One Vanderbilt’s swift rise captured in new aerial photos

The supertall skyscraper is a quarter of the way toward completion

The last time we checked in on construction progress at One Vanderbilt, Midtown's soon-to-be 1,401-foot skyscraper, it had reached the ninth floor—a seemingly small number when you consider it'll stand 58 stories, but that puts it on track to be more than halfway to its pinnacle by the end of the year.

Now, a few months later, the building has reached the 16th floor; a rep for SL Green confirms that this will put construction ahead of schedule, though the opening date is still planned for 2020.

New aerial images give a sense of how the building fits within the Midtown landscape; even if they don't quite show off the height at this point, they do show off the heft of its base, which contains approximately 4,683 pieces of steel.

In other One Vanderbilt news, the Real Deal reports that the cost of the skyscraper's observation deck, which will be one of the tallest in the city, is expected to be in the $35–$39 range, though a source tells Curbed it'll likely be closer to $35. (A spokesperson for SL Green told TRD that actual pricing won't be confirmed until closer to the 2020 opening.) That would put it on par with the Empire State Building, where the cheapest pass to the 86th-floor observation deck is $37. At One World Observatory, standard admission is $34.

• All One Vanderbilt coverage [Curbed]