Vision | 611 WEST 56 ST
“Quality, not quantity” has become a way of life for certain city-dwellers—an astute group of urbanites who understand less, at its best, is indeed more. Who know that the home should be, first and foremost, a sanctuary, a place of comfort, intimacy, and simplicity. Who believe that efficiency is to be prized and prioritized. In the New York real estate market, efficiency is not a word commonly used to describe high-end residences. But with profound clarity and a forward-thinking vision, 611 West 56th Street proves it should be.
Álvaro Siza
Early sketch of 611 West 56th Street
Siza’s architecture has been fittingly described as ‘poetic modernism,‘ with the Pritzker Prize jury, in its award citation of his work, noting that ‘his shapes, molded by light, have a deceptive simplicity about them; they are honest.‘
Spencer Bailey
Álvaro Siza sketching
Siza is, without question, a master. A poet of the built form, he has become renowned for his deep understanding of materials and his astute sense of light, color, and shadow.
Spencer Bailey
Early sketch of 611 West 56th Street
“I think New York development tends to be about excessive gestures, extravagance over elegance, and developers have a tendency to focus on the transitory versus the timeless,” says Amit Khurana, who with co-partner Saif Sumaida founded the development firm Sumaida + Khurana in 2012. “The goal with our projects is very much the opposite of that. We care about detailing, and about creating something refined and understated — architecture that stands the test of time.” As such, 611 West 56th Street will be definitively, resolutely human. The follow-up to Sumaida + Khurana’s building, the seven-residence 152 Elizabeth Street in Nolita, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando (another Pritzker winner), 611 West 56th Street — developed in collaboration with New York–based development firm LENY — extends the firm’s distinctive and boutique approach onto a larger floor plan by bringing LENY’s global and local experience in real estate development.
Kimberly Sheppard and Michael Gabellini
The word ‘luxury’ is so amorphous and anonymous. For us, this idea of luxury is how you think about fitting out a space with proportion, with a sense of materiality.
Michael Gabellini