Trouble For Gehry's Beekman Tower

I posted an article on the 18th of last month on Gehry's Beekman tower and how he had utilized his "Digital Project" software to ensure that the design would come in under budget. Unfortunately, it seems that even his magic software can't save the tower from effects of the economic meltdown in the country right now.

For the past week, rumors have continued to circulate that construction at the tower in the upper part of the Financial District is to be halted. The 76-story luxury rental building (with stores and a school in its base) had its signature steel facade delivered to the site at the beginning of the month with a lot of apparent activity seen around the area. So hearing that construction will be halted has taken everyone by surprise.

According to a spokesperson for developer Forest City Ratner, "Given the current economy, we are conducting a study to assess costs, risks and overall timing. Work is continuing on the building including on the school and we should have some conclusive answers shortly." Some of these assessments include having the building topout below its 36th floor and not the 40th.

Developers should really stop the horrid habit of chopping off projects halfway and leaving projects that they feel are products of a recession but are really monuments to their inefficiency. Didn't realize how much it would cost or have a contingency plan for if costs exceed the budget, which always happens anyway.




Image obtained from www.curbed.com

Gehry's Software Maintains Budget On New Projects

It seems that Frank Gehry has developed an interesting software called, "Digital Project" which he describes as a powerful tool for architects to help keep construction costs down. Though the software is really just getting public attention, it is not entirely new. Gehry first developed digital project in the early 90's and further refined it in 1997 when designing and specifying the titanium panels for the celebrated Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao.

With the crumbling economy now, the spotlight is on Gehry and Digital project as he uses it for his latest design, The new Beekman Tower, a $680 million, 904 unit and 76 storey building in New York set to topout mid 2010 and be a significant contribution to New York city's skyline. With the building’s distinctly bumpy silhouette, “the idea I was trying to achieve was a fabric, so it would catch the light,” Mr. Gehry said. Using the software, fabricators have been able to produced a facade for this tower with various textures at a price that Mr. Gehry says does not exceed what a developer would pay to build a conventional boxy building of similar dimensions.

The main point of this program is to model every component of the building in 3D, and allow engineers and contractors to resolve cost issues and work out how final duct placement will work with the building form before construction commences. According to Gehry, this has helped to avoid expensive work change orders, almost removing the need for architects to include an additional cost for "contingencies" which always come from construction errors helping keep projects within initial budget. Still, many other architects have reacted differently to the program. While acknowledging that the Gehry software is impressive, Carl Galioto of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, a firm that has designed many skyscrapers, says that it is very hard to learn and three or four times as expensive as a conventional modeling program which on average costs about $5,000.

This may be a good tool to have right now if Mr Gehry would be kind enough to simplify it a bit so that those of us who did not write the program might be able to use it. Still, I don't think that even his "Digital Project" can ensure that Gehry can develop a design that is guaranteed to be weather resistant which is a problem some of his latest projects have had.




Image obtained from: www.archinect.com and www.nytimes.com respectively
For more information, check: www.nytimes.com/2008/05/31/arts/design/31beek.html

Completion Of The Nakheel tower On Hold?

In October, I wrote a post about the 3,280 ft high tower in Dubai and how this project was set to be one of the tallest buildings in the world upon its previously projected topout in 2018. Now it seems that this date will have to be pushed back a year with a halt in construction as Dubai, the Middle East's business and entertainment capital feels the effects of the economic recession (Really?).

The decision to put this project on hold came as a leading credit rating company warned that falling real estate prices would probably hurt banks in Dubai and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates. Representatives of the developer said in a statement that "further work" on the tower's foundations will resume in 12 months though they failed to state just how much work has been done so far. "This is part of our readjustment of our immediate business plans to better reflect the current market trends and match supply with demand," the company said.

The tower named after Nakheel, a state-owned builder has been competing with the Burg Dubai, which is still under construction and has reached 780 meters, or 2,559 feet, and now has more than 160 stories. The final height though is still being kept a secret till its completion but for now, it look like the Burg Dubai is going to win the race.

I must confess that I'm a bit surprised that Dubai of all places that seemed to defy cost, detrimental effects on their ecosystem or common sense has been affected by the economic downturn the rest of us regular folk feel. I guess this will put somewhat of a damper on the whole "mine is bigger than yours" race in the Middle east. Still, with a secret price tag, which probably means that the tower costs a mind boggling amount of money, it is little wonder that further funding might be tight even in Dubai.


Image obtained from: the International Herald tribune.

