A super-slender residential tower in a soft white ripple—Foster doing minimalism with serious Midtown nerve.
Skyscraper in New York City.
Featured in Foster + Partners's definitive monograph, Norman Foster: A Life in Architecture.
Visitor Guide
Stand on 53rd Street and line it up against the Seagram Building next door; the contrast is the whole point.
Corner of 53rd St & Lexington Ave, late afternoon when the façade’s undulations catch glancing light.
Not generally open—private residences. You can usually glimpse the lobby from the street; the real experience is exterior urban dialogue with Seagram.
The ‘white’ façade isn’t flat: the glass subtly undulates, making a high-rise behave like fabric in changing light.
20–30 minutes
Design & Structure
A high-rise designed with a performance-tuned envelope and very tight façade tolerances. Likely extensive digital modeling for curtain-wall geometry, wind studies, and slender-tower stability.
Undulating glass curtain wall with pale framing and refined interior stone/metal: materiality is about softness without losing precision.
Slenderness drives engineering: stiffness, drift control, and wind comfort dictate structure; the façade’s curvature helps modulate perception and performance.
See Together
Buildings that pair well with Selene (building) — they're nearby or share a compelling architectural conversation.
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Nearby in Manhattan
The New York Times Building
565 Broome Street
World Trade Center station (PATH)
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50 United Nations Plaza
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed Selene (building)?+
Selene (building) was designed by Foster + Partners and completed in 2017. It is located in Manhattan, United States.
Where is Selene (building) located?+
Selene (building) is located in Manhattan, United States. Its coordinates are 40.7583°, -73.9714°.
When was Selene (building) built?+
Selene (building) was completed in 2017. It was designed by Foster + Partners.
Can I visit Selene (building)?+
Selene (building) is a real building in Manhattan that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.