A steel and glass tower stands at Eighth Ave and Fifty-Seventh Street that has been hailed by critics, such as Paul Goldberger, as the most significant piece of New York City architecture since the new millennium. Completed in 2006 over a 1920’s base, the Hearst Tower was designed by Sir Norman Foster + Partners for the Hearst Corporation. The tower rises 46 floors over a tan limestone building, originally designed by Joseph Urban in 1927, that is garnished with large vase finials that sit upon geometric columns, four stories above street level. While twelve cloaked figures, depicting various aspects of the Hearst Corporation (Music and Art to Printing and Science), watch dutifully -¬¬¬ two above each entrance. The six-story building served as the Hearst Corporation’s first headquarters and was constructed with the intention that it would expand as the company grew. This new addition to the New York City skyline planned to meld the old with the new and tradition with innovation. Foster + Partners and Hearst both set the bar high for this project, utilizing the newest technologies and greenest materials available, but in trying to create a new, significant piece of New York City architecture did they lose any of the old building’s significance?
Joseph Urban’s building was landmarked in 1988. The original plans predicted the necessity of expansion, and because of this early prediction it was easier for the Hearst Corporation to get the Landmark Preservation Commission to approve their tower on top of the Urban building. The Landmark’s guidelines required the original building to be restored and allowed new building only if it would be architecturally significant to New York City. The air rights of the original building allowed for 40 stories. However, when the Hearst Corporation agreed to restore part of the Columbus Circle subway station, they were allowed to build up to 46 stories. Other building in the area, such as the 750ft Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle, or the 684ft Random House/Park Imperial on Broadway, rise above the Hearst Tower. The restriction of height to only 597ft (especially in an area that is populated by other skyscrapers) is one of the negative characteristics of the Hearst Tower. The tower’s large floor plan (160ft. x 120ft.) in relation to the height, give the overall impression the structure would benefit from a taller design. At its current height, the girth of the building gives it a stubby look.
Norman Foster in collaboration with the Hearst Corporation was able to achieve all of the LPC’s specifications. Upon completion of the Hearst Tower, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified the tower with a gold rating for their environmentally conscious design, the second highest rating LEED awards, and the tower was also honored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.)
The design team for the Hearst tower focused their attention to producing an innovative (and environmentally friendly) building. From the street, the building’s lack of right angles sets it apart from its neighbors, and other New York City architecture. The design gives the building a space-age quality – a look that derives from the unusual construction. The structure itself is a diagrid, or diagonal grid; this type of structure is stronger, in terms of support, than a square grid. This uncommon structural choice gives the building dominance over its neighbors and the exoskeleton is a progressive alternative to the boxy quality of surrounding buildings. Because the building employs a glass curtain wall, it shimmers in the sun – sometimes blindingly so. This large expansive glass also allows for the internal spaces to be flooded with natural light. The out-facing glass walls allow abundant outside light in and illuminates every floor during daylight hours.
Foster continued the use of glass and light in the renovation of the Joseph Urban building as well. The entire ceiling of the existing Urban building was replaced with glass, creating a expanse of sky where sunlight cascades from above. The flood of natural light mimics the waterfall that connects the atrium to the street level entrance. The powerful, yet serene, lighting is evocative of the former Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Terminal.
While the skylights create a welcome alternative to most pedestrian office cafeterias and entryways, the essence of the original building has been altered. The landmark guidelines forced preservation of the original façade but could not prevent the inside from being stripped of the spirit of the1920’s building. The main renovation to the building consisted of gutting the existing six floors in order to create a hollow structure that could easily be used as an envelope for the prized jewel, Norman Foster’s tower. Joseph Urban’s original Hearst building now serves as a mere wrapping for the open space of the atrium in the Hearst Tower. The entire footprint of the 1926 building is either lobby space or a general seating/cafeteria area. The Hearst Corporation’s decision to exclude the original building from housing any of the business aspects of the company suggests a gesture to quickly acknowledge the company’s past on the outside, while underlining the fact that the company has evolved on the inside. Using Joseph Urban’s six-story building as an entranceway certainly makes this grand statement about the Hearst Corporation.
Joesph Urban (who was also a noted theater designer) was not entirely irritated from the new Hearst Tower. Tucked away in one of the only enclosed areas of the atrium, is a small multiuse theater space, named the Joseph Urban Theater. The theater can hold 168 people in its grey leather-clad seats and can be used for film screenings as well as lectures and presentations. The walls of this theater are made of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified American Maple and at the front of the theater is a large panel of red leather, made from scar free, German cows. The carpets of this theater (like all other carpets in the building) are also environmentally conscious and made using recycled materials.
Sir Norman Foster and the Hearst Corporation certainly built a spectacular addition to New York City. Even though there may be room for improvement, they have achieved their goal to create a significant piece of architecture that is forward thinking, but at what cost? Except for the façade, which was landmarked, the Joseph Urban building was been lost in the integration with the new structure.
When expanding on an existing building the architect must decide to either continue using the same contextual elements or to diverge from the present form. In this instance, Foster + Partners kept to their tried and true aesthetic: A contemporary building that is influenced by Modernist ideas. In doing so, they chose to reject any influence of Urban’s architectural style. This was a smart choice because the building has been widely discussed and praised, but they didn’t pay enough homage to the existing architecture of Joseph Urban’s building. Their decision to gut the interior comes off in such a way that it is easy to imagine that the whole building would have been demolished if it was not landmarked. Norman Foster proved himself to be a talented architect of modern design, but it came at the expense of obliterating the interior of Joseph Urban’s building.
The amalgamation of these two buildings work on the outside because of the vast difference between the ornate façade of the Urban building and the utilitarian exoskeleton of the Foster tower. The exterior of both buildings – especially at night – emits light from inside and out; both buildings look striking in their outward juxtaposition of each other. The effect is symbolic of a new era rising out of the old, expressing its individuality and innovation while staying grounded in the ethics of the past – but unfortunately, the promise of a great union of these noteworthy buildings, is only realized on the outer surface. Like a picturesque marriage that is bubbling with turmoil underneath, these two buildings look unconventionally handsome together from a far – playing on each other’s differences. But, once inside, this stately combination of eras, colors and materials is lost, and it is hard to find any sign of the original Urban building. Quickly, it becomes clear why compromise is a key to a lasting relationship.
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