today from New York yimby
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I love this tower
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i like those bubble/grenade style windows
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Lots of XI views being compromised by Lantern House etc.
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From 2.22.20:
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I wouldn’t be surprised if this goes rental.
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I see the facade panels are now covering a substantial portion of both buildings: however, the method of attachment and material type I can not determine from these exterior views. It appears the panels are somehow ‘clipped’ to those furring strips, and then the joints are filled with mortar or caulking and they are held securely in place. I think those are stone panels of some sort, but the seem quite thin for stone; probably some prefabricated aggregate like Corian Brand counter tops, or Quartz Kitchen counter tops. The final product looks great, BIG does fine work and has a very sophisticated design sensibility - they rarely disappoint. I hope there are other construction tradesmen like myself on these forums who may have some insights into how some of these facades are build: I do exclusively interior construction/remodeling so not up this type of exterior building construction. I find these forums very helpful in my work for building my knowledge, and have also made a few good marketing connections: so am always glad to post some real content whenever possible. Hope you enjoy the ‘field condition’ photos, and any drawings/details on this facade others can offer would be appreciated.
AND SOME MORE DETAILED VIEWS
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I remember street level damage at Random House building. The granite panels were surprisingly thin also. I don’t remember seeing furring but it was quite a while ago.
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I found out that these are ‘travertine’ stone panels: or at least that is what the promotional material claims. I was surprise to read that, being in the business I know travertine to be a very brittle natural stone: very prone to ‘cracking’ along the many natural veins. Many of major prewar Buildings with large lobbies have travertine stone floors, Rock Center for example, and you will notice much cracking; but only ‘hair line’ cracks that fill in quickly and floor waxes and take on a kind of beauty/patina that look fine. However, that fine for thick slabs, embedded in mortar on a floor surface: not a desirable quality for panels on a building facade. The application of these facade stones seems a bit spotty and labored: I suspect the assembly/construction detailing and materials selections here have turned out to be less than optimal. I can only guess from what I see in passing, and having some practical knowledge of construction technology, so I could be entirely wrong. It is difficult to get the full and unvarnished truth on such questions, and if the ‘insiders’ are reading these forums; they are not likely to reveal those issues publicly. I really enjoy watching this get built: and wonder if this will reman condominiums, and not turn RENTAL - that is also information not one will reveal any time soon.
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Lincoln Center is travertine, about 3" thick. It’s petrified moss. Lincoln Center has held up pretty well. Interestingly, quarries used to blast through the travertine to get to the limestone.
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I did notice that the travertine slabs at Lincoln Center were quite thick (3" sounds right) and I know this only because so many have been getting replaced over the years; especially along Amsterdam avenue - lots of cracking and falling off over the years. My minor aesthetic quibble with this choice for the XI twisty towers is travertine seems to me a poor choice of stone. Travertine is a beautiful stone with many small speckled mineral aggregates, varied fine vein affects, subtle color tones, - and all those nice features this particular stone is known for are just not ‘visible’ at a height above of about 30 feet. That is why travertine is a very popular stone for flooring, but this particular stones’ fine features seems to be wasted on the facade of a high rise building. I look up and see only a nice tan/beige looking stone that still looks great: but did not need the premium cost of travertine to get that aesthetic affect. This is my - if I were an architect - critique that I am currently indulging due to excess Covid19 quarantine time I have these days. In the final analysis; this building design looks fantastic. Sorry BIG for that DIG.
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This photo may give some insight into how time/labor intensive it is to construct this building facade: one of the most intricate curtain wall details I have seen currently in NYC. Vertical members aluminum studs secured to concrete, then ‘black iron’ rails attached to the studs: finished by hanging the solid terrazzo stone slab to the black iron rails - then grout joints between stone. As a former construction estimator I can tell you the man/hours required to complete this facade is considerably more than hanging typical glass panels on a metal mounting clip attached to the concrete floor plate.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_fLhMsDbZ6/
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