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Dryvit Abounds Over Eighth Avenue

With all the hoopla over Renzo Piano's soaring New York Times Tower on Eighth Avenue just below Times Square hardly any attention has been paid to another extra-ordinary bit of construction going up one block south and across the Avenue at 305 West 39th Street. The prolific Sam Chang and his McSam Hotel empire is erecting a new Comfort Inn on a plot overlooking the Port Authority Bus Terminal. This comparatively little inn-to-be, designed by architect Peter Poon, is only 20-stories tall and will contain just 79 rooms. Yet despite its compact size, the Poon tower has taken nearly as long to put up as Piano's much larger rod-a-palooza across the way. The eastern facade facing towards the Times Tower is currently a checkerboard of mismatched dryvit-filled squares and rectangles. Which does create a rather playful dialog with the oh-so-serious Gray Lady. Chinese checkers, anyone?
· Renzo's Symphony Update: Diapha-huh? [Curbed]
· Rumblings & Bumblings Responses: More McSam [Curbed]
· Hotel 373 Sneaks Into SoFi [Curbed]