NEW YORK | Bank Of America Tower | 1,200' Pinnacle / 945' Roof | 53 FLOORS

[aluminum]

One question: Are they ever going to complete that crown ???


I'm tired of looking at those ugly sheets of white cloth...

[Dac150]

I'm tired of looking at those ugly sheets of white cloth...


Who isn't? They're working on it..:rolleyes:

[andydie]

any idea when they fix the broken windows from that accident quiet a while ago? Those wooden pannels look :yuck:

[Fabb]

Who isn't? They're working on it..:rolleyes:

Are they ?
I have the impression that most of the work is being done inside the tower.

[nygirl1]

My Brother is a local 3 electrician on the site and he says its mostly internal work at the moment.

[Gulcrapek]

They're filling in the crown facade west to east. The sheets are going on a long vacation.

[antinimby]

Gul, how come your handle is green while everyone else's is blue?

[Dac150]

Are they ?
I have the impression that most of the work is being done inside the tower.

Obviously most of the work-force is being slated to work on the interior, but regardless progress is being made on the crown, even though is appears slow. Point is there is more cladding on the crown today then there was a month ago.

[antinimby]

^ Progress measured on a monthly basis. :haha:

[Dac150]

^ Progress measured on a monthly basis. :haha:

yeah, pretty much.:yes: Atleast that's how it looks.

[NYC4Life]

As long as it isn't measured in years like Duffy Square, then that is fine with me ;)

[NYguy]

curbed.com

Construction Watch: Continued Delays at BofA Tower

http://curbed.com/uploads/2008_7_bofacarpet.jpg

Because these guys have a parade to watch! But can you blame them? That is a pretty sweet view.

[NYC4Life]

Better to be delayed over a once in a lifetime parade over some fools climbing buildings :rolleyes:

[NYC2ATX]

lmfao those dumbasses at curbed. :haha:

[scalziand]

I love the curbed arrows.:jester:

[Islander]

What are you guys talking about? The arrows were very helpful. How is it possible to tell which people are standing on the street and which are standing on the scaffolding fifteen feet above the street without the arrows telling you? Exactly... it isn't.

[NYC4Life]

The fact the color of the arrows is the same as the "Red" carpet is no surprise. I guess curbed.com tried hard to "curbe" attention from the actual All-Star parade to the construction workers viewing it :rolleyes:

[NYguy]

lmfao those dumbasses at curbed. :haha:

For those of you that don't know, everything at curbed.com is done in humor. Obviously they were joking about the "delay".

[NYguy]

JULY 17, 2008

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/100340873/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/100340897/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/100340873/original.jpg

[pattali]

Thank you so much for this sharing Nyguy !

Glad to see the final crown's cladding , really beautiful and elegant tower :yes:

[Zerton]

Anyone know why the wind tower was scrapped?

[Lecom]

Anyone know why the wind tower was scrapped?

Wind patterns in the neighborhood are insufficient to make the turbine viable.

[neverdone]

What is the nearby building with the spire and braced steel cube on it's roof?

[antinimby]

Why? Do you like it?

[NYC4Life]

What is the nearby building with the spire and braced steel cube on it's roof?


That is 1095 Avenue Of The Americas

[neverdone]

http://www.emkayusa.com/misc/boa01.jpg

I do like it, the building is on the left in this picture. NYC4Life, I don't think I was specific enough.

[Dac150]

^^The building is 4 Times Square (aka. Conde Nast)

[pattali]

What is the nearby building with the spire and braced steel cube on it's roof?

Sure it's Conde Nast Building

[neverdone]

It is hard to tell from the first few photos, were any caissons driven at the 80ft hole depth? Maybe just for the taller portion and not the podium? Was a mat/pad poured?

[CoolCzech]

JULY 17, 2008

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/100340873/original.jpg

FINALLY! I thought they would never get around to finishing the damned thing...

[CoolCzech]

Why? Do you like it?


You know, I never cared for the Conde Naste, but I've seen so much of it in pictures and in person lately that the thing has grown on me... yeah, I think I do like it, actually.

[NYC2ATX]

This tower is looking fantastic from New Jersey, right when you come out of the Lincoln Tunnel. I am blown away.

....and did anyone check out the subway entrance in front, on 6th and 42nd? That has to be the sickest thing EVERRRR. :banana:

[NYguy]

did anyone check out the subway entrance in front, on 6th and 42nd? That has to be the sickest thing EVERRRR. :banana:

Yeah, I've noticed it also. Nice addition.

