400 Fifth Avenue @ 36th St - Setai Hotel and Condo - by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates

**avngingandbright** · May 23rd, 2009, 10:01 AM

Great quality of construction worth of Fifth.

**londonlawyer** · May 23rd, 2009, 03:54 PM

I agree.

As this area of 5th has bounced back, hopefully, no more trash (like that blue glass building across the street from this) will be built.

**KenNYC** · May 23rd, 2009, 04:56 PM

Anyone know who's handling sales here? I sent an e-mail to The Setai downtown to hear if they knew, but no replies so far.

**BrooklynRider** · May 25th, 2009, 11:34 PM

In some ways, it is like the WFC in relation to the WTC. It had to complement it, rather than compete with it. I think this will do the same with ESB as its backdrop.

**KenNYC** · May 27th, 2009, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by BrooklynRider

In some ways, it is like the WFC in relation to the WTC. It had to complement it, rather than compete with it. I think this will do the same with ESB as its backdrop.

It looks like a very nice building, but compete with ESB? I see what you mean, but I don't think it really stands a chance there. And the renderings make them look pretty good next to each other.

Edit: Skyscraperpage seems to indicate it includes an "11 story limestone clad base". That text to me seems to indicate only the base will be limestone, but as I've seen the building go up, it looks like all of it is limestone to me? And that seems to be what the renderings shows too?

(I have lately only walked past when its fairly dark)

**krulltime** · June 2nd, 2009, 10:18 PM

June 2, 2009:

**BrooklynLove** · June 2nd, 2009, 11:07 PM

It says something when a brand new building looks more right for the spot than the surrouding buildings that have come before.

**kz1000ps** · June 3rd, 2009, 03:45 AM

Those windows make for quite the aggresive rhythm of light and angles, but the pillars are strong (read: wide) enough to balance the whole thing out, and somehow it all seems to works.

Also, it reminds me in tone of the Bear Stearns building (IMO a good thing), but much more lively, jazzy even. Especially so in this pic:

**ablarc** · June 3rd, 2009, 06:33 AM

Gwathmey gets one right.

**stache** · June 3rd, 2009, 07:50 AM

The angled windows remind me of the old photos of awnings on buildings.

**Fabrizio** · June 3rd, 2009, 07:56 AM

After decades of mainly garbage, a genuine 5th Ave building... worthy of the brand.

**Alonzo-ny** · June 3rd, 2009, 08:21 AM

Great modern interpretation of old NY buildings. Great materials, great visual texture. Gwathmey's first non crap building.

**londonlawyer** · June 3rd, 2009, 10:52 AM

This building is magnificent.

Like most of Midtown, Fifth Avenue -- south of 42nd Street -- has so many magnificent, old buildings. This area, moreover, is starting to rebound from a forlorn area into quite a nice one. It seems that the stretch between 14th and 23rd Streets was the first segment to rebound (notwithstanding today's article in The NY Times); however, the whole rest of this stretch will realize its grandeur soon. For instance, the stunning building just south of the Setai, hopefully, will have its ground floor restored.