Yesterday came word that 1 World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, has officially grown taller than the Empire State Building. That's counting the external framework, which has reached the 100th Floor— the floors themselves look to be at least four stories behind. But as 1 WTC approaches its final height of 104 stories, it is time to ask a difficult but important question: Is this skyscraper a little too short? more ›

The Observer accompanied architect Frank Gehry on a visit to Beekman Tower, the luxury residential skyscraper at 8 Beekman Street. Apparently Gehry told developer Bruce Ratner to make the building shorter than the Trump World Tower, so they wouldn't have to deal with Donald Trump (Beekman Tower ended up being taller). And Gehry added that after he turned down a Trump project