[JACKinBeantown]

Haven't been there lately. I'll have to check it out.

[NYguy]

From pmarella (http://flickr.com/photos/pmarella/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/2708666851_24240c2843_o.jpg

[CoolCzech]

That's an excellent view, NYguy... it really gives a good idea of the relative sizes of the towers. I'm particularly impressed to see how the tip of the
BofA tower's roof is in line with the base of the ESB's mast. I guess the BofA really is tall, isn't it?

[philvia]

lol not quite. just in that pic.

[CoolCzech]

lol not quite. just in that pic.


Well, it IS a more realistic view than some that show the BofA ridiculously short in comparison to the ESB...

[NYC4Life]

Bank of America's highest roof at 944 feet, is lower than the Empire State Building's highest floor which is at 1,224 feet. The top of BOA's Spire is 1,200'. Only from that perspective looking south does BOA appear taller.

[NYguy]

^ I don't think that he means it looks taller than the ESB, but that it's taller than it appears from some angles. These aerials are a good indication of the heights of both towers in relation to the surrounding buildings...

From jenniferrt66 (http://flickr.com/photos/roadtripmemories/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/2560798989_92ca802faa_o.jpg


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/2561622356_039103e354_o.jpg


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/2560799259_cc7631edc2_o.jpg

[America 117]

they still havent finished the crown yet.

[CoolCzech]

they still havent finished the crown yet.

Yeah, that's getting to be really annoying. At this rate, the ESB would have been finished sometimes around 1970 or so...

[NYguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/nyregion/05bryant.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

Bryant Park Braces for a Tidal Wave of Traffic


By GLENN COLLINS
June 5, 2008

Bryant Park in Midtown may soon confront a fate that only Yogi Berra could have described: It will be so crowded, nobody will go there anymore.

The most immediate new threat looms to the north: the $1 billion Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, a beveled 54-story, 2.1 million-square-foot office building on the northwest corner of Avenue of the Americas and 42nd Street. Several hundred workers have moved in already, and full occupancy of more than 10,000 people is expected by next winter.

Bank or no bank, the park would still be crowded...

From jonoliver (http://flickr.com/photos/jonoliver/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2715041574_880ae2b226_o.jpg

[NYguy]

From liz.b. (http://flickr.com/photos/liz01/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/2714008715_271558d41b_b.jpg


From klr68 (http://flickr.com/photos/klr68/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2712894592_7db9cf741e_b.jpg

[NYC4Life]

The Tower just adds to what already is an incredibly dense skyline of Mdtown.

[CoolCzech]

Bank or no bank, the park would still be crowded...

From jonoliver (http://flickr.com/photos/jonoliver/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2715041574_880ae2b226_o.jpg

It's not usually that crowded at all... this was for a concert. Usually it's fine.

[NYguy]

It's not usually that crowded at all... this was for a concert. Usually it's fine.

Most days I go through there ( I like to cut behind the library) it's usually crowded, but it's no big deal. It's New York, of course it's crowded.

[NYguy]

The Tower just adds to what already is an incredibly dense skyline of Mdtown.

If not for the spire, it would almost be lost in the Midtown mass.

[drew11]

From pmarella (http://flickr.com/photos/pmarella/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/2708666851_24240c2843_o.jpg

^^^ My new background, that is an amazing picture.

[Apex]

Is it just me, or does it seem like, height aside, this building would function better aesthetically without the spire?

[NYguy]

Is it just me, or does it seem like, height aside, this building would function better aesthetically without the spire?

For me, it would be just a little too bulky, (its bulky now). The spire somehow elongates it.

[aluminum]

Is it just me, or does it seem like, height aside, this building would function better aesthetically without the spire?

Agree, unless they light up the spire during night time just like all those spires in Hong Kong.

[NYC4Life]

For me, it would be just a little too bulky, (its bulky now). The spire somehow elongates it.

Same with the Times Tower. The Spire keeps it balanced.

[Dalton]

I'm generally not a fan of spires, but I really like the well-proportioned spire on this tower. This one is pleasingly proportioned in both height and girth for this building, and it creates a nice grouping of spired towers crowned by the inimitable Empire State Building's. In contrast, look how awful the NYT Tower's puny spire looks.

What the midtown skyline needs now is two or three 1500+ footers. And by that, I mean roof height!

[NYC4Life]

There are the Madison Square Garden Twin Towers proposal. Each tower having a 'roof' height of 1,400 feet. The proposal at the Hudson Yards is still pending, but hopefully we'll see a 1400+ footer there too.

