Unfurling a banner reading “global warming kills more people than a 9/11 every week,” daredevil climber Alain Robert ascended the 52-story New York Times Tower on 8th Avenue yesterday and was arrested upon reaching the top. Robert later claimed that he chose the tower for his climb because of its green features; the stunt was performed on the United Nations’ World Environment Day.
June 6th, 2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | ContinuedNorman Foster
Excavation Complete, Silverstein Prepares to Break Ground at Gold Greenwich Towers
After completing excavation at 4 World Trade Center a month ago, the Port Authority on Wednesday finished excavation and foundation work at 3 World Trade Center. Respectively, the sites will be home to Fumihiko Maki’s 64-story, 975-foot minimalist 150 Greenwich Street and Richard Rogers’ 71-story, 1,147-foot 175 Greenwich Street. The Port Authority performed the work pursuant to the agreement that it entered into with Larry Silverstein back in 2006 (whereby Mr. Silverstein turned over the development of the Freedom Tower and Tower 5- the LEED Platinum Beer Belly Building- to the Port Authority in exchange for the right to build a trio of Greenwich Street towers). The Port Authority has now turned the sites back over to Mr. Silverstein after collectively excavating 400,000 tons of concrete, soil, and rock, as well as constructing an 80-foot deep foundation with 240 streel tiebacks.
February 22nd, 2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
LEED Gold Greenwich Street Towers to Break Ground at WTC in Early 2008
Silverstein Properties held a press conference last Thursday at its LEED Gold 7 World Trade Center to unveil updated architectural plans for neighboring Towers 2, 3, and 4 that will soon rise along Greenwich Street. Given today’s sixth anniversary of September 11, I thought it was appropriate to recognize these new buildings once again- all [...]
September 11th, 2007 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
Lord Foster on the UES: Will New Residential Tower Also Go Green?
Fresh on the heels of the official opening of his Hearst Tower, Lord Foster’s design for a new Upper East Side residential building appeared today in the New York Times. (Image to the right is a rendering of the structure provided to the Times by Foster and Partners). Times’ architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff says that [...]
October 10th, 2006 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
Some Thoughts on LEED in the Aftermath of the Hearst Presentation
One common criticism of the LEED system is that it doesn’t recognize design excellence. A LEED Gold building could be a hideous box that nobody in his or her right mind would want to work or live in. I think that’s why Lord Foster’s Hearst Tower succeeds- it’s a piece of great, iconic architecture that [...]
September 26th, 2006 | Stephen Del Percio | 1 comment | Continued
Hearst Tower Officially Receives LEED Gold Rating
I had the good fortune of attending last Thursday night’s ceremony at the Hearst Tower where Rick Fedrizzi, President of USGBC (who was in town for the Clinton Global Initiative meeting) presented the Hearst Corporation with a plaque honoring the Tower for achieving LEED Gold certification. Afterwards, members of the design team held a panel [...]
September 25th, 2006 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
A Green Tower in Moscow
Thanks to Manola Carter for this link to an article about Foster and Partners’ new tower for CTT Group in Moscow.
The mixed-use project - incorporating apartments, hotel, office and leisure space - will have an ‘energy cycle’ that will help promote sustainable design globally.
As rendered, the building reminds me of the Freedom Tower, negotiations over [...]