NEW YORK | UN Building | 546 FT | 36 FLOORS

[Zapatan]

wasn't there originally supposed to be 8-1100 footers on this site?

Oh well, I guess a few 700 footers couldn't hurt, hopefully they are well desinged.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Zapatan

wasn't there originally supposed to be 8-1100 footers on this site?

Oh well, I guess a few 700 footers couldn't hurt, hopefully they are well desinged.

NO, there's always been only one tower proposed here.

[NYguy]

We haven't talked about the alternative to building on the playground, but here are some highlights from the UN study of alternatives released last month which concludes building on campus is the best option...

http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/66/349










(from SOM)

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2011/10/u-n-architects-fumihiko-maki-fxfowle-pritzker/

U.N Architects Back to the Drawing Board; Pritzker Winner Still on Board


An early proposal by Kevin Roche for a new U.N. tower—it's not Maki, but you get the idea. (KRJDA)

By Matt Chaban 10/19/11

In 2002, when it came time to plan for a new tower to house this globetrotting workforce, the United Nations Development Corporation, the city agency that handles all U.N. property, held a competition. It was open only to Pritzker Prize winners, and Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki was selected in 2004. Not long after, the project ran into political hurdles and was put on hold, but earlier this month Albany, the city and the U.N. reached a deal so the project can move forward. Almost as soon as the ink had dried on the land swap, Mr. Maki and his local partners, FXFowle, unrolled their blueprints and got back to work. “We have a saying around the office,” Dan Kaplan, a principal at FXFowle in charge of the project, told The Observer. “It takes a long time for things to happen suddenly.”

Mr. Kaplan explained that much of the design work had been completed for a 35-story tower on the site, and while it will not change significantly, it does require some updating. Before, there were plans to build a temporary General Assembly on the playground before the new office tower was built, but that was instead constructed two years ago on the U.N.’s north lawn. The Secretariat is undergoing a $2 billion renovation, and after the earlier deal fell apart, the world body felt it could not wait to begin rebuilding its campus.

...the designers will reassess the U.N.’s space needs and tweak the designs accordingly. “We’re not back to square-one, maybe square 1.5,” Mr. Kaplan said. “It’s a tight site and a tight building envelope, so I don’t think the designs will change that much, but we are going back over everything.” Jeffrey Feldman, president and CEO of the U.N. Development Corporation, said he hopes to have designs ready by early next year, so the project will be ready to go through the city’ land-use review process.

[NYguy]

http://www.dnainfo.com/20111027/upper-ea...gn-contest-for-new-east-river-waterfront

Phillip Lopate Kicks Off Design Contest For a New East River Waterfront



October 27, 2011
By Amy Zimmer

The stretch of the East River esplanade from East 60th to 125th streets is often underused and difficult to access. It's suffered neglect over the years and is dotted with sinkholes. It's narrow in many places and noisy from cars on the FDR buzzing past. Phillip Lopate has walked this stretch of Manhattan's waterfront.

In fact, he's walked along the island's entire perimeter, chronicling his journeys in the 2004 book "Waterfront." That's why Civitas, a community group trying to jumpstart the revitalization of this crumbling part of the East River shoreline, invited him to kick off its design competition re-imagining a new life for the space. "There are all sorts of things you can do if you let your imagination run wild," he said.

He imagined a waterfront with clam or mussel boats tied up selling fresh catch, or movie theaters along the river. Or, for those who find private use of public space distasteful, he suggested a waterfront post office, school or police precinct...Lopate was happy to hear that the greenway gap between East 38th and 60th streets may be closed, if a complicated deal goes through where the United Nations would build an office tower on Robert Moses Playground in exchange for opening the waterfront.

[NYguy]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/11/03/...obbying-for-3b-in-future-projects-while/

U.N.’s $2 Billion Building Binge: Getting Worse While It Lobbies for $3 Billion More



By George Russell
November 03, 2011

With a $2 billion renovation of its New York headquarters building still more than two years from completion, the United Nations is already lobbying member states for some $3 billion or so for additional major building projects in New York City and Geneva. About $2.4 billion of the total would go for construction of a new office tower in Manhattan to accommodate the world organization’s burgeoning staff. Another $590 million or so would go for yet another mammoth renovation job -- this one of the U.N.’s venerable offices in Geneva, located in the one-time home of the ill-fated League of Nations.

One reason for the continuing U.N. push for a global building boom is that whatever austerity the rest of the world faces, the world organization expects its headquarters staff to keep growing -- at a steady 1.1 percent rate annually over the two decades ending in 2034, according to a U.N. study. That would add 3,000 people in New York City alone who will require nearly 1.9 million square feet of additional space -- hence the desire for yet another additional U.N. tower.