[Nowhereman1280]

This building definately is turning out better than I had expected, I still think the spire is a bit too tall/thin, making it look awkward and out of place...

[NYC4Life]

Like nyguy stated earlier, without the spire it would be lost in the mass that is Midtown.

[NYC4Life]

NYC may not be home to the tallest towers, but it sure makes up for it in the sheer number of towers that calls it home, and the vast density it creates. As Dac said, BOA is just an appetizer of what will come and the potentials that still lie ahead. Just wait and see how vastly different the skylines of both Midtown and Downtown will look like in 5 years time.

[koops65]

:previous: "NYC may not be home to the tallest towers, but it sure makes up for it in the sheer number of towers that calls it home, and the vast density it creates. As Dac said, BOA is just an appetizer of what will come and the potentials that still lie ahead. Just wait and see how vastly different the skylines of both Midtown and Downtown will look like in 5 years time."

I love the New York skyline, nothing else compares IMO, and BOFA certainly makes a great addition, but really, adding 50 skyscrapers to a city with 3 or 4 hundred of them will not VASTLY change things...

[KingKrunch]

Streets Closed After Glass Panel Falls 52 Stories

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/streets-closed-after-glass-panel-falls-52-stories/

By Sewell Chan

Updated, 1:15 p.m. | The authorities cordoned off the area around 42nd Street and the Avenue of the Americas, in the heart of Midtown, on Tuesday morning after a glass panel fell from the Bank of America building under construction at the northwest corner of the intersection. At 10:32 a.m., the panel suddenly came loose, flew through the air across 42nd Street, and fell onto a pedestrian sidewalk bridge outside the former Verizon Building, under renovation at the southwest corner. The panel shattered, sending shards of glass raining onto the sidewalk.

One person had minor injuries and was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center, the Fire Department said.

A person who was briefed on the situation said the glass panel was being fitted around the 52nd floor of the 54-story Bank of America Tower, at One Bryant Park, as an architectural feature. The former Verizon building, which stands to the south across 42nd Street, at 1095 Avenue of the Americas, was recently refitted with a new glass exterior, but the sidewalk shed was still standing because of some remaining construction work.

The intersection has been the site of several accidents in recent months.

Last October, a bathtub-size steel bucket toppled from the roof of the Bank of America tower, banging along the side of the building and trailing a shower of glass and metal as it crashed to the street 53 stories below. Eight people were injured.

In April, a large piece of a 4-by-8-foot panel of glass fell from a window on the 27th floor of the old Verizon Building, hit an elevated sidewalk bridge below and smashed into the van of a Con Edison technician, Nick Cianciotta. Shards of the 300-pound quarter-inch-thick panel sprayed as far as 100 feet away. Passers-by were startled, including several people walking under the shed that runs the length of the block across from Bryant Park. No one was injured.

Designed by the architects Cook+Fox, the Bank of America tower is intended to be environmentally sensitive. Workers broke ground on the tower in August 2004.

Officials from Tishman Construction, which is managing both the construction of the Bank of America tower and the renovation of the old Verizon Building, were meeting with the city’s acting buildings commissioner, Robert D. LiMandri, on Tuesday afternoon.

“At this point the cause is undetermined and we are reviewing all procedures with the department of buildings,” said Richard Kielar, a spokesman for Tishman.

Tishman oversees the contractors at the site, one of which was the facade installation contractor. The contractor’s name was not immediately available.

The object that fell is called a facade panel, which is made of glass enclosed by a metal frame. It is used to cover the facade of the building, some of which encloses the building’s floors and some which rises above the floors and soars up from the building’s roof.

The panels can be of different sizes. Buildings Department officials and Mr. Keilar said the size and weight of the panel that fell were not immediately available.

“It is still ongoing,” Kate Lindquist, a spokeswoman for the Buildings Department, said of the investigation. “Inspectors and engineers are on scene for any safety violations and are conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident.”

[NYC4Life]

It's very fortunate no one was seriously injured. Not the first time something has come crashing down from the tower.

[Lecom]

Lucky for them that Verizon was undergoing renovations right across that street. If not for that scaffolding, I'd be very surprised if no one got killed at such a busy intersection.

[NYC2ATX]

ugh this is frustrating. I'm sure work will be stalled for a bit now. It's like watching your favorite team keep losing, or watching the hero in some movie or book keep getting stopped or pushed back by obstacles.

Just when you think everything is OK, ooops...

