A new skylight featuring Solarban® 72 Starphire® glass by Vitro Architectural Glass is helping transform the historic Terminal Warehouse in West Chelsea, New York, bringing natural daylight, energy efficiency, and biophilic design into the redeveloped building.

Originally constructed in 1891, Terminal Warehouse served as a major freight hub linking Manhattan’s rail lines to the Hudson River waterfront. Over time, its transportation role declined, and the massive structure, occupying an entire city block, was eventually used primarily for storage and office space. Today, a redevelopment project led by multiple developers is converting the historic building into a modern workplace and event destination while preserving its original industrial character.

The architectural concept was developed by COOKFOX Architects, which introduced several design interventions aimed at bringing natural light deep into the building’s large floorplate. One of the key elements of this strategy is a new skylight positioned on the wraparound terrace at the eighth-floor setback.

According to Simon Willet, the skylight works alongside newly created double-height spaces and a large central courtyard to deliver daylight to the building’s interior. In fact, approximately 130,000 square feet was removed from the center of the structure to create a landscaped open-air courtyard that allows additional natural light to penetrate deep into the building.

To achieve the project’s daylighting and energy performance targets, the design team selected Solarban® 72 Starphire® glass. The glazing combination offers a visible light transmittance (VLT) of 68% and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.28, allowing high levels of natural light while limiting solar heat gain.

The glazing specification was recommended by engineering consultancy Thornton Tomasetti, whose façade specialists determined that the Vitro glass combination provided the best balance between performance and cost.

The skylight also incorporates fritted glazing, improving solar control and visual comfort.

Through the adaptive reuse of the historic structure and preservation of its brick masonry, timber beams, and steel framework, the project significantly reduces environmental impact and is targeting LEED Platinum and WELL Goldcertification.