Wicona’s Wictec EL SG modular system has been used to produce the sloping glass facade of the 35XV building in Manhattan. According to Wicona, the high-performance unitised system provided ease of installation, energy efficiency and helped maximise natural light for the building’s luxury apartments.
The 35XV building, designed by FXCollaborative Architects, is located in the Chelsea neighbourhood of downtown Manhattan. The unique building is a combination of residential and educational spaces with the first six storeys serving as an extension of the neighbouring Xavier High School. The top 19 floors represent the residential part of the building and contains 55 luxury one, two, three- and four-bedroom apartments.
The structure also cantilevers 5m over the existing school building and 11m over the rear patio. The angled shape of the building’s façade is a result of New York’s 100-year-old Zoning Resolution, which requires the upper floors of buildings to be set back, creating a virtual sloping ‘sky exposure plane’. This requirement is designed to ensure that tall structures do not excessively block sunlight from reaching street level.
Wicona says that its Wictec EL SG modular system was chosen as it combined the minimalist aesthetic of a stick-built system with the quality, performance and installation benefits of a unitised solution.
The units were assembled and sealed in a controlled factory environment, to ensure quality and to speed up installation on site. The Wictec modules feature a triple gasket system for air tightness and thermal insulation. The modules were delivered to site, craned into place and installed on pre-aligned 3D adjustment anchors.