[Jularc]

by wyliepoon (http://flickr.com/photos/wyliepoon/2762143372/sizes/l/)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/2762143372_6aa34b611e_b.jpg

by wyliepoon (http://flickr.com/photos/wyliepoon/2762144208/sizes/l/)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/2762144208_5b7998ba2f_b.jpg

by wyliepoon (http://flickr.com/photos/wyliepoon/2761300033/sizes/l/)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/2761300033_ba90841ec5_b.jpg

[CoolCzech]

Is this building ever to, like... finish?

[Zerton]

Does anyone know why the top is taking so much longer than the rest? Is it basically done and it simply doesn't have glass?

[Dac150]

I don't know, but for some reason the slow completion of crowns seems to be the new trend. The same thing happened with the NYTT. It's almost there.

The only logical reason I can think of is that space in the crown is being used for mechanical equipment. Perhaps they need room to install it and will complete the rest of the facade afterwards?

[Dac150]

Just a side observation; it looks like the Verizon (1095) is completed and already occupied, though you can clearly see that some floors are still vacant.

[NYC4Life]

The building has had at least 2 construction accidents, the most recent about 2 weeks ago. To some degree or another, these might have had an effect on the crown's progress.

[pianowizard]

I was in Manhattan yesterday and walked by this building. It didn't look very tall, which didn't surprise me since the roof height is only 881 feet. Kind of disappointing.

[aluminum]

^ Its not just the roof height of 881' (which is certainly not very tall, if you ask me) , its also the onion like shape which makes it look short.

[Dac150]

It depends on what angle you look at the building from. On the corner of 42nd and 6th it appears more short and stubby, yet very large. When looking at it from the corner of 42nd and 5th, (IMO) it seems much more taller and a tad more slender.

Even when looking at it from Bryant Park near the Public Library it appears more taller. I think it's safe to say from more of a distance is appears taller, at least that's how I view it. I can agree that when looking at it straight up from 6th it appears shorter than it really is.

[SkyscraperJunky]

It depends on what angle you look at the building from. On the corner of 42nd and 6th it appears more short and stubby, yet very large. When looking at it from the corner of 42nd and 5th, (IMO) it seems much more taller and a tad more slender.

Is this the angel you mean? It really slims the tower, doesnt it.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2334/2088134600_df41c92e0f_b.jpg

[Dac150]

Well yes, from that angle the tower does appear to be more slim. However the angle I'm speaking of is at the corner of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. You can only see it if you were standing there looking up past 1114 6th (the white building in that picture).

[Nowhereman1280]

Is it just me or are there way more construction accidents in New York City than Chicago or similar large metros? It can't be due just to the fact there are more project in NY, because the difference isn't that huge. I can only remember two major accidents in Chicago this year, one a carpenter fell down and elevator shaft and died and the other a forum burst on MOMO and dumped some cement down on the street.

NY has had two crane collapses alone in the same period of time.

Any ideas as to why this is, or am I just seeing things and thinking there are more accidents in NY than Chicago when its really the same?

[Lecom]

August 2008, from work

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/9089/p1040512bofaucaug08tothbv3.jpg

[Dac150]

It makes a nice dent in the skyline. Something I'm noticing about the spire; any shorter and it wouldn't fit, and any taller and it wouldn't fit. I know the spire has earned some bad rap, but when looking at the building as a whole from that standpoint, among others, the building wouldn't be complete without it.

And as far as roof height goes it's a very respectable height at that. Ranks right up there with 30 Rock, Conde Nast, and you can even say 1251 6th as dents in the Western portion of the Midtown skyline (and of course NYTT).

All in all an attractive building that brings some new perspective to an area of Midtown that is dominated by 60's and 70's international architecture.

[Lecom]

Yep. it's an interesting building stuck halfway between being a thin tower piercing the skyline and a massive office hulk that dominates the street. I'm not sure how I feel about that duality, but it's certainly different and is an interesting approach to combining a landmark tower and an office slab money-maker.

[Zerton]

The façade kind of stunts it.

[Lecom]

Actually when you see it in person, the mundane office facade is what gives the building a surreal quality that couldn't be achieved with a more avant-garde facade. It's like seeing a boring office tower break and shift dimentsion in a manner you really wouldn't expect it to. This gives the tower a touch of deconstructivism more interesting than its deconstructivist massing.

