By LAWRENCE TAN

The same architects who fashioned the Bird’s Nest (which became the most recognizable symbol of the Beijing Olympics) are now attempting to stamp their architectural footprints in New York City with their 57-story condominium on the corner of Leonard Street and Church Street in Tribeca.

Though the tower’s design may seem more down-to-earth and less avant-garde compared to the iconic Bird’s Nest, the Basel-based firm’s first high rise residential project still succeeds in capturing the imagination.

Housing 145 residences, including 10 penthouses that will occupy the top nine floors, the building looks like a game of Jenga in progress, characterized by cantilevered floors wrapped around in glass that jut out in different directions in what the architects described as “houses stacked in the sky”.

The residences range in size from 1,430 sq ft for the two-bedroom apartments to 6,380 sq ft for the penthouses, priced between US$3.5 million and US$33 million.

There will be two full floors of amenities, which include a 75-foot infinity edge pool with adjoining sundeck, a fitness center, yoga studio, spa, library lounge, screening room and a private dining or conference room.

A gigantic sculpture by renowned London-based artist Aniah Kapoor sits at one corner of the building. Construction of the tower has begun, and the project is slated for completion in 2010.

All images courtesy and used with permission of ©Herzog & de Meuron, Basel, 2008 

www.56leonardtribeca.com