Architect Robert A.M. Stern said he wanted his slender classical design for the Four Seasons at 99 Church St., center, to complement the historic Woolworth Building to the left. Two W.T.C. towers are to the right.

Four Seasons says Downtown’s time is now

By Julie Shapiro

Luxury amenities Downtown are nothing new. From Tiffany to Hermes, high-end retailers are flocking to the rapidly developing district.

But the excitement was palpable when developer Larry Silverstein announced the latest arrival to Downtown’s luxury economy: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Four Seasons will run a 175-room hotel and 143 condominiums in a brand-new tower at 99 Church St. The first 22 stories of the 80-story building will house the hotel, including a restaurant, lounge, spa and pool. Luxury condos will fill the rest of the buildingFour Seasons, on 57th St. in Midtown, just completed its most successful year yet, which bodes well for an expansion, Taylor said.

The slim limestone and cast-stone tower has a more classical look than the skyscrapers that will rise at ground zero, and that’s exactly what architect Robert A.M. Stern was going for. He was wary of overshadowing the adjacent Woolworth Building, which he called “a great icon” after the breakfast. Stern wanted 99 Church to complement Woolworth rather than dominate it.

To that end, he envisioned a light-colored tower “as slender as it is structurally feasible,” with large rectangular windows.

Stern said he hopes to distinguish 99 Church St. from the bulkier World Trade Center office buildings, which Silverstein is also developing.

“This is a place people will live,” Stern told