energy-efficient.

The offices will also be given more floor space and higher ceilings, as well as improved ventilation systems that will maximise fresh air.

The third-floor terrace will also be revamped

"Lever House is so important to the history of our firm and modern architecture, and we wanted to upgrade it to look as close to its original appearance as possible," concluded Cooper.

"These are subtle improvements, but they will really renew the arrival experience and help restore the building’s original appearance."

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Another notable modernist building that was recently renovated is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. Carried out by British practice David Chipperfield Architects, the project saw the building's ageing structure and exterior restored while its services were modernised.

The studio's founder, David Chipperfield, described the work as "surgical in nature", in an effort to preserve Mies van der Rohe's original vision for the gallery as far as possible.

The renders are byTMRW and the photography is by Ezra Stoller.

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Studio Vural envisions Manhattan tower draped in colourful flowers

US firm Studio Vural has conceived a mixed-use skyscraper covered with Asian lilies as a "powerful image" to promote low-energy design.

A conceptual project, the Lilly tower has been envisioned for a site alongside Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. Renderings show a skyscraper with a curved apex that rises near the American Radiator Building – a Gothic-style tower dating to 1923.

The Lilly would be a mixed-use skyscraper covered in Asian lilies

The Lilly's shape was informed by the steep rice fields found in parts of Asia, "where every square inch of fertile soil matters", said Selim Vural founder of Brooklyn-based Studio Vural.

The Lilly building would be triple glazed and partly covered in vegetation, which would provide natural insulation.

The planting system would consist of lightweight, concrete beds supported by a steel frame

Vural envisions using Asiatic lilies, a hearty and low-maintenance plant that blooms every spring and remains green the rest of the year. The flowers come in a variety of hues, including red, yellow and orange.

"A flower field is a powerful image, which is fitting to Lilly's message – clean construction technology with an aesthetic statement," he said.

"Without the aesthetics, it is not architecture. It is just building."

Renderings show a skyscraper with a curved apex

Vural said the tower would be similar in spirit to the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which features exposed structural and mechanical systems on the exterior. Centre Pompidou was designed by Richard Rogers, Renzo Piano and Gianfranco Franchini and opened in 1977.

"It is the same effect as Centre Pompidou, but with flowers," Vural said of his tower.

Lilly has been envisioned for a site in Midtown Manhattan

The planting system would consist of lightweight, concrete beds supported by a steel frame. Water would come from rainwater and greywater, along with city-supplied water if needed.

To maintain the vegetation, Vural said "brave landscapers" would pass through access doors leading to steep ladders. Drones could potentially help, as well.

Studio Vural suspects that lilies would thrive in this context

Vural suspects that lilies would thrive in this context, based on advice from landscape architects and his own personal experience. An avid urban gardener, Vural has a 1,000-square-foot (93-square-metre) farm on his roof in Brooklyn.

"I grow vegetables and flowers, compost, and use bottom fertilizing through custom-made water tanks," he said. "Over the 15-year history of my deck, lilies and lilacs were the main thrivers in frigid weather and extreme winds."

As for the building's program, Vural envisions 21 floors dedicated to commercial space and 18 levels for residential units.

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"The tower caters to the pandemic-generated remote workforce, providing residences close to co-working spaces with large conference spaces and recreational amenities," the architect said.

Daylight would stream in through large stretches of glass, and fresh air would enter through operable windows in the residential portion. Heating and cooling would be provided by a geothermal system, with heat exchangers helping minimize energy loss.

Vural said the tower would be a passive house building – a highly energy-efficient building that follows standards that originated in Germany decades ago. Those standards include an airtight envelope, careful management of solar heat gain and the inclusion of a heat-recovery system, according to the Passive House Institute US.

The studio said that the building would be energy-efficient

The term passive house can refer to all building types, not just houses.

Vural was inspired to create the Lilly tower after seeing a number of passive houses popping up in Brooklyn.

Lilly is currently a conceptual skyscraper

"There is a silent, sustainable revolution in Brooklyn, which started with solar panels ten years ago and is in full swing with townhouses and brownstones purchased by gentrifiers," the architect said.

He described the revolution as "silent" due to passive houses blending in with more traditional buildings, in terms of visual appearance. The systems that enable a home to be highly energy-efficient are often invisible.

"In my projects, I want to make it visible, if not screaming," he said. "Architecture must make an aesthetic statement that is holistic to all layers of the project, which is what I am after in Lilly."

"If we had a hundred Lillies in Manhattan, it would be a very different city," he added.

Other conceptual projects by Studio Vural include a holiday dwelling in Cape Cod that is carved into sand dunes and operates without relying on public utilities.

The renderings are by Studio Vural.

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Project credits:

Principal architect: Selim Vural

Junior architect: Ceren Kalayci

Renderings: Dom Wipas

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