Andre Balazs has been one busy bee. With a new hotel in the works for the Meatpacking District, and following closely on the heels of his Kenmare Square condominium, ground was recently broken on a new residential project in Manhattan's SoHo district. Paris-based architect Jean Nouvel has designed a 13 story structure containing 41 luxury lofts, a spa, pool, and retail space at street level. Located on Grand Street between Mercer and Broadway, the approval process was a long drawn-out affair. Nouvel's original design was presented some five years ago. Although the curtain wall is thoroughly modernist, the Landmarks commission's contextual concerns were addressed chiefly through the massing of the 5-story base, as well as the spacing of the floors and large windows to match the scale of nearby cast iron factory floors. Sales at 40 Mercer are slated to begin in June. The lofts should be ready for occupancy in about a year. Click below to view three renderings from Atelier Jean Nouvel.
