The slightly less epic version of what was once dubbed the MoMA Monster, now standing at just 1,050 feet, was approved by the City Council today in a 44-3 vote. Curbed reports that "this was the last hurdle in the public land-use approval process made necessary by Tower Verre's desired zoning variances and air-rights deals." Last we checked there was word that developer Hines and architect Jean Nouvel may just leave that lot empty for a while so the NIMBYs can savor their precious view. more ›

The recently decapitated MoMA monster, which would have measured in at 1,250 feet (the height of the Empire State Building), has been surrounded with controversy from day one. Midtown NIMBYs didn't want a skyscraper going up in Manhattan, and they eventually got 200 feet taken off the tower so that it wouldn't impact the skyline. Sigh. more ›

The MoMA Monster has officially been decapitated. The City Council's Land Use Committee approved (by a 12-2 vote) the City Planning Commission's height reduction of the building earlier today. Now the Jean Nouvel designed Monster Hines Tower set to be raised next to MoMA, will drop down from the iconic height of 1,250-feet, to 1,050-feet. That's 200 feet below the Empire State Building, and the exact height of the Chrysler Building. more ›

Howard Roark scoffs. A giant skyscraper, dubbed the MoMA Monster, keeps shrinking. Set to go up in the empty lot next to the museum, creators of the proposed 1,250 feet tower continue to fight a cut of 200 feet; WCBS reports that at a city council committee meeting yesterday, the real estate developer and the architect "saw their plans for a soaring Midtown skyscraper crumbling." more ›

The empty lot next to Museum of Modern Art on West 53rd Street will be a filled with a building one day, that's just a fact. How high will that building be? That's more debatable. After much noise was made about the proposed 1,250 feet/85 story Hines Tower (which some dubbed the MoMA monster) , the NYC Planning Commission voted yesterday to cut 200 feet off of the Jean Nouvel design; because another tall building in this city would just be overkill? Who knows. But the NY Times sheds some light on the thought process, noting that "Edith Hsu-Chen, the director of the Manhattan office of the Department of City Planning said that although the overall design of the building is 'exemplary,' the commission is concerned about its effect on the skyline, and does not feel that the top of the tower merits being in the zone of the Empire State Building’s iconic spire.” more ›

It's been a busy month for NY Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff. After tackling Jean Nouvel's skyscraper, Renzo Piano's Times building and the West Side Rail Yards designs, today he turns to the feverishly celebrated New Museum, previewed yesterday by Gothamist. Designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of Japan-based SANAA, the highly refined seven-story, 174-foot building succeeds, says Ouroussoff, on a "spectacular range of levels: as a hypnotic urban object, as a subtle... more ›

NY Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff reviews Jean Nouvel's future 75-story tower at 53 West 53rd Street, describing it as "the most exhilarating addition to the skyline in a generation." He compares Nouvel's latest to the Woolworth, Chrysler and Seagram buildings. Filling a 17,000 square-foot vacant lot next to MoMA, the structure will be the future site of a developer Hines' 100-room hotel and 120 "highest-end" (Hines' words) luxury apartments. MoMA, which sold the lot... more ›

Various officials followed up with some more thoughts about Frank Gehry designing his very first playground for Battery Park. Mayor Bloomberg said, “Everything Frank Gehry touches is unique, and I’m sure it will be a great park." Check out this quote, via the Post:

"I once gave money to redo a children's playground in Central Park. I can't go in it because you have to have a child. But when I look in it, people seem to be having a great time and it's doing well."

Jean Nouvel mania reaches a fevered pitch with today’s glowing NY Times review of the French architect’s rising Soho and Chelsea buildings. more ›

At noon today, Suzanne Vega and Lou Reed will play a free concert at the opening of 7 World Trade Center. As we all know, 7 WTC is the only tower to be rebuilt since 9/11; the plaza already opened this week. more ›

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