American Copper Buildings

American Copper Buildings
Under construction on 9 October 2016.
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Residential
Location	626 First Avenue Kips Bay
Estimated completion	2017
Management	JDS Development Largo Investments
Height
Roof	540 feet (160 m) (West tower) 470 feet (140 m) (East tower)
Technical details
Floor count	48
Floor area	824,000 square feet (76,600 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	SHoP Architects

American Copper Buildings (originally known as 626 First Avenue) is a dual-tower residential skyscraper in the Murray Hill neighborhood of New York City, in Manhattan. The building is being developed by JDS Development and was designed by SHoP Architects. The building is one of several major collaborations between JDS and SHoP; others include 111 West 57th Street, also in Manhattan, and 9 DeKalb Avenue, in Brooklyn.

The site the two towers occupy was originally a 6.4 acre lot that hosted a power plant. While owned by Sheldon Solow, the plant was razed, and Solow paid to have the land cleaned. He later sold the plot to JDS in 2013 for $172 million. JDS secured a loan from Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors to purchase the land. Solow's plans for the site involved a seven-tower, $4 billion complex designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The SOM plan would also have included a park and a public school, as well as an adjacent public space designed by American architect Richard Meier. Solow later changed his plans to a twin-tower structure, which JDS preserved, although with a new architect. Solow is still developing a nearby lot, with a building designed by Meier.

Construction began on the site in mid-2014, and the copper cladding was first applied in mid-2015. As of late 2015, the towers were nearly topped-out, and installation of the bridge between the two towers began in January 2016. A website for the project appeared in April 2016, and the name of the towers was changed from 626 First Avenue to the American Copper Buildings.

The exterior of the building is clad in copper. This metal cladding is similar to other SHoP-designed buildings, such as Barclay's Center. As of April 2016, the copper exterior has begun to patina, and the structures will eventually change color entirely. The two towers are designed such that they appear to "dance" with each other. They are also connected by a bridge approximately 300 feet from the ground, which will be three levels in height. The taller tower will be 540 feet in height, and the shorter tower will be 470 feet tall.