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Great buildings.(New york's best skyscapers)
New York's Fifty Finest Buildings
Chicago may be the birthplace of the skyscraper and an architectural favorite; the capitals of the Far East may put national pride on the line as they vie to build the tallest. But nowhere is the skyscraper more at home than in New York, where building tall is the norm. No other city can compete with its sheer number and density of skyscrapers--they are where we live, work and relax. And so to choose the 50 most significant of the last 50 years was a daunting task. How does one define significance? First? Size? Bulk? Architectural merit? Effect on the marketplace? Public impact? How about all of the above? Once fulfilled, we measured these criteria against the industry's premiere index, the BOMA/NY Pinnacle Awards, to determine overall quality, for these honors go behind the scenes to measure how well the investment is operating today, something no city guide or reference book can do. Above all we were looking for stories in the stone and glass and the stainless steel. We hope the ones we've shared here will help you look at the skyline with new eyes. Breaking Boundaries Other cities morph into urban sprawl; New York renews itself. By rebuilding or building new in neighborhoods that have lived past their prime, or have yet to fulfill their promise, the business capital of the world has continually redefined itself to an extent few in America have. 375 Hudson Street Three decades ago, the Parish of Trinity Church assessed its vast landholdings throughout Lower Manhattan's printing district and saw an opportunity to convert the solidly built, but aging manufacturing stock into superbly outfitted office buildings of the future. But if they renovated, who would come? Not only did the creative arts flock to the new neighborhood renamed Hudson Square, but Trinity's determination and positive bottom-line results sparked the creativity of the world's largest ad agency ad the time--Saatchi and Saatchi. The agency was on a global acquisition binge in the mid-80's and desperate for growing room. With Tishman at the helm as developer, Skidmore Owings & Merrill on the drawing boards, and Turner Construction supplying the construction know-how, the just under 1,000,000 sq. ft. building at 375 Hudson Street was the first to rise in its neighborhood since the Great Depression. Its huge floorplates, coupled with panoramic views and a sleek design, was tailor made for Saatchi and Saatchi, which moved into the bulk of the building's 19 floors in the late 80s. Since that time, the newly redefined market has been a haven for the creative industries and the businesses that serve them, and continue to fuel its growth. 461 Fifth Avenue Pinnacle Award--Operating (under 250,000 sf) Fifth Avenue south of 42nd Street was not Class A territory until 1986 when an international triumvirate headed by Mitsui Fudosan began developing the nor...See the full content of this document
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