“New York, New York. City so nice they named it twice. Manhattan is the other name.”

If you’re a fan of NBC’s The Office, you might recall that quote goes to none other than “World’s Greatest Boss” Michael Scott. I loved that show and could watch it over and over; and yes, sometimes (I’m not afraid to admit) I still watch it on Netflix when I can’t find anything else to watch and I just want to laugh.

I’m starting to think about and prepare for the upcoming AIA Conference on Architecture, which takes place this year June 21-23 in (where else), New York. When we first learned of this at last year’s show, I heard mixed feelings from a few exhibitors. Having the show in New York puts it in the perfect spot to reach probably thousands of architects—including many from some of the world’s major firms. On the other side, it’s an incredibly expensive city.

But costs aside, we’ll be NYC-bound in just a few months, and what a great time to be in the city. Construction is booming and there will be plenty of glazing projects to see. Hudson Yards is one of those projects; think of it as a city within a city. The development includes more than 18 million square feet of commercial and residential space, more than 100 shops, a collection of restaurants, a public square and gardens, and several glassy towers. According to Related, the project’s developer, Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States and the largest development in New York City since Rockefeller Center.

Courtesy of Related-Oxford.

Many glass industry companies have a hand in Hudson Yards, including Enclos, W&W Glass and Interpane. 15 Hudson Yards, the development’s first residential tower, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) and the Rockwell Group, topped out last month. It will be sheathed in glass fabricated and supplied by Interpane and being installed by New Hudson Facades.

15 Hudson Yards
Courtesy of Related-Oxford.

Another unique project is what’s called The Shed, a multi-arts center designed by DS+R in collaboration with Rockwell Group that will open in 2019. According to Diller Scofidio + Renfro, The Shed is designed to physically transform to support artists’ most ambitious ideas. It features what the firm calls a telescoping outer shell that can deploy from its position over the base building and glide along rails onto an adjoining plaza to double the building’s footprint. It’s constructed with fritted ETFE cushions, a transparent, lightweight material.

This quick look at a couple of projects within Hudson Yards only scratches the surface. We will continue to follow the progress on the towers and other glazing details of the construction process, so be sure and keep an eye out for more coverage.

In the meantime, if you’re headed to New York for the upcoming AIA show, or just want to tell me about your favorite episode of The Office, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me an email at erogers@glass.com or post a comment below.