One of the world’s first cable net walls supporting individually curved glass panels, the large facade at the Shops and Restaurants building at Hudson Yards captures the sky and sun, reflecting varying lighting conditions. 20 Hudson Yards (also called Tower B) is a retail podium between 10 and 30 Hudson Yards, the first two towers of the Hudson Yards redevelopment project.
The upper portion of each glass panel curves outwards and meets the base of the panel above, leading to a hook shaped glass panel. A special swivel detail allows the panels to rotate about the vertical axis to account for deflection. The continuity of the facade over three separate primary building structural arrangements led to new detailing solutions to create a weathertight system. The wall’s innovative design supports stiff curved glass panels on a flexible horizontal and vertical cable net substructure. The majority of the structure is made from stainless steel, with some small fittings of aluminum. The panels are made of chemically strengthened glass. Inside and out, the curved glass facade is transparent and intricate.
