The tower would have only been 697 feet until the developers bought Steinway Hall — a deal that allowed for the building’s height to double, but also gave the Landmarks Preservation Commission the final say.
The approval was a no brainer, members said.
“It represents the best of both worlds of new construction and design and historic preservation,” Commission Chairman Robert Tierney said Tuesday.
Fellow commissioner Fred Bland called the combo “daring and smart.”
— nydailynews.com
6 Comments
Yeah, but can I ride the elevator to the 100th floor in my car?
Seems like a daring game of Jenga
I really want to know how this thing is built. I love SHoP, pretty much love everything they've ever done and their whole approach to development and having a stake in each project. but based on my understanding of traditional building methods, this tower just looks wrong: too tall, too skinny, too fragile. I know they're not building it at risk of toppling over, so I really want to know how the frame is managed and what internal gymnastics and materials are in play to make it work?! Then the next question would be is that structural system expressed in any aesthetic way? Because I bet it's really cool.
Their website doesn't go into any more detail. Very curious.
Also terra cotta - heavy, craftsmanly, of fire and earth - seems a counter-intuitive material choice for a soaring facade. So many questions!!
I was thinking the same thing about the shape of this. Gives me vertigo just looking at it. Maybe the terracotts is more about performance than poetry though. The 8" thick masonry skin of the Empire State building out performs many glass facades on wind driven rain, to say nothing about solar heat gain, but who knows.
The fact they bought Steinway Hall to do this makes it a complete coup, and is a brilliant example of what can happen when architects and developers deliberately engage in the landmarks process. Because they got LPC approval, any planning or DOB comments are now irrelevant so they can build as big as they pretty much want.
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