56 Leonard Street

History

Alexico Group's Izak Senbahar purchased the land and the air rights in 2007 from the New York Law School for US$150 million. Construction began that same year. Foundation work on this tower began in 2008, but was shut down before the end of the year when the project was put on hold. After nearly four years, construction resumed in October 2012.

In 2013, the developers secured a US$350 million loan from a syndicate led by Bank of America.

As of May 2013, 70% of the building had sold. According to building developer Izak Senbahar, the building was 92% sold in seven months. In June 2013, a penthouse at 56 Leonard went into contract for US$47 million, making it the most expensive residential property ever sold below Midtown Manhattan. In 2024, it was reported that the value of a residence at 56 Leonard Street had nearly doubled over four years.

On September 2, 2022, Venezuelan businessman Gustavo Arnal jumped to his death from his apartment on the 18th floor. Arnal was serving as the chief financial officer of Bed Bath & Beyond, which had been in a financial crisis for the past few months. Arnal was also one of the targets of a class action lawsuit regarding Bed Bath & Beyond's stock price.

Architecture

56 Leonard is designed by the 2001 Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. Anish Kapoor, known for the public sculpture Cloud Gate in Chicago, designed a similar sculpture to sit at the base of the building. Herzog & de Meuron also designed the building's interiors, which include custom-designed kitchens, fixtures, bathrooms, and fireplaces. Goldstein, Hill & West Architects LLP is the architect of record.

Interior

There is 17000 ft2 of amenity spaces on the ninth and tenth floors, including a 75 foot pool, a 25-seat screening room, a private dining room, and a children's playroom. The building has a total of ten elevators; owners will share a hallway with at most one other apartment. The developers also figured a generator on the ninth floor into the plans. There are eight full-floor apartments at the top, ranging from 5200 to, with 14 to ceilings. In addition, the building features a double-height lobby sheathed in "gleaming" black granite.

In February 2023, an Anish Kapoor sculpture, superficially similar to his Cloud Gate work, was unveiled at the ground level, following four years of on-site construction and delays. Measuring 19 feet in height, 48 feet in (curved) length, and weighing 40 tons, the sculpture was commissioned in 2008 at an estimated cost of $8–10 million. The designer of 56 Leonard specified a unique high-end expanded mesh ceiling for the recreational areas, helping these areas feel elevated and special. Expanded mesh metal ceilings are usually acoustically transparent and do not contribute to echoes, and will not corrode in high-moisture areas.

Awards

• 2017 Engineering Excellence National Recognition Award by ACEC
• 2017 Best Projects Winner in the Residential/ Hospitality Category by Engineering News-Record
• 2019 Named as one of New York City’s 10 Most Important Buildings of the Past Decade, Curbed New York, a publication for American real estate and urban design.

In media

The building was featured in Season 1, Episode 1 of How Did They Build That?: Cantilevers & Lifts by the Smithsonian Channel.

References

References

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8. Jason Sheftell. (May 9, 2013). "Jenga-like 60-story skyscraper would be Tribeca's tallest". New York Daily News.
9. Creswell, Julie. (November 3, 2013). "Stratospheric Views, and Prices". The New York Times.
10. Claire Dickey. (2025-01-14). "Photos show New York City home that's nearly doubled in value in 4 years".
11. (September 4, 2022). "Bed Bath & Beyond CFO Identified as Man Who Plunged to Death". Bloomberg.com.
12. Mendoza, Jordan. (September 4, 2022). "'Shocking loss': Bed Bath & Beyond CFO Gustavo Arnal died by suicide in New York, officials say".
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