Interview: RAMSA’s Paul Whalen Reflects on the Unique Design of 15 Central Park West
For good reason, hundreds if not thousands of articles and books have been published on 15 Central Park West, the “Limestone Jesus” designed by famed architect Robert A.M. Stern. This modern icon is credited with not only elevating the New York City luxury market to a level no one before dreamed it could reach, but it has also spurred a slew of copycats around the city and globe with developers hoping to emulate its unprecedented success (it is currently the most expensive building in NYC with apartments priced from $5.4M to $48M).
Ahead Robert A.M. Stern Architects’ partner Paul Whalen discusses why there will never be another building like 15 CPW, and why he still has a hard time containing his excitement for its architecture, interiors and the carefully calculated layout. He says to this day, he still receives letters from residents that read “When I first moved in, I knew it would be an amazing building but I keep discovering qualities of the building I didn’t understand or realize. It takes years to fully appreciate living here.”
