American Copper Buildings, Residential high-rise in Kips Bay, United States.
American Copper Buildings are two residential towers with 48 floors that rise approximately 166 meters beside the East River, wrapped entirely in copper panels. A three-story skybridge on levels 27-29 physically connects the towers while leaving them visually distinct.
SHoP Architects designed the buildings in 2013, and construction finished in 2017. This project marked a shift toward residential development along Manhattan's eastern waterfront.
The buildings shape how people experience the East River waterfront with their distinctive copper exterior that gradually shifts in appearance. Residents and visitors see them as part of Manhattan's ongoing reinvention along the water.
You can walk around the towers and explore the public waterfront paths that surround them, with good views from across the river. Interior access is limited to residents, but the exterior architecture and copper patina are fully visible from the street and water level.
The exterior features roughly 5,000 copper panels that naturally oxidize over time, developing a patina similar to the Statue of Liberty. This gradual transformation means the towers will look noticeably different years from now.
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