Battle over Midtown’s Skyline
© Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
© Beyer Blinder Belle Architects
New York City’s Empire State Building has dominated its portion of Manhattan’s skyline ever since it was constructed back in 1931. Now, as Charles V. Bagli reported for the New York Times, a proposed tower just two avenues west on 34th Street across from Pennsylvania Station will be infringing on the Empire State Building as it is slated to rise 1,216 ft – almost reaching the Empire State Building’s 1,250 ft (with its antenna, the ESB measures 1,453 ft). So, it has become the battle of the skyscrapers as the new building claims it will benefit Manhattan by providing jobs and improve the quality of life for New Yorkers and the Empire State Building is worried about losing its iconic presence in the skyline.
The building in question is Vornado Realty Trust’s 15 Penn Plaza designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, which the City Planning Commission has already approved. The tower, which will replace the existing Hotel Pennsylvania, would be 56 percent larger than what would ordinarily be allowed to promote Manhattan’s high-density development. However, Community Board 5, whose district includes the area, does not approve stating that the developer had not provided a rationale for such a large zoning bonus, especially since it did not have a tenant and might not build for years, explained the Times.
Interestingly enough, both sides have produced renderings to support their views. While Vornado prefers the northern view which shows the towers occupying their own space in the skyline, the view of Midtown from New Jersey shows a different story as Penn Plaza completely blocks the Empire State Building.
Opinions vary strongly over this new building as some ask whether New York’s skyline of earlier years should remain unchanged, or whether we should forge ahead with new structures that could better the city. Councilman Daniel R. Garodnick told the Times, “The question here is: How close is too close to one of New York’s iconic landmarks.”
David R. Greenbaum, president of the New York office division of Vornado Realty Trust, remarked to the Times,“The fact is that New York’s skyline has never stopped changing, and one hopes it never will,” whereas Anthony Malkin, president of Malkin Properties wants Penn Plaza to be reduced to 825 ft claiming, “It’s all about the iconography of the New York skyline and whether it matters to people or not.”
please, tell me it’s a joke.
I’m all for new construction an evolution of architecture in Manhattan- if you won’t be building tall in midtown then where else? BUT this building is so uninspiring, so tasteless and so unoriginal it certainly is a destructive addition to the skyline. Pelli also built EXACTLY 2 of these in different sizes in Hong Kong. You get the opportunity to build a significant addition to msnhattan skyline and you blow it by cloning one of your former average designs from the early 90s? Just such a tragic end to a once inspiring career.
Apparently in NYC you cannot build anything two blocks from anything else.
It’s not really like that….if you look for “City Memory”, or Urban and historic patrimony Conservation you will find out why so many people are against it…
Very similar design to Two International Finance Centre (until recently the tallest building) in Hong Kong. It’s strange to see such a Chinese skyscraper design in an American city. I couldn’t care less about the nimby debate, that’s someone else’s problem, but I don’t think the design is very NYC
“The fact is that New York’s skyline has never stopped changing, and one hopes it never will,”
I dont like it when people talk about cities as if they are autonomous beings, beyond human control. It obscures the cultural and political realities that actually guide their development.
The truth is that we are in full control over what we want to do. Preserving a certain important view of Manhattan from New Jersey is not anymore forwards- or backwards-thinking than changing the skyline. What is backwards is thinking that certain urban decisions are inevitable, and that “progress” implies that certain planning decisions have already been made for us.
The view from NJ of the Empire State Building on the skyline right before you dive down into the Lincoln Tunnel is extremely powerful. I’m kind of in favor of keeping it that way.
The main fault in this argument is that it is an issue of quality, which is ultimately an issue of control. Community and city officials (who are really just a few people) have the heavy task of sculpting the identity of Manhattan, and they become defensive when landmarks have the potential to become obscured. However, Manhattan once had an aggressive metabolism and this type of growth would re-instate the fearless culture of congestion that created it. I am afraid to say that Manhattan has become an historical vision, a museum bound by curatorial codes with a preservationist sense of progress. A timeless, sympathetic tower may not have received such an adverse review.
In London, certain views of St Paul’s Cathedral are preserved from specific locations. It doesn’t inhibit growth and is just another constraint to deal with. Maybe New York could consider something similar for its key landmarks (there are quite a few though I guess.)
I also agree with the comments about quality, it does seem like a lacklustre copycat design.
it’s not bad, it reminds me of a sleeker nytimes building without the birds nest and spire. I agree with mikey about preserving viewing angles rather than entire skylines.
More is a bore.
I do not agree with the design intentions of this skyscraper. Why put it here when this area of New York is already overcrowed and congested. Someone needs to draw the line…Have we forgot about the values of society?
10:06 AM Aug 25th
Battle over Midtown’s Skyline: © Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects© Beyer Blinder Belle ArchitectsNew York City… http://tinyurl.com/243hxcw
10:06 AM Aug 25th
Battle over Midtown’s Skyline: © Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects© Beyer Blinder Belle ArchitectsNew York City’s Emp… http://bit.ly/9S2GSB
10:34 AM Aug 25th
Battle over Midtown’s Skyline: New York City’s Empire State Building has dominated its portion of Manhattan’s sky… http://bit.ly/bQXEZ2
10:36 AM Aug 25th
#Architekt #Calau Battle over Midtown’s Skyline: © Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects© Beyer Bl… http://bit.ly/9GAxAs #in http://dy.cx/c03
10:38 AM Aug 25th
Did Pelli Clark Arch copy this NYC tower design http://bit.ly/aY45zj from their SF Transbay Tower design? http://bit.ly/c3wpxl #cutandpaste
10:58 AM Aug 25th
#z: Battle over New York's midtown skyline #arch http://goo.gl/fb/pQaSO
12:48 PM Aug 25th
battle of the skyscrapers… icons, preservation, all good and fine but why so against progress? #architecture http://bit.ly/dbcnUn
1:04 PM Aug 25th
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5:35 PM Aug 25th
El nuevo amigo (o enemigo) del Empire State http://bit.ly/aY45zj
12:57 PM Dec 23rd
Reading: "Battle over Midtown’s Skyline | ArchDaily"( http://twitthis.com/zl7hmj )