One High Line finally opened in Chelsea after one of the messier development sagas in recent New York memory. Bjarke Ingels Group designed the pair of twisting, travertine-clad towers that straddle the High Line at West 18th Street. The project spent years stalled under its original developer before Witkoff and Access Industries rescued it.
Project Scope
The development is two towers joined by a glass bridge lounge: a 36-story west tower reaching 400 feet with 149 residences, and a 26-story east tower at 300 feet holding 87 residences plus a Faena hotel. Together the towers carry 236 condominium units and about 18,000 square feet of indoor amenities, including a 75-foot lap pool. The travertine cladding and the twist in each tower’s massing are the signature moves, meant to catch light and give every unit a different view corridor along the elevated park.
Why It Matters
The building started life as “The XI” and went into foreclosure in 2021 when the original developer, HFZ Capital, collapsed. Its rescue and completion is a marker of how much distressed luxury development changed hands during the downturn. Architecturally, it’s one of the more ambitious residential projects to actually get built along the High Line, a corridor that has drawn a run of star-architect towers. The twist wasn’t cheap, and whether the units sell at the prices the new owners need is the open question.
Project Team & Details
| Developer | Witkoff / Access Industries |
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| Architect | Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) |
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| Status | Completed |
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| Funding Source | Private |
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