PROGRESS REPORT: 685 First Avenue

685 First Ave. looking east down 40th Street.
A sliver of Tudor City (far left) in this rendering.

Yesterday's Times ran an article on Tudor City's rising neighbor at 685 First Avenue, the Richard Meier tower profiled in an earlier post. Some quick takeaways:

* 42 stories, 556-unit rental/condo mix. 460 feet high. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier. Western facade includes 69 balconies with killer Midtown views.

*Curtain wall made of black glass that's opaque from the outside looking in, and transparent from the inside looking out (during the daytime). 

* Meier describes the aesthetic as "minimalistic expression." He's also designing the all-white interiors. 

* Projected opening, 2020.

Read the full story here.