Parallax Towers (1989), a proposed project comprised of 10 silver towers of housing and office space in the Hudson River, was featured in The New York Times article “What New York’s Waterfront Could Have Looked Like” by Brian Josephs.
“Steven Holl’s vision for the Upper West Side included a structure called the Parallax Towers, that would be connected with the help of lateral elevators and underwater tunnels.”
Part of the “Edge of a City” series, rather than relying on outdated planning methods, these proposals explore new spatial strategies that prioritize the creation of spaces over objects, forming a dynamic urban threshold. Projects within this framework propose integrated living, working, and cultural environments organized around pedestrian networks that foster community. From spatial barriers protecting the desert near Phoenix to towers framing urban views in New York, each scheme operates with a sensitivity to light, movement, material, and psychological space—laying the groundwork for a new synthesis of urban life and form.
“It’s a kind of utopian idea,” Holl said in an interview, “but not that crazy.”