Central Perks

New York City’s Central Park Tower Just Became the World’s Tallest Residential Building

At 131 stories high, Central Park Tower on Billionaires’ Row is the latest supertall in New York City to take the title

A decade after it was first announced, New York City’s Central Park Tower on West 57th Street has just become the tallest residential building in the world, surpassing the nearby 432 Park Avenue, which previously held the title. At 131 stories and 1,550 feet high, the supertall on Billionaires’ Row comes very close to being the tallest structure in all of New York City, were it not for the spire atop One World Trade Centre.

A rendering shows the building’s height over 432 Park Avenue on the left.
Image courtesy of Central Park Tower.

The building was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, who are no strangers to designing penthouses in the sky. The Chicago-based firm has also designed the 3,280-foot-tall Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, the 1,988-foot-tall Wuhan Greenland Centre in China, and the 1,969-foot-tall One Dubai in the UAE. When it’s completed next year, Central Park Tower will be home to a seven-floor Nordstrom and condominiums on the top. Gary Barnett, founder and chairman of the building’s development firm, Extell, hopes that the unparalleled views will be the major hook for buyers, who have a host of other supertalls (buildings at least 984 feet high) on the block to choose from. But located just two blocks from Central Park South, the tower has nothing obstructing its 360-degree view—for now. Supertalls are sprouting up all over Midtown lately; Extell’s own One57 even kicked off the trend. There are four located on Billionaires’ Row alone, with more than 20 sprinkled throughout New York City, and surer to come.

A view of Central Park.
Image courtesy of Central Park Tower.

For buyers keen on a bird’s-eye view of the city, a penthouse unit with four bedrooms and an outdoor pool is listed for $95 million, while the cheapest unit is a $1.5 million studio. In total, the building’s 179 units are estimated to be worth $4 billion—which makes it the most expensive condo project in the country. Amenities in the building include a 50,000-square-foot private members club spread across three floors, including an outdoor pool, spa, and gym, among other luxuries.