The New York sky seems to have no limit. Just in the last couple of years, three new skyscrapers have been added to the horizon competing for the tallest building medal. Although that honor still belongs to the One World Trade Center , the Central Park Tower is on its heels, which, without surpassing its antenna, does take 50 meters out of its structure.
They have also reached the goal Steinway Tower , the narrowest skyscraper in the world, and the OneVanderbilt , which casts its shadow on the Grand Central Terminal and has dwarfed its charismatic neighbor, the Chrysler Building.
At the top of One Vanderbilt rises (or, rather, levitates) the New York Observatory that lives up to its 326 meters of height with its name, The Summit. The gazebo appears in a somewhat saturated market with the newest, The Edge, by Hudson Yards, and the classics skyscraper like the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock and the One World Observatory.
Mirages inside The Summit.
But The Summit promises much more than idyllic views. And the artist has taken care of that KenzoDigital , which introduces us to a magical world of geometries, reflections and sensations.
Kenzo is our exceptional guide on this first ascent, exclusively for Condé Nast Traveler, and begs us to keep quiet about some of the surprises so as not to detract from the excitement of future visitors.
"We have designed a hypersensory experience, for all ages , as a gift to New York. The protagonist of this experience will be you, as an individual, and you will be able to analyze your relationship with nature and the city”.
That said, and just reached the 91st floor, where the installation begins called Air, Kenzo advises us to put aside phones and notepads and dive into the amazing oasis of Transcendence.
Hello Empire State!
It is difficult to sew the words to accurately translate the sensations aroused by this room full of mirrors that turn our environment into an infinite universe. And, most likely, the photos that accompany this article do not do it justice either.
Air It is a space that must be seen to be believed. The room has two levels and the highest one opens, in the form of a balcony, around it. The first step to this sea of mirrors is trembling and It almost gives the impression that you are going to drown in that ocean of reflections. After the first moments of hesitation, you are seized by the chill of the absolute immensity that surrounds you.
The city permeates all surfaces of space. The yellow cabs, the rushing pedestrians, the windows of the adjoining buildings, the silhouette of the skyscrapers that appear on the horizon... all these such essential elements of New York are broken into small pieces that draw an endless mosaic.
Kenzo invites us to lose ourselves and let our senses flourish. And it's easy to forget the passage of time as you try to absorb the feast that fills your eyes. Transcendence opens to the south of One Vanderbilt and tends, at our feet, the Chrysler Building, which appears in its entirety, the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, Bryant Park, Hudson Yards and the skyscrapers of Times Square.
Depending on the time of the visit, the sunlight multiplies in that web of mirrors so it doesn't hurt to have some sunglasses on hand.
Exterior of the One Vanderbilt Building.
The next attraction of this sensory adventure is called Levitation. Two glass cubes, two and a half meters long, protrude from the west side of the viewpoint and are suspended in the air. Here you will discover the threshold of your vertigo because your feet are going to walk down Madison Avenue but at more than 300 meters high.
This corner cries out for a selfie with the skyscrapers in the background and makes it easy for you with a camera embedded in the ceiling so you have the best perspective of the city. The photo comes comfortably to your mobile.
The climb to the top is not over. We have another level left where we can try the menu of the observatory bar , called Après, and enjoy the good weather in the terrace from TheSummit. This space will allow you to enjoy 360 degree extraordinary views . But do you want more? You will have to go up to Ascent, a glass elevator that crosses the sky even more and reaches 369 meters, the highest point of the lookout. Now you can say that you have crowned New York.
TheSummit opens its doors on October 21 and you can book your ticket online by choosing the day and time. Basic admission is $39 for all adults and $33 for children under 12. if you want to climb during sunset, add 10 dollars more. And if you add the glass elevator, Ascent, that's $10 more. The New York must-see list just got even longer.