The 42-story tower holds just 42 units, where most condo owners will have the entire floor to themselves, with private and near-private elevator landings create a penthouse experience on every level. The low unit count, comparable with that of an average six-story pre-war building in the outer boroughs, furthers a close-knit, communal feel, reinforced with amenities such as a cozy attended lobby, a demure lounge with a fireplace and snug wall alcoves, and a sunlit fitness center that overlooks a compact yet lush rear garden.

The slender form also lent inspiration to the architects' stylistic choice. Medieval Europe’s spindly Gothic cathedrals rose through thin, “skeletal” construction that both expressed a heavenly uplift and minimized wall girth, allowing for giant stained-glass windows. New York’s turn-of-the-century architects applied Gothic verticality to newfangled “skyscrapers,” most famously to the fantastical Woolworth Building. 30E31 further evolves the time-tested, vertical-minded style with slender mullions that ascend to Gothic pointed arches at the setback, then leap skyward to the pinnacle, higher than all but the loftiest cathedrals, where they bend into a modern diagrid more akin to Midtown’s Hearst Tower than Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.

Despite its prominence, the building is overshadowed by even taller neighbors, such as the 804-foot-high Madison House, which nears completion a block away, and the fabled spire of the Empire State Building, which looms 1,454 feet tall just two blocks further. However, 30E31’s gentle yet bold blend of Gothic and modern motifs manifests in a dramatic elan that makes a fine addition to the NoMad skyline.