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  #61  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 2:23 PM
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http://observer.com/2012/10/foster-p...ndmark-for-ll/

Foster + Partners Wins 425 Park Sweepstakes, Creating New Midtown Landmark for L&L


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October 3, 2012
By Matt Chaban

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Who needs the Midtown East Rezoning to transform the area when you have intrepid developers and unlikely circumstances? O.K., so both of those are super-rare, so bring on the rezoning,

In the meantime, though, we can occupy ourselves with David Levinson’s daring plan to tear down 75 percent of 425 Park Avenue and replace it with a dynamic new tower by Lord Norman Foster. Foster + Partners have emerged victorious from a competition Mr. Levinson’s L&L Holdings held over the past few months between some of the world’s most high-profile designers. The British Pritzker Prize winner beat out fellow starchitects Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid and Richard Rogers (no Americans, unfortunately).“We are grateful to each of the firms for the thoughtfulness and creativity they demonstrated throughout the process,” Mr. Levinson said in a release. “There is no doubt that each group was fully capable of helping us realize our vision of a 425 Park Avenue tower that redefines the modern office environment while also respecting and enhancing the timeless allure of the Plaza district.”

The project poses an unusual challenge. Because the existing 32-story building was built in 1957, it is larger than current zoning (created in 1961) allows. Were Mr. Levinson to demolish the entire building, he would be forced to replace it with a smaller structure. But his clever real estate attorneys have determined that they could retain the base of the building, building a replacement up from there, and, through some zoning wizardry, maintain the new building at the current one size, 650,000 square feet.

The design by Foster + Partners is interesting in part because it looks somewhat like a midcentury office tower in the Seagrams/425 Park vein, except that it has been judo-chopped in two spots and is now held up by giant trusses. This not only breaks up the scale of what would likely be a massive building but also creates two terraces, an increasingly popular amenity in office towers. On the street, a rendering shows a vast plaza, providing much-needed open space (even if there is a building overhanging it) in the heart of Midtown.

Should the Midtown East Rezoning be approved, it would allow Mr. Levinson to potentially build a tower 50 percent bigger than what he already can do, but he would have to wait until 2018 to do so, because of a special provision in the rezoning to protect the development of projects at Hudson Yards and the World Trade Center, where millions more square feet of office space is already poised to come online.

Lord Foster is best known for his pioneering work on what became known in the 1970s and ’80s, when he began to build serious projects such as the Pompidou Center and HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, as high-tech or high modern architecture. In New York, he has built the new Hearst Building and the Sperrone Westwater Gallery on the Bowery as well as designing 2 World Trade Center, the second tallest building on the site that is indefinitely stalled at the moment.

For those eager to get a look at all of Foster + Partner’s designs for 425 Park, as well as the three losing proposals, they will be on display Oct. 18 and 19 as part of the Municipal Art Society’s annual MAS Summit, to be held at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

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Last edited by NYguy; Oct 3, 2012 at 2:36 PM.
     
     
  #62  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 2:49 PM
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Enlarged the base to get a better look at what's going on here...


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  #63  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 2:55 PM
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Looks very elegant.
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  #64  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 3:11 PM
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Not many skyscrapers were built in NYC during the 50's. Re-cladding or refitting almost any of them won't get complaints from me, that's for sure.
     
     
  #65  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 3:40 PM
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Yes, I like it.
     
     
  #66  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 4:05 PM
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It's still in conceptual stages, and will be refined to fit whatever gets built...


http://archinect.com/firms/release/4...attan/58542132

Foster + Partners to Design 425 Park Avenue Tower in Manhattan

October 3, 2012

Quote:
A partnership among L&L Holding Company and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LBHI), today announced the selection of Foster + Partners, led by Pritzker Prize winning architect Lord Norman Foster, to design an iconic 650,000 square foot office tower to be constructed to L.E.E.D. sustainability standards at 425 Park Avenue in the famed Plaza District of Manhattan. The firm will work with the partnership to create an enduring landmark that befits its exclusive location yet is also of its current time and place.

Mr. Levinson added, “We are looking forward to beginning a process in which we translate Foster’s brilliant concept into a modern tower which offers its inhabitants the most functional and environmentally-sustainable work environment imaginable while also addressing the public realm in a way that hasn’t been accomplished in many years.”


Foster + Partners Design Concept

Located in the heart of New York’s famed Plaza District, 425 Park Avenue will be the first full-block office development on this historic stretch in nearly half a century. The tower will be situated along Park Avenue’s double-wide boulevard with its attractive green medians, modern art exhibits and broad sidewalks. The district is also recognized as an epicenter of architectural excellence, as exemplified by the nearby Seagram Building and Lever House, which are two of only five structures in New York City to have won the AIA’s esteemed “25 Year Award.”

Foster + Partners views the project as an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the existing character of Park Avenue while also responding to the scale and datum of the boulevard and neighboring buildings. Clearly expressing the geometry of its structure, Foster + Partners’ conceptual design features a tapered steel-frame tower rising to meet three illuminated shear walls, adding to the vibrant New York City skyline. The conceptual design also calls for an elegant façade that seamlessly integrates with the innovative internal arrangement that allows for three gradated tiers of column-free floors.

