Back in October when Hurricane Sandy hit NYC, the construction crane at One57 partially collapsed, triggering an emergency evacuation of the neighborhood. Since then, the dangling boom arm of the crane has been removed and construction has resumed. A lawsuit is now on file with the clerk’s office and it is too early to tell who or what was exactly responsible for the accident. The city claims to have had sent inspectors to ensure the crane was properly secured prior to the storms landfall. Extell, the building’s developers claims no responsibility, and Bovis Lend Lease will likely try to pass their culpability onto the crane company.
Here, we take a closer look at the building behind all the controversy.
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RELATED: The Best #HurricaneSandy Photos On Instagram
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Back in October when Hurricane Sandy hit NYC, the construction crane at One57 partially collapsed, triggering an emergency evacuation of the neighborhood. Since then, the dangling boom arm of the crane has been removed and construction has resumed. A lawsuit is now on file with the clerk’s office and it is too early to tell who or what was exactly responsible for the accident. The city claims to have had sent inspectors to ensure the crane was properly secured prior to the storms landfall. Extell, the building’s developers claims no responsibility, and Bovis Lend Lease will likely try to pass their culpability onto the crane company.
Here, we take a closer look at the building behind all the controversy.
RELATED: 25 Shocking Photos of NYC Underwater
RELATED: The Best #HurricaneSandy Photos On Instagram
LIKE COMPLEX CITY GUIDE ON FACEBOOK
The Tallest Residential Building in NYC
The tower officially topped out on June 20, 2012, two and a half years after construction began, and now stands at 1004 feet. It is currently the tallest residential building in the city, taking the title from Gehry and Partners’ pleated tower on Spruce and Beekman. Upon completion it will have 135 residential apartments on top and a 210 unit hotel run by Hyatt on the lower floors.
Size Isn't The Only Thing That Matters
Designed by the famed Pritzker Prize winning architect Christian de Portzamparc, it is the second building by Frenchman in New York City, the first being the Louis Vuitton tower further east on 57th street.
While the LMVH tower received numerous accolades from critics for its refined elegance, and was even stated to be the “best new building in New York” by the late Ada Louise Huxtable, his newer building at 157 West 57th is clearly less inspirational. Designed for international billionaires, the prized clients of Extell’s vast real estate empire, the building seems rather one dimensional, only striving for status by the virtue of height.
Will Buyer's Remorse Set In?
Interestingly, Portzamparc has also teamed up with the developers Sam Zell and Toll Brothers for another mixed residential building, and this time again it seems to have the stylings that earned him his Pritzker. And only two blocks north on Park from Portzamparc’s third NYC tower will soon also be the new tallest residential building in New York at 432 Park Avenue. With these two newer (and better) neighbors, one must wonder if the residents who were too quick to buy into One57 will be feeling some buyer’s remorse anytime soon.