What material created the screen atop this building? It’s UHPC from our member company Spring Valley.
This perforated gable panel now crowns The Twenty Two in New York City—an adaptive reuse project rooted in the original 1891 design by architect Robertson. More than 130 years later, the design from by BKSK Architects LLP has finally been realized through contemporary engineering and material innovation.
Fabricated from CAAST UHPC, this perforated UHPC screen sits at the top of the structure—visually light, yet exceptionally strong and durable. Ultra-High Performance Concrete was selected because:
– It enables extreme geometric precision, allowing for the intricate perforation pattern
– It delivers exceptional strength at minimal thickness, reducing weight at the building’s highest elevation
– Its durability ensures long-term performance in a demanding urban environment
And importantly, it allows modern construction to respect and reinterpret historic intent rather than replicate it
Projects like this demonstrate how advanced materials can bridge past and present—realizing ideas that were once impossible.
