When describing 152 Elizabeth, Tadao Ando felt that along with embracing Manhattan, it was a paramount for the building to create a sort of sanctuary apart from it. According to Ando, “A home has to be a place where you can reflect on your life. This project is about that. When you come home, 152 Elizabeth should give a quiet feeling. I have to make something that touches human hearts and leaves a feeling inside of them”.

In regards to the building, Ando speaks about 152 Elizabeth being made of “20th-century materials — concrete, iron, and glass. For a building to truly work, Ando believes there has to be a balance of its elements — not just between the light and the shadow, but also between the water, the greenery, the steel, and the glass. About 152 Elizabeth, Ando says that “Every single thing has to be in harmony”.