The Copper

Two leaning, copper-clad towers joined by a three-story skybridge make up The Copper, also known as the American Copper Buildings, at 626 First Avenue in Murray Hill, Manhattan. JDS Development Group developed the pair, designed by SHoP Architects; they rise 48 and 41 stories and hold 761 apartments, including a share of income-restricted units leased through the city’s housing lottery. The skybridge, about a third of the way up and the first built in New York in decades, holds a lap pool, a lounge and fitness space with views up and down the river.

The copper cladding was installed bright and is meant to weather toward brown and eventually a green patina, so the buildings’ color will keep changing for years. Their leaning, kinked profile has made them one of the most recognizable additions to the East Side skyline since they opened.

The site fronts the East River between East 35th and East 36th Streets, with a private waterfront esplanade. NYU Langone Health and the United Nations are a short walk along First Avenue, the East 34th Street ferry landing is nearby, and the 6 train at 33rd Street is the closest subway.