Lilly | New York - New York | 2021

Architects: Studio Vural
Lead Architect: Selim Vural
Design Team: Ceren Kalayci and Ayca Yildirim
Client: BCN Development LLC.
Images: Dom Wipa, Ceren Kalayci, and Ayca Yildirim

Lilly is a passivetower designed for Bryant Park in Manhattan. She is a sustainable mixed-use tower prototype for the future of the cities. Lilly eliminates conventional heating and cooling via a geothermal system, provides heat-exchanging natural ventilation for all occupied spaces and irrigates an insulating blanket of Asian lilies through rainwater retention and graywater in the tower. She is comprised of 18 floors of apartments and 23 floors of office space with multiple amenities.

Since apartments need natural light and ventilation in every room, unlike open office layouts in the upper floors, the residential floors of Lilly have numerous windows both on sides and front. The commercial floors are designed as open offices with glass conference rooms so glazing on both sides can provide sufficient natural light. At a total of 265,000 square feet, Lilly offers a powerhouse of sustainable spaces with extremely low energy costs.

The initial surcharge of green construction at $100 million is calculated to pay back in 14 years through massive energy savings. For architects, politicians, developers and consumers, Lilly is not only a future prototype, but it is also the future, it is a much-needed fresh breath for the cities, and a pioneer for developers and policymakers to follow. If the civilization can produce yachts for oligarchs at $800 million, it can surely build Lilly at $200 million.