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Adding to the skyline of New York City is no small feat. It is filled with iconic, landmark structures, many of which are recognized throughout the world.

This is not an undertaking for the faint of heart, as any new building will face the tough scrutiny of the city’s residents and world visitors alike.

However, Bizzi & Partners Development is not afraid to take on the challenge of the New York skyline with its 400 Fifth Avenue development.

Headquartered in Milan, Italy, the international company has produced buildings throughout its native country, as well as Mexico, Brazil, Latvia, Estonia, Russia  and Spain.

Although taking on New York is a big deal, the company believes it is more than capable of handling the task.

“We believe we can bring value and quality to any development,” Executive Vice President Giuseppe Rossi says. “Location is important, and we will be in the best New York location, with a high quality iconic development.”

Luxurious Development

For Bizzi & Partners, the company philosophy starts with its owner, Davide Bizzi. “One of the most important factors is that the owner himself is a big believer in delivering a high-quality project,” Director of Development Steven Della Salla states. “He believes in delivering quality that is high-end.”

The 400 Fifth Avenue building is a high-rise commercial hotel and residential tower, located, as the name suggests, at 400 Fifth Avenue. This is the heart of Midtown Manhattan, two blocks away from the Empire State Building and the New York Public Library. Surrounded by legendary edifices in an area known for engaging a high-end population, Bizzi & Partners must bring luxury to fit in.

This is where Davide Bizzi’s own sophisticated tastes come into play. Della Salla says that because Bizzi values luxury, the company’s developments are outfitted with manufacturers of the best craftsmanship, often showcasing its roots.

“More than 85 percent of the millwork is being made in Italy,” Della Salla asserts. “All the furniture is from Cassina and the kitchen cabinets are from Poliform. We only use top-of-the-line manufacturers.”

Something Outstanding

The 60-story, 560,000-square-foot building is a combination of precast and limestone. The first 16 floors of the mixed-use building will feature a five-star Setai hotel, with 157 rooms and a grand lobby, restaurant, bar, spa, health club and other amenities. The following 10 floors will house 57 luxury hotel condos. Being built on the residual floors above the hotel are 190 high-end residential condos. Setai is managed by Capella, and opens in October. The residencies are slated to open in November.

At the top of the tower is a crown, which flares at the 58th through 60th floors. In addition to this feature, the building will stand out by incorporating two large stainless steel canopies that will flank the building’s hotel and residential entrances, forming terraces for hotel rooms on the fifth floor. Outdoor terraces and fireplaces will be built on the 11th floor, which has been allotted for amenities.

Della Salla says the windows and architecture make the building stand out among the other attractions of the city, and notes that the architect, Charles Gwathmey, “did something very outstanding.” Gwathmey, of the firm Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, passed away in August before construction was finished, and his partner Robert Siegel is carrying the project to completion.

“It’s 100 percent stainless steel at the crown,” Della Salla declares. “The only other building like that is the Chrysler Building. The sun reflects off it during the day, and at night you see a reflection of the moon and its surroundings. It’s wonderful and basically you can’t get that from anywhere but this location and the Chrysler Building.

“The windows project 45 degrees away from the building, so everyone gets a view of the street,” he adds.

Making History

With location being everything in real estate, Bizzi & Partners hit a home run. Fifth Avenue divides New York into its east and west sides, and is lined with several defining buildings.

The Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Plaza Hotel, Tiffany’s and Rockefeller Center are a few of the buildings that can be viewed on a stroll down Fifth. Soon, construction will finish and the 775-foot-tall 400 Fifth building will join the legendary structures of the historic avenue.

Also because of its location, the design for 400 Fifth Avenue went through both the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the New York City Department of City Planning to get construction approval. Della Salla notes that the company knew it would not be easy as previous developers had projects for the site turned down by the city agencies.

However, Bizzi & Partners had nothing to fear as the design received 100 percent approval on its first try. “We’re very proud that with our first submission, Landmarks and the city both unanimously approved of the design,” Della Salla states.

He explains that the company did its homework and wanted to become a part of the history of Fifth Avenue. “The design fits with the texture of the neighborhood,” Della Salla says. “We studied the buildings across the street – like the old Tiffany’s building and the Empire State Building – to look at their materials and see how to blend into the neighborhood, and not stick out like an office building. We got the approvals in about 11 months.”

With a difficult economy, Della Salla says the company was concerned about costs, but found that it could be controlled with quality contractors who could work quickly. “With the way the market is, one of the positive things is we are getting very good contractors,” Della Salla explains. “We know this project – even in tough times – puts us on the map and will show  we can create a very large, luxury development.”