Offering world-class sustainable office accommodation, Foster + Partners envisions a new tower that anticipates changing needs in the workplace with large, open spaces that encompass flexible use. Each of the three tiers – low, medium and high-rise – is defined by a landscaped terrace that would provide excellent amenity for tenants and offer panoramic views across Manhattan and Central Park. At street level, the conceptual design for 425 Park Avenue gives as much to the city as to the people that will work in it with the potential for a large civic plaza marked by significant works of art.

Lord Foster said, “I have a personal connection with New York, which has been a source of inspiration since my time at Yale, when the new towers on Park Avenue and its neighbourhoods were a magnet for every young architect. Seeing first-hand the works of Mies van der Rohe, Gordon Bunshaft, Eero Saarinen and Philip Johnson was tremendously exciting then – I am delighted to have this very special opportunity to design a contemporary tower to stand alongside them. Our aim is to create an exceptional building, both of its time and timeless, as well as being respectful of this context – a tower that is for the city and for the people that will work in it, setting a new standard for office design and providing an enduring landmark that befits its world-famous location.”

The conceptual design will serve as the framework for a two-year collaborative process with L&L Holding’s project team to create a fully formed architectural and construction plan for the 425 Park Avenue tower. L&L Holding anticipates the start of construction in 2015 with the new 425 Park Avenue tower to be completed by the end of 2017.
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  #67  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 4:47 PM
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I like it !!! but only 211,59 meters or 687 foots ,I thought in a supertall !!! but its ok !!
     
     
  #68  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 4:56 PM
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Another excellent building for New York City .
     
     
  #69  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 5:15 PM
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I like this design

I think it is not only elegant, but very respectful of its surroundings on Park Avenue. If the final design resembles this render and they use top-quality cladding, this will be a gem.
     
     
  #70  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2012, 10:12 PM
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Nice! WTG Foster!

It looks like they created double height floors in the base, so they could leave the steel in place as required, but still use the air rights to make a taller building.
     
     
  #71  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2012, 2:31 AM
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So is it perfectly possible that the final design will be a supertall? I'm a bit confused as to the "not final" part of this project!!!
     
     
  #72  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2012, 3:25 AM
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I'm not sure the eastern side of the building will be that fancy. But it's only conceptional renderings for now.



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Originally Posted by patriotizzy View Post
So is it perfectly possible that the final design will be a supertall? I'm a bit confused as to the "not final" part of this project!!!
No supertall here, but the design is not final and could be changed.

Last edited by NYguy; Oct 4, 2012 at 10:45 AM.
     
     
  #73  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2012, 5:13 AM
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The influence from his work on the PABT tower is pretty clear.
     
     
  #74  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2012, 5:23 AM
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It looks ok I guess. I hate the external elevator shaft. I'll always blame the Inland Steel building for this disgusting feature of too many buildings.
     
     
  #75  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2012, 6:18 AM
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I happen to find it stunning. Very New York, and very Park Avenue-worthy This and 432 will form a wonderful gateway to a legendary office corridor and famous image of this city.
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  #76  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2012, 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by patriotizzy View Post
So is it perfectly possible that the final design will be a supertall? I'm a bit confused as to the "not final" part of this project!!!
I never expected a supertall here, but a new and exciting landmark tower that will join the ranks of Seagram and Lever House as icons of Park Avenue.
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  #77  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2012, 5:42 PM
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I really hope they stick as close to this design as possible. The top fins, exterior foliage and X-bracing at the setbacks are game-winners. And if I'm not mistaken, potentially 687' (citing eenyc's post) in this location is going to make it prominent.
     
     
  #78  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2012, 8:12 PM
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It will not be prominent. Even the Chrysler is nearly lost at this point, due to the Midtown Plateau. Rock Center, Bloomberg, MetLife, and Citigroup are all in the 800-900' range but more importantly, maintain almost all of their bulk until their roofs. This will not stand out, at all, especially with 432 Park rising next door.

I'm crossing my fingers that they'll wait til 2018. Better yet, they could be done with the re-zoning now. I think that the cultural climates of neighborhoods are now distinct enough that a firm like Coach wouldn't want to be on Park versus the HY anyways. New media etc seems to prefer Midtown West & Downtown, and those are the businesses leasing space at the moment...
     
     
  #79  
Old Posted Oct 5, 2012, 12:12 AM
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The design sort of pays tribute to the late 50's / 60's international facades that make up the Midtown Park Avenue canyon, but with a modern twist. I'm attracted but not in love considering the design will more than likely be altered. Regardless, great concept and good fit!
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  #80  
Old Posted Oct 5, 2012, 12:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babybackribs2314 View Post
It will not be prominent. Even the Chrysler is nearly lost at this point, due to the Midtown Plateau. Rock Center, Bloomberg, MetLife, and Citigroup are all in the 800-900' range but more importantly, maintain almost all of their bulk until their roofs. This will not stand out, at all, especially with 432 Park rising next door.
The thing about this tower is that it's not meant to be a skyline changer, though if it pushes 800 ft it would stand out for its distinctive roof. 432 Park is rising on the block to the north, and if anything would pull more attention towards it. This tower is meant to be more of a moder icon like the Hearst Tower (imagine that, with Foster), joining greats like the Seagram a few blocks away. It will be notable for its design, the way the At&T (Sony) building was notable for its design. But besides all of that, the features of the building, meaning the experience for future tenants will also make this an attractive office tower.
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