What it may have looked like at night from ESB....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/...36025d18_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3499/...9b1e2890_o.jpg

Base photo by RFCGraphics: www.rfcgraphics.com

It looks nice and all, but the empire state building still blows it out of the water.

^I disagree. MetLifeNorth has it all: graceful yet complex lines, individually framed windows, beautiful white limestone facade, art deco engravings, marble domes, incredible lobby, visual strength, attractive terraces... it's the Rolls Royce of skyscrapers. Had it been built to full height, it would easily be as beloved as the ESB... probably moreso.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/...g?v=1220760850
http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~history/am...tlifenorth.jpg

Can't They... just... FINISH IT??!! please please please :)

This building is so beautiful.

They could. Will they however? Probably not. :(

[optimism]Actually, if tons of office space was needed and the developer creating it wasn't a egotistical maniac (i.e. he didn't care if the building was designed 80 years ago, and was fine finishing someone else's work) I think it's actually pretty possible that it could be finished.

Foundation work and the stuff at ground level is what takes up the most time, and after that everything goes pretty quickly. So having a nice little stub to work on would probably be a dream for most developers.

Also, there are no open lots left in Manhattan so demolition or building on top of something is the only option now. And think: What's cheaper, destroying an old building, reworking the foundations, and starting at basement level one? Or simply starting on the 30th floor?

So all of you NewYorkoArtDeco-philes shouldn't get your hopes too down in the gutters.

Who knows what'll happen? :fingerscrossed:[/optimism]

^^and we've seen that some developers are willing to faithfully reproduce older designs. Wasn't 15 CPW modeled on an older building?

Also take into account that the developer could dramatically change the design, making it no match the base, such as in the case of the proposed building next to the MetLife tower. :tup:

And she joins the party...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/...1d3a510e_b.jpg
Pre-altered Photo by RFCGraphics.com

The foundation was built to take the weight 110 floors, so :fingerscrossed:

This would be an interesting building to add a modern tower to the top of it... like Norman Foster's tower at the old Hearst Building.

Would have been epic...

:slob: :slob: :slob: :slob: :slob:

I love this tower. Too bad it was never completed.:(

A more fitting mountain for King Kong to climb...

Hmm... I don't really like this tower for some reason.

^ Could it be that it completely engulfs the Metlife tower looking southwest? Now as far as height is concerned, I would go on a limb and say that I think the original proposal may have been a little too tall. Maybe shave off 150 ft and it would look absolutely perfect.

In terms of some comparing it to ESB...are you actually serious? Then again, ESB's my favorite skyscraper in the world, simply because it's so beautiful and legendary...

Well now that you mention it, I really don't like that it blocks off views of the MetLife Tower. I really love MetLife and it would've been a shame to see it dwarfed by this giant!

But besides blocking off other buildings, this thing is just too large. The way the setbacks were arranged was completely random and just makes this building look like a giant cliff. It's not as graceful and well organized as the ESB. It's also too big and bulky.

The way it is now is just perfect and it could not be any better. Even if they began construction on the original plan...