| Bloomberg Tower | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Offices / residential |
| Location | 731 Lexington Avenue New York, New York |
| Completed | 2004 |
| Management | Vornado Realty Trust |
| Height | |
| Roof | 2,644 ft (806 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 55 |
| Floor area | 1,400,000 sq ft (130,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | César Pelli & Associates |
| Developer | Vornado Realty Trust |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti |
| References | |
| [1][2] | |
Bloomberg Tower is a 1,400,000 sq ft (130,000 m2) glass skyscraper on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It houses the headquarters of Bloomberg L.P., retail outlets, restaurants and 105 luxury condominiums. The residences are known as One Beacon Court and are served by a separate entrance.[1] The tower is the 15th tallest building in New York City and the 46th tallest in the United States. It stands at 55 stories tall, reaching 2,644 ft (806 m).[3][4]
Located at 731 Lexington Avenue, the building occupies the same block where Alexander's department store once stood. It opened in 2004.[1]
Construction and design
editConstruction on Bloomberg Tower began in 2001, three years after the vacant Alexander's department store was demolished.[1] The building was developed by Vornado Realty Trust and César Pelli & Associates served as the design architect.[2]
The building comprises a full city block between Lexington and Third avenues and 58th and 59th streets. The complex features two towers constructed above a steel office and retail section, separated by a seven-story atrium.[2] The design of the courtyard at One Beacon Court, which connects 58th and 59th streets, was inspired by other historic New York enclosures, like Grand Central Station, the reading room of the New York Public Library and the skating rink at Rockefeller Center. Glass walls curve around the perimeter of the courtyard, tilting slightly inward as they rise.[5]
Tenants
editBloomberg L.P., seeking to consolidate its operations into one space, negotiated a deal with Vornado Realty Trust to lease 700,000 sq ft (65,000 m2) of office space at the base of the tower, even though One Beacon Court was originally intended to be a residential building. As part of the deal, Bloomberg was able to design the office to suit the company's needs, which included space for rows of uniform desks for approximately 4,000 employees and a large central atrium known as the Link that overlooks the courtyard.[6] Paul Goldberger in the Aug. 6, 2007 issue of New Yorker magazine, lauded the Bloomberg offices as "a newsroom truly designed for the electronic age ... a dazzling work environment tucked inside a refined but conventional skyscraper."[7] By 2011, Bloomberg L.P. added another 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) of office space at 731 Lexington Avenue and announced plans to expand to an additional 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m2) in the former Philip Morris building at 120 Park Avenue.[8]
Primary retail tenants include the first large national chains to open stores in the neighborhood, namely The Home Depot, H&M and The Container Store.[1] The tower is also home to Sirio Maccioni's Le Cirque restaurant which moved from The New York Palace Hotel in 2006.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Gregor, Alison (24 May 2006). "A Tower Goes Up, and a Neighborhood Perks Up". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ a b c "Top Projects Completed 2003-2004". McGraw Hill Construction. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ Nash, Eric Peter., and Norman McGrath. Manhattan Skyscrapers. New York: Princeton Architectural, 2005. Print.
- ^ Barbanel, Josh (3 April 2009). "Luxe but Logy". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ Davidson, Justin (22 March 2005). "Where the sky is no limit". Newsday. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
The tower itself has a more regular rhythm, the beat of each story accented by a floor-level white metal band that sticks out all the way around. At the 30th floor, where the tower turns residential and the ceiling heights shrink, the bands come closer together, as if the drummer had picked up the pace, accelerating into the diffuse white glow of the crown.
- ^ Gregor, Alison (23 April 2006). "SQUARE FEET: INTERVIEW -- WITH BARRY M. GOSIN; Trained in Manhattan, Graduating to the World". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
- ^ Goldberger, Paul (6 August 2007). "Towers of Babble". The New Yorker. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
- ^ Bagli, Charles V. (9 February 2011). "Growing Bloomberg L.P. To Rent Half of a Tower". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ Bruni, Frank (6 February 2008). "In Defense of Decadence". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2011.