I toured a $24.5 million penthouse in NYC's iconic 'Jenga Building' and found that the interior has a totally different look than its sharp, boxy silhouette does - here's a look inside

Libertina Brandt

Nov 26, 2019, 22:15 IST

I toured a $24.5 million penthouse in NYC's iconic 'Jenga Building' and found that the interior has a totally different look than its sharp, boxy silhouette does - here's a look inside

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It's not hard to tell how the "Jenga Building" got its name.

New York City's 56 Leonard - or the "Jenga Building" - has a well-earned nickname and a very distinctive look: It looks like a set of haphazardly stacked blocks, towering over downtown Manhattan.
The building is located in Tribeca, the most expensive zip code in New York City.
The last sponsor-owned unit for sale in the building is a $24.5 million penthouse that boasts a 360-degree view of the city.
Business Insider was able to get into the apartment for an exclusive tour.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

New York City's 56 Leonard - the so-called Jenga Building - is hard to miss: Its stacked levels jut out unevenly from its sides, giving it a distinctly different silhouette from your standard, smooth-sided high-rise.

The 60-floor residential tower called 56 Leonard is located in Lower Manhattan. It rises from the cobblestone streets of Tribeca - the most expensive zip code in New York City.

On November 21, Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group's senior sales director Elizabeth Unger walked me through the tower and took me up to the 57th floor to view the building's last sponsor-owned unit for sale, a $24.5 million penthouse. A sponsor-owned unit is a unit that is sold, for the first time, to an individual buyer directly by the building's developer.

The full-floor penthouse I saw, like the rest of the building, boasts soft curves and warm colors - a total contrast to the sharply designed exterior.

From a 360-degree view of New York City to a 75-foot swimming pool, keep reading to see what it's like inside 56 Leonard.

On November 21, I toured one of the most recognizable residential towers in New York City's downtown skyline — 56 Leonard. The building is located in Tribeca.

Tribeca is a ritzy neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. It's home to the most expensive zip code in New York City — the median sale price is $3.9 million.

This is 56 Leonard. It was designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & De Meuron and completed in 2017.

The tower is roughly half a mile from Business Insider's headquarters, so I walked there. In a matter of minutes, 56 Leonard was directly in my line of view, and I immediately understood why it's dubbed the "Jenga Building."

The building's cantilevered balconies look as if they were stacked on top of one another.

When I arrived at the tower, I was surprised to see that the entrance blended in perfectly with the surrounding area. Despite the fact that the building's facade was visible for most of my walk, when I turned onto its block, I almost walked past the front doors.

I was also surprised by the soft curves in the building's spacious, dimly lit lobby — a total contrast to the sharply designed exterior. It was dark and unlike pretty much any lobby I have ever been in.

Once inside, I met up with Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group's senior sales director Elizabeth Unger to check out the $24.5 million penthouse on the 57th floor — the last sponsor-owned unit for sale. The elevator brought us to the front door.

As soon as I stepped foot in the apartment, I felt like I was in a different world. Not because I was 57 stories above NYC, though that was also imposing. Instead, the apartment I stepped into was full of soft lines, natural light, and neutral tones — a far cry from its silhouette and its lobby.

Those same themes of light, neutral colors continued to unfold across its 5,252 square feet of interior space and 1,763 square feet of exterior space. Below is the small living area that sits between the den and the great room.

Adjacent to the den is a door that leads to one of the penthouse's two terraces (the second terrace is located on the other end of the unit).

Outside on the terrace, the view of the city stretches for miles.

Even the views inside are jaw-dropping. While standing in the dining room, I had a perfect view of the Freedom Tower.

When I asked Unger what type of buyers 56 Leonard attracts, she explained that the building attracts local New Yorkers, particularly those with downtown roots.

"We light up at night," she said.

The 60-floor tower boasts 10 penthouses that take up the top nine floors. Each unit is uniquely designed.

In this particular penthouse, the bedrooms and bathrooms are located down this hallway.

There are four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms in total. Below is the master bedroom.

Along with two terraces, there is also a private balcony located in the master bedroom.

Here's the view from the private balcony.

Back inside, the master bedroom seamlessly flows into the master bathroom ...

... which boasts a freestanding tub and breathtaking views.

After a tour of the penthouse, I checked out the amenities, which are located on the building's ninth and 10th floors.

Along with a fitness center, the 10th floor also includes a 75-foot swimming pool, a steam room, and a sauna.

As I made my way to the ninth floor, I was led down a large spiral cement staircase that, according to Unger, was filled in one day to prevent seams.

Here's a look at the staircase from the ninth floor.

The ninth floor includes a movie theater with a terrace and a children's playroom.

There's also a library lounge with an adjacent private dining room and a catering kitchen.

Currently, active listings in the building range from $4.85 million to $24.5 million.

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