So speaking of steel and complicated tie-ins... there are now some ginormous columns marking the eastern edge of the building, along Vanderbilt Ave. opposite Grand Central. Notice the angled joints at the top. The installation of these was documented in a
series of YouTube videos by GaddahRa yesterday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYbf_TFDAkF/
The components of those columns were 20-40 tons each.
There are what appear to be footings waiting to accept similar columns along the south side, here (looks like from the renderings the south wall of the building is going to be pretty close to 42nd St.):
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYbgGj2jhm3/
At the western side (Madison Avenue), at the northwest corner, there's a column marked 23.5 tons that would appear to line up with the northeastern column along Vanderbilt (just in front of the "No Smoking" sign):
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYbgQ7WjXzj/
My question is, why wouldn't the size of that column (at the left side of the photo) be of a similar size to what's at the northeast corner (seems less than half the mass)? Unless... some larger ones are destined to be installed along that western wall. Also -- it's hard to see exactly where similarly sized columns along the northern wall will go. Gotta be accounted for there somewhere!
That shot also shows the red base of the second tower crane being assembled, with the components still being in several locations around the site.