I look at this building and see a modernist architectural masterpiece. The rough raw dull concrete section on the facade is a nice contrast to the smooth shiny glass. There will always be ‘viewpoint diversity’ on the aesthetic merits of Architecture in general; but this building seems to have many more fervent detractors than seems warranted.
I think many of the detractors are reacting to the exposed raw concrete in a negative way. The overall design is quite refined & elegant looking: raw concrete on the facade seems to be a risky move when looking to gain popular appeal.
Well, this one is finally about done - and I like the look….
I think the problem with raw concrete is that it gets dirty and grimy over time, especially when it’s a lighter shade of gray. I wonder how it would have looked with a slightly darker color palette.
Furthermore it’s absolutely crazy to me that this was once proposed at over 1,300 feet, considering how 45 Broad got a height cut due to FAA restrictions at a lot shorter than that. It would have completely messed up the downtown skyline, primarily the “stepped” pattern of the new World Trade Center, but still a very interesting concept. I can imagine it having a ‘space elevator’-esque demeanor from street level compared to the surrounding buildings.
Looking at the photos from the article, it looks like the work on the mid-section terrace on the east side is nearly finished. Wires used to hang in that section, now they are gone. This is good to see the work continuing again