[CoolCzech]

It makes a nice dent in the skyline. Something I'm noticing about the spire; any shorter and it wouldn't fit, and any taller and it wouldn't fit. I know the spire has earned some bad rap, but when looking at the building as a whole from that standpoint, among others, the building wouldn't be complete without it.



A nice spire adds spice to a building and to the entire skyline. NY isn't like most cities, where even a 600 or even 500 footer can standout.

[aaron38]

Actually when you see it in person, the mundane office facade is what gives the building a surreal quality that couldn't be achieved with a more avant-garde facade. It's like seeing a boring office tower break and shift dimentsion in a manner you really wouldn't expect it to. This gives the tower a touch of deconstructivism more interesting than its deconstructivist massing.

I think I know what you mean. Only a portion of the fascade was done when I saw it last year, but I felt that the glass was stately, for lack of a better word. It was high quality, but not flashy, blending in well with surrounding office buildings.

That was an aspect that I liked. That if you were a pedestrian just walking, it doesn't stand out from the rest of the streetwall. But look up and there it goes.

[NYC4Life]

A nice spire adds spice to a building and to the entire skyline. NY isn't like most cities, where even a 600 or even 500 footer can standout.

Those building heights here in NY are lost in the shadows of taller towers.

[Dac150]

Those building heights here in NY are lost in the shadows of taller towers.

Exactly, as is BofA. It's amazing that even a building that closes in on 900' still has trouble making a dent in the skyline. From some perspectives BofA stands out, but in general it gets lost in the jungle.

It seems the only way for a generally tall tower to stand out in the Manhattan skyline is for it to be located in and around either the Hudson or East Rivers. That is the case for TWT, NYTT, and to a degree Citrgroup Center. But even at that where at tower might stand out on one side of the island, it's lost from sight from the other. BofA is close to the middle of the island.

[NYC4Life]

Even those towers in Lower Manhattan are hard to pinpoint in the skyline.

[3countriesplan]

I think this tower is one of the more disappointing new buildings in NYC for a long time. It has a low roof height and a huge spire on top. The distance from the roof to the tip of the spire is about 3/8 as high as the whole height of the building. They should have just built a dunce cap on top.

[aluminum]

^ :haha: Its not a very unnatural thing to hate that spire.

This is how it would look without the spire:

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/4495/withoutspirepv0.jpg

Not bad, huh ?

[[SP]Neo]

looks good with and without spire. you could get used to both options.

[Apex]

^^ Looks twice as good sans-spire, imho. :-\

[CGII]

Is it just me or are there way more construction accidents in New York City than Chicago or similar large metros? It can't be due just to the fact there are more project in NY, because the difference isn't that huge. I can only remember two major accidents in Chicago this year, one a carpenter fell down and elevator shaft and died and the other a forum burst on MOMO and dumped some cement down on the street.

NY has had two crane collapses alone in the same period of time.

Any ideas as to why this is, or am I just seeing things and thinking there are more accidents in NY than Chicago when its really the same?

1: NY has more new highrise construction going on right now than, I think, ever. as a result,

2: the DoB is absolutely swamped and cannot handle all inspecting/enforcing safety violations.

[NYC4Life]

1: NY has more new highrise construction going on right now than, I think, ever. as a result,

2: the DoB is absolutely swamped and cannot handle all inspecting/enforcing safety violations.

3. Many inspectors are inexperienced or not certified.

4. Worldwide Crane shortage may contribute to more accidents.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ I would have supposed that was the main cause, but NY only has about 3x's as much activity as Chicago and 5x's as many buildings as Chicago, so as a percentage, you'd think both cities would be equally swamped. I wonder if anyone has the actual stats on total construction accidents in major cities world wide. It would be interesting to see Chi, NY, London, Dubai, HK, and the other major cities in comparison...

Not to provoke, but if there really are such bureaucratic problems in NY, I have a feeling that Daley would never let such things fly in Chicago...

[NYRY85]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2810552725_0895ca4963_b.jpg

http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6294&d=1220243795

http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6295&d=1220244196

[lakegz]

i really like that sliver of lighting they're putting on. nice touch

[Dac150]

Very nice lighting effect. It's the building's night signature lighting, like Chrysler and the ESB.

[laro3]

nicely done ny....

[NYC2ATX]

OMG did not expect that. I'm so excited now!

[NYC4Life]

A nice spark to the Midtown skyline.

[Trojan in NYC]

Didn't know it was going to have special lighting at night. Nice addition!

[Scruffy]

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z70/Scruffy66/saya/DSC05041.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z70/Scruffy66/saya/DSC05033.jpg

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