Rising high in Kansas City, Mo.’s vibrant Power & Light District, luxury apartment building Two Light by Baltimore, Md.–based developer The Cordish Cos. is the newest residential addition to the mixed-use dining, retail, and office neighborhood that had been abandoned for decades. Featuring several entertainment venues, including KC Live!, the Sprint Center, and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the revitalized area regularly welcomes local sports and theater patrons and millions of visitors every year.
The architects at Hord Coplan Macht were challenged to design a 24-story tower that not only added to the bustling district, but also complemented the two additional projects in the future three-building development. One Light, which completed construction prior to the design of Two Light, stands tall nearby, while Three Light will be the next logical progression to the development.
Completed in May 2018, the apartment high-rise emerges from the city skyline as a modern glass volume with a masonry base that references the historic scale of the adjacent downtown district. An existing historic mural on site was repurposed on the exterior façade as well.
In order to contribute to the new energy happening on the streets below, the firm placed the main amenity level above the seven-story garage, with close to 500 parking spaces. On the building’s eighth floor, a series of interior and exterior amenity spaces, including a south-facing indoor spa and pool, a two-story exterior lanai with a wrapping wet deck and an infinity pool, and a cantilevered “floating sundeck” with outdoor grilling stations, blend together and provide sweeping city views on all sides.
Additional gathering spaces—the club, entertainment kitchen, and quiet lounges—are located in other areas of the building and feature modern lighting, furnishings, and details that nod to local themes.
Two Light’s 296 residential units range in size from 591 square feet to 1,558 square feet and are priced to rent from $1,550 to $5,525. The mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments, with 22 penthouse units on the top two floors, offers a variety of floor plans to potential tenants looking to live in Kansas City’s up-and-coming neighborhood. Inside, the apartments include quartz countertops, sleek white cabinetry, and tile bathrooms. Plus, floor-to-ceiling windows in every living room and bedroom fill the units with natural light, just like its sister building One Light.
Although the project took almost four years to complete, nearly all of the units had been leased one year after completion, proving the market was ripe for its launch and providing a solid framework for the next planned high-rise in Kansas City.
