The Ellipse
As the name implies, what makes Ellipse stand out among Jersey City’s residential buildings is its shape. The building was designed to maximize views from the 376 apartments out onto the Hudson River and Manhattan skyline. The building’s form is also an architectural response to its essential core elements, and allows us to plan each floor better and improve the quality of the living space within.
The oval tower sits on a pier of steel pylons that extends into the river, catching the evening light in the curves of its translucent surfaces. The narrow east and west elevations of the tower are pierced by recessed balconies that create a wavering imprint down the full length of the 41-story tower. At the same time, the wider north and south facades feature curving swaths of darker framing and fenestration — like subtle watermarks that might represent a vertical river. Together, the recessed balconies and surface patterns give the building a liquid, saturated quality that liberates it from the land and marries it to the river.
