8 Spruce Street

Overview of 8 Spruce Street

New York by Gehry at 8 Spruce Street, completed in 2010, is a 76-story mixed-use tower that stands as one of Lower Manhattan's most distinctive modern skyscrapers. Rising 876 feet, the Frank Gehry-designed masterpiece features a remarkable exterior composed of 10,500 individual stainless steel panels, creating a rippling effect on three of its façades that transforms as light changes throughout the day. The building's south façade, facing Wall Street, maintains a flat surface, while the bottom six floors are clad in orange brick, housing a public school and New York Downtown Hospital offices.

The tower contains 903 market-rate apartments, all rent-stabilized for 20 years, with approximately 200 unique layouts created by the building's distinctive bay windows and undulating exterior. Gehry himself designed not only the exterior but all interior spaces, from the sculptural concierge desk in the lobby to the custom furnishings throughout the amenity areas, describing the project as his "love letter to New York City."

Residents enjoy access to 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, including a 50-foot sky-lit swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, spa treatment suite, grilling terrace with dining cabanas, game room, drawing room with grand piano, and children's playroom. The development also features two public plazas totaling 15,000 square feet, designed by Field Operations in collaboration with Dutch horticulturist Piet Oudolf.

The building received significant critical acclaim, with New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff declaring it "the finest skyscraper to rise in New York since Eero Saarinen's CBS building." Gehry's design approach was influenced by his extensive study of New York's architectural heritage, incorporating traditional elements like setbacks while introducing innovative features that reflect the transition from the modern to the digital age.