Living in the World’s Thinnest Tower

They were about twelve people, they assembled the chairs and approached several tables of Brooklyn Diner, in the 888 Seven Avenue, there, in the square, started the meeting. Normally this type of meetings lasting hours, above all because they came and went different people (rarely started and ended the same public), but this was a very special occasion, twelve people began and ended close to thirty persons. Quite a show.

Many attendees remind that the weight was carried by three people, two came together, a russian named Nikolai and one spanish called Laura. They were hand in hand and were among the first to appear, were smiling and distracted until a third person appeared, another Spanish named Sandra, all a character. The Russian seemed excited to see to the architect, but her icy gaze made him diminish (figuratively, of course).

Someone was talking about a new construction that it is open toward the sky of Manhattan right across from them. It was the Central Park Tower (or tower Nordstorm, so named because its first seven plants will belong to the famous store), an impressive building that will reach the 472 meters, becoming the tallest building in the country and the Western hemisphere.

Then began the show, Sandra began to speak of a building recently finished, the 432 Park Avenue, telling architectural details with versatility and delicacy, but also with a terrible sense of cynicism, during the description said words as treason, neglect or cruelty. Astonished, the guests were between amazed and funny, only she could define a building in similar terms.

The Russian, who knew her, acknowledged the defiance of his old love, but his pride prevented him apologize, «au contrarie», he undertook, also it, an angry architectural symphony. He described another great New York icon, the One57, deliberately he composed a score with expressions such as «unfounded outburst», «understand the situations» or «succumb to hysteria».

Many began to understand what was happening there, including, of course, the companion of Nikolai. Laura had traveled to work in the reform of the station Penn, currently collaborated with the company of a Texan very particular, of name Ron, he appreciates her services and good tips. The quantity surveyor had managed to play her cards well and retained all her prestige, she started to be famous in the world of the construction.

She picked up the witness, and challenged to them present to think in a triangle, the figure geometric more perfect (with permission of the sphere), «a triangle loving between three materials different but complementary as the terracotta, the glass and the bronze«, said, looking blatantly to the angry architects, a hum toured the set of tables, when is made the silence, a voice anonymous snapped happily: «Continues, continues!», the laughter eased the tension, and Laura continued.

She pointed to the Southeast and continued: «To four minutes from here, in the following block, is building a building that will be a legend someday, a property of incredible proportions and with a story to tell. It’s the 111 West 57th, which will be the world’s thinnest skyscraper. Its base has only thirteen by eighteen meters and its height will be of 438 metres, what reveals a relationship high / wide of 24:1 not is wrong, eh?

The bold designers, Shop Architects, whose company was set up in 1996, have made the term take advantage of space take a new dimension. The designers will add to the original building of Steinway Hall designed by Warren & Wetmore in 1.925, the new residential tower whose silhouette staggered increases the effect of altitude, the promoters/builders are none other than the famous JDS Development Group, which began construction in the year 2014 and hope to finish it in the year 2.017. 

The Studio Sofield has been commissioned of the interior design, its work consisted of the development of 60 comfortable and elegant apartments, distributed over the 77 floors for residences of the 82 of the building. The owners will begin to sell real estate by 16 million dollars (14 of euros), and they expect that number exceeded the 100 million (88 of euros).

One of the promotional images locate in the infographic of the building to Cary Grant and Sophia Loren, in the original photo the actors were in Madrid, while they filmed Pride and Passion with Frank Sinatra (1957), another triangle, if not you have noticed – she said, winking the eye – as the our consisting of three materials with which I began my disquisition.

The facades East and West, combine stacks of terracotta, a material made by the cooking of clay, that is, possibly, the first element constructive created by the man. Its easy molding before of its cooking contrasts with its rigidity and strength after. The architects designed the pieces with a traditional image, which give the characteristic reddish in the vertical lines the sides of the building. 

Between the rows of terracotta, vertical filigrees of bronze escort the clay during the ascent, serving as decorative element at the same time allowing the passage of light to the Interior rooms. The bronze is an alloy of metal composed by copper and tin, the discovery of this metal is before to the formation of the iron, and represent a jump qualitative in the earthly life. 

The third in discord – said lifting the arms – it is the glass, uneven element to the other two, but that allows always the precious light of the sun, without it we could not enjoy the incredible views of Central Park when we buy one of the apartments of the 111 West 57th Street, if it is that we can afford the luxury, of course».

Always with joking and relaxed tone, she spoke of the engineering team responsible for the project (WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff), of how the promoters had recreated a module in small-scale of different facades, that in the building was working the independent highest crane of New York, and, of course, how much she would have liked to work in this complex.

In the end, some assistants tell us, the trio formed by the two spanish women and russian man parked their personal problems to enjoy an informal and endearing chat, that they enjoyed the architecture with an excessive eagerness, modifying some building systems, discovering errors, praising technological advances that allow the growth of our cities without fierce consumption of soil. They saw them go together, who knows where.

Disclosure: The characters that appear in this article, their different personalities and their relationships with each other and with the environment are part of a fiction. The author is not responsible for the views expressed in the article and has no business relationship with any of the companies listed on it.