A Curbed favorite since it entered the conversation in 2006, Frank Gehry's tower at 8 Spruce Street solidified its place in the skyline as the tallest residential building in the city (though One57 will be snatching that title). The glimmering, undulating steel facade captivated the city's archicritics, with former Times critic Nicolai Ouroussoff calling it "the finest skyscraper to rise in New York since Eero Saarinen's CBS building went up 46 years ago." Photo by Structures:NYC/Curbed Flickr pool.

Like all aspects of the World Trade Center, the soaring transportation hub, designed by Santiago Calatrava, has seen multiple construction delays, but it should be open by 2015. The structure has undergone many design changes, but when complete, it will still be an awesome, iconic building its 150-foot high glass and steel "wings," value-engineering be damned!

Norman Foster's triangular blue glass and steel tower made Curbed's top 10 list of the best buildings of the decade back in 2011, and we'd still award it a spot today. Erected in 2006, the building rises out of the landmarked base of the original Hearst building. It gets extra points for the cool two-story high water feature in the entrance and four-story atrium. Photo by Mattron/Curbed Flickr pool.

Designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis, the Cooper Union's 41 Cooper Square is a dramatic, geometric building of perforated panels and steel. As its just across the street from Curbed's office, we've always had a close relationship with the building and its flashy cut-out facade and epic staircase. In 2010, the Municipal Art Society named it the city's "Best New Building." Photo by Structures:NYC/Curbed Flickr pool.

Jean Nouvel's contentious Tower Verre has suffered through many a development battles, but there was recently action at the site, so we still have hope. The shard-like tower could rise 1,050-feet beside MoMA, with a sloping, angular facade. Inside, there would be condos, retail, and space for the museum.

The Storefront for Art and Architecture is the smallest building on this list, but it's arguably the most unique. Designed by Steven Holl, the long facade of the small triangular space consists of a series of rotating panels that can be opened or closed to change the shape of the gallery. Photo by Scott Lynch/Curbed Flickr pool.

Frank Gehry's wavy IAC Building, finished in 2007, has been the subject of many archicritic debates. Is it a bold, innovative departure from Manhattan's office buildings? Or is a blobby mess, hulking over its neighbors? Whatever you think, there's no denying that the tiered, twisty tower is a head-turner. Photo via Wikipedia.

Known in the Curbediverse as the "Fortress of Glassitude," Christian de Portzamparc's 400 Park Avenue South came back to life this spring. The 40-story tower looks like a collection of crystals jutting from the ground, which is an appropriately luxurious image since the 363 units will be ultra fancy. The millionaires should be moving in by 2015.