By the time the headquarters renovation is finished, the study reports, the U.N. Secretariat and its attendant agencies will own about 1.34 million square feet of space but occupy another 2.1 million square feet in 15 buildings, including the landmark Chrysler Building. And even that projection is 20 percent less than it might have been, as the U.N. factored in unspecified “efficiency gains” that will supposedly keep the sprawl from growing faster. Bottom line: “The Organization occupies most of the desirable and acceptable commercial properties within the vicinity of the Secretariat compound.” It would be better to build new U.N.-owned space, the study argues, rather than continuing the current rental creep.

[Mr. Lion]

I leave for 3 months and I come back to this? That is an absolutely massive concept.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Mr. Lion

That is an absolutely massive concept.

Which is why most of it won't happen. But...the promenade features are the main thing. With action from the UN, it looks likely we'll start seeing more concepts for it.

[UrbanImpact]

Wow! Reservoir and all!

[kingcity]

what about the new subway station?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by NYguy

I like this one. It's simple and modern like the original tower and having it turned with its lower height makes it compliment the original tower. The subtle cantilever also makes it look cool and modern. I'm not a big fan of the green surfaces on the podium though but it doesn't completely ruin the design.

[texcolo]

Isn't it ironic that the NIMBY's want to save ROBERT MOSES playground from gettin torn down?

[vandelay]

LOL at the editorializing in the foxnews article about the UN expansion.

[Dac150]

A very ambitious and unique plan, but also over the top.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

I like this one. It's simple and modern like the original tower and having it turned with its lower height makes it compliment the original tower.

I still can't get a feel for if they are going to move forward with a tower at the playground site, or a tower on the UN campus.

Originally Posted by texcolo

Isn't it ironic that the NIMBY's want to save ROBERT MOSES playground from gettin torn down?

Yes it is.

[LordYu]

Hi,

great news. Renderings for the new United Nations tower are up.
The tower is designed by Fumihiko Maki and FXFOWLE. Maki also designed 4 WTC which is currently under construction.


image from: http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/09/18...tions_waterfront_skyscraper_revealed.php

Building will be 546 ft tall, or 166m and will be located on 1st avenue and 41st/42nd street next to the UN building. The building will have 850,000 sq ft of office space and house 2700 UN employees.



Construction begin 2015 and last 3 years. However on Maki's website it says 2016.

This picture is from Maki's website here


This information, including the pictures, are all available at ny.curbed.com in the article "Unexciting United Nations Waterfront Skyscraper Revealed" by Hana Alberts Sept. 18th, 2013
More info at: http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/09/18...tions_waterfront_skyscraper_revealed.php

The responsible Community board, Community Board 6, which is responsible for approving this project will hold a meeting about this building on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m., in the Farkas auditorium of NYU Langone Medical Center, located at 550 First Ave.

[LordYu]

The approval process for this building will take 9 months according to this:
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130918...ns-tower-revealed#slideshow_modal_slot_1

If you are interested in the process you can check it out here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/ap/step5_ulurp.shtml

[Design-mind]

This is great news for this project as it seemed to be going no where for a long time. Thanks for the great info LordYu.

[dc_denizen]

I like it!

[NYguy]

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130926...raffic-shadows-tudor-city-residents-fear

U.N. Tower Will Bring Traffic and Shadows to Tudor City, Residents Fear





Heather Holland
September 26, 2013

Residents who live near the site of a proposed United Nations office building opposed the plan during a public meeting this week, saying it would increase traffic in an already congested area and block sunlight to a nearby park.

The 36-story tower is set to rise on a piece of Robert Moses Park, on the East River waterfront between 42nd and 41st streets, to consolidate the U.N.'s scattered offices into a single building.

At Tuesday night's public meeting, representatives of the United Nations Development Corporation only allowed comments and would not answer questions from the audience. But that didn’t stop about a dozen community members from demanding answers.

“What would it do to traffic conditions in the area?” asked Ann Seligman, a member of Community Board 6.

“This week — the General Assembly — we call it hell week. It’s miserable to live around the U.N. this week.”

Seligman added that she hoped the design of the building could be improved.

“Just as somebody who walks around the neighborhood, it’s just a blank wall,” she said. “I hope it can be made more interesting.”

Many Tudor City residents also worried that the new building would cast a shadow over the complex's two parks, which sit across from the proposed site on either side of 42nd Street.

“I’m concerned that we're losing more parkland,” said Tim Maldonado, a resident of Tudor City. “Right now, we do have sunlight coming into the park, but if this building goes up any children going out at 9:30 in the morning would be in total shadow.”

Those children should be in total school, morons. You're living in a city, there are shadows, get used to it.