Recession Defying Plans For London Towers

The Swiss based practice of Herzog & de Meuron, responsible for the Beijing national stadium and the new Portsmouth Stadium on Horsea Island, is proposing three towers of 320, 640 and 800ft respectively, to be the tallest residential projects in the country. The towers located next to the Renzo Piano "Shard" is part of the redevelopment plan for the London Bridge station area.

The towers are to have 380 apartments, , along with a hotel, retail and cinema space. The tallest tower, which would be 65 storeys, would include 121 flats along with the hotel, the other tower will have a total of 115 flats contained within 51 storeys while the shortest, at 31 storeys, will boast 144 flats. The sheer scale of the project is already dividing opinion among the select few who have seen it which is is to be expected. The reservation felt by many in the U.K is that these buildings do not quite have a place next to more traditional British designed structures as they break with the consistency of "character and Scale." Some sentiment is that the proposals have not incorporated enough parkland into the design as this might help to lessen their perceived impact on the site especially on the street level from a pedestrian point of view.

It is not only surprising that these projects are being planned with what the economy is like in the U.K but also that there has been such fervor in responses about this project when the complete designs and cost estimates have not been unveiled yet and will not be till mid February. Still, it is commendable of Herzog & de Meuron to be planning such a large scale project in light of the economic crunch and I know that i am the first to always condemn a building design that clashes with its surroundings but these days, any project is a good project mainly because I don't think there is anymore room or money for frivolous designs. But I will withhold further comment till there are more details on the project in its entirety.

Image obtained from buildingdesignonline.com
For more information, check: www.bdonline.co.uk

The Shadowless Pyramid Of Paris

A historical breakthrough this summer in the French capital's strict planning regulations has galvanized the design for a series of new and exciting towers to be built within the city. For over thirty years, Paris' building industry has literally laid low with a ban on buildings over 120ft in height instated by Jacques Chirac during his term as mayor of Paris in 1977.

City officials unanimously voted off the ban this July to combat the city's current housing shortage and invigorate the economy. This spurred the generation of 20 new highrise designs for the city, the first of which is Herzog & de Meuron’s Le Projet Triangle to be located at Porte de Versailles in Southern Paris. The tower is a giant high glass pyramid set to revamp the city's skyline. Standing at 590 feet or 50 stories, upon its topout in 2014 it will be the third tallest building in Paris. It is designed to house offices, a conference center, a 400 bedroom hotel, restaurants and cafes all to be powered by wind and solar energy.

Though the Le Projet Triangle is an Eco-friendly structure filled with many green features and facets, what seems most impressive of all is that, according to the architects, it wont cast shadows on adjacent buildings. The trick seems to be the orientation and shape of the structure: while it look like a massive pyramid from some elevations, other perspectives show it as an ultra thin structure.

The architects have no doubt that the building will successfully integrate itself into the city's landscape and evoke the urban fabric which is one the one hand classic (echoed by the pyramidic Northern facade) and ultra-modern, shown by the thin Southern facade. The actual location of the building links what is known as "petit" and "grand parcs," the two parts of the Parc de Expositions.

I would like to start of by just saying "WOW." I love the look of the Pyramid and am impressed with the concept of not casting any shadows on the surroundings. Still, there are a few things I am concerned about. There has not been any budget set for this project yet because many of the planned green aspects of the project are still undefined as are specifics on how it will generate its own energy showing that it has not quite transitioned out of the conceptual phase. Also, I wonder how the average Parisian will take this design. The Eiffel tower and the Pyramid of the Louvre were not received well though the rest of the world praised them for being forward thinking and revolutionary, particularly as it still does not blend well with its environment.

All in all, I think that this is a very exciting project and am happy that officials in the city planning department were smart enough to realize that lifting the ban would not only help with the housing situation but enable Paris to take its place alongside other cities today showcasing their advances in architectural technology and construction.


Images obtained from www.ecofriend.org
For more info, check http://gizmodo.com/5056228/new-paris-building-casts-no-shadows-generates-electricity

Zaha's Designs For Singapore

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) recently unveiled proposed designs for the new Farrer Road residential complex in Singapore composed of seven 36 story residential towers, each rising to a height about 510ft, and 12 villas on an 838,488 sq ft site. The $3 billion project is reminiscent of her dancing tower in Dubai and upon completion, will be the largest residential complex in Singapore's history.
Hadid wished to redefine urban space with this project, as she shows intricate landscaping for the towers' outdoor communal spaces on grade and uses some of the country's unique vegetation as form generators as each tower is subdivided into petal patterns according to the floor plan of each story. The petals are expressed in three dimension giving the overall form the look and feel of petals blossoming (or at least, that was her goal).

I think Zaha really does give her very best effort to her designs and shows a certain level of commitment that is lacking in many "star architects" but I always find something lacking in some of her work. This project though very revolutionary in form ( I would love to see diagrams depicting the proposed structural bracing for these "petals"), seems to be too much of a site intervention. I know that Farrer Court on Farrer Road is the Bohemian sector of the neighborhood and Zaha wanted to do something lavish for them but this project does not relate to anything around it. I know that I have spoken about this before and just want to say here that when I talk about a building relating to its surroundings, I don't necessarily mean that it has to mimic the buildings around it, but it should at least look like it belongs there and can't be "transplanted" somewhere else and still fit in with the context. Come to think of it, it looks like she used much of her prior designs from her "dancing tower" for this one and it does look like it would be more at home in Dubai than Singapore.

Another thing that made me cringe when I saw this project was not the design per say, which I really do think is quite impressive, but the density of these massings all lumped together. If the communal outdoor gardens are not maintained well with the proper amenities, these buildings could slowly degenerate into slum dwellings. I have seen his trend with many towers in the United States that initially preached "community interaction" in their mission statements but somehow became ghettos where everyone was stacked deep from floor to floor. The Pruitt-Igoe in Missouri is a perfect example.

As I said earlier, I think generally this is a great design and I hope that Zaha will be able to see this project through to its completion and I mean to the last detail to be sure that the gardens look as she intended them.


Images obtained from www.worldarchitecturenews.com
For more info check http://www.tuvie.com/farrer-road-in-singapore-by-zaha-hadid-architects

Mandarin Oriental Groundbreaking Yet to Occur

The $550,000,000 Mandarin Oriental Tower is a 74 story proposed mixed use project targeted to be the 9th tallest building in Chicago (assuming the Trump and Waterview Towers, both under construction get completed first). The tower is being built by the Hong Kong based Mandarin hotel group, currently operating over 30 hotel groups around the world and are partnering with Solomon Cordwell Buenz as their design consultants.

The proposed design is to be 1.2million sq feet and will include 300 condos and 250 hotel-condo units with the unit mix concept defining these hotel-condos as rooms sold as condominiums to private buyers who now allow the hotel to rent out these units when the owners are not using them.

Despite the initial excitement over the addition this building would make to the design infrastructure of the city of Chicago, a Dec 2, 07 article in Crains Chicago Business stated that various parties involved with this project are facing financial issues and construction loans have not been forthcoming. This is in part due to the current real estate slump in the Country and some inside sources have expressed their apprehension that this project might never be built as the groundbreaking initially set for January 08 is still yet to occur.

Unfortunately, this is the same for numerous other projects around the country; the building industry is slowing down and if the situation does not improve soon, many of us in the field of architecture and other related disciplines might not have much work to do.

Image obtained from condohotelcenter.com

The Manhattanization of San Francisco

This seems to go a long way in summing up the concerns of many Bay Area residents about the effects of the One Rincon Towers on Rincon Hill right next to the Western approach of the Bay bridge. This project is a residential complex designed by Solomon, Cordwell, Buenz and associates and is to consist of two towers, 45 and 60 stories respectively, sharing a common podium base with a combined count of 709 units. The latter tower (Rincon south tower) has been completed and currently stands at 641 feet but Rincon north tower just broke ground in january of this year.

Though the towers are considered not only the most significant additions to the San Francisco skyline in over 30 years and one of the tallest all-residential towers west of the Mississippi, it has sparked a lot of criticism from residents. Some of this criticism has stemmed from its design which has been ridicled to resemble the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze air purifyer. Other residents living east to north east of Twin Peaks are enraged at the height and placement of the towers as they block views from Delores park and Hillside neighborhoods to the Bay bridge but the general concern is about the price of the units within the towers which have been rated to be too expensive for most San Franciscans selling at $600,000 to $2,000,000 on average. This they feel is about to set the preceedent for outrageously priced condo units making San Francisco as expensive to live in as Manhattan. This is an interesting concept to note as most of the units within the South tower have sold already.

This building though still under construction has become the most controversial landmark in San Francisco since the Transamerica Pyramid. One website, curbsf, has nominated the Rincon towers as the ugliest buildings in the city beating the Marriot on Fourth St, which is saying a lot.

I know that I slammed the Al Hamara tower for not relating to it's site better and though the Rincon towers seem to do much of the same, I think that they enhance the skyline and add to the dramatic effect of the city view when coming down the Bay bridge from Oaklnad. Yes, I like the towers and I think that they have a certain elegance and sleekness to them that is lacking in most residential highrises today. Am I "flip-floping?" Maybe but Rincon affects my perception differently. After all, architecture in a sense is subjective.

Image obtained from www.sfnewdevelopments.com