Theater in the Round
Suspended above Columbus Circle, the 9th-floor terraces offer an orchestrated landscape that frames the city as a theater. NBW designed the 19,000 square feet of rooftop terraces and a sedum green roof. Perched on an edge overlooking Central Park, Columbus Circle, and the activity of the city, the site's design draws from the concentric geometry of traditional theater design and the site’s urban context — planters, paving, and pergolas align along the radial sweep of the circle monument below at street level — inviting visitors into a landscape of performance, movement, and observation.
The terraces are composed as a dynamic series of distinct outdoor rooms with spaces for events and gatherings, solitary work, shared meals, informal meetings, and respite. Materials shift between wood decking and pedestal pavers to define thresholds and scale, while five custom pergolas constructed of metal and wood louvers provide shade, privacy from the floors above, and framed views of the skyline and park.
Planting is central to the experience. A palette of native perennials, ornamental grasses, evergreen shrubs, paper birch trees, ferns, sedum, and spring bulbs brings seasonality and softness to the elevated site. Plant communities are composed of bands and blends that echo the radial plan, evolving across the year in color, texture, and form. Beneath this layered garden lies a green roof system engineered for minimal weight, balancing structure with the need for an immersive, living environment.
The Terraces are both lookout and retreat, a rooftop landscape that opens outward to one of New York’s most iconic intersections while offering moments of quiet within the rhythm of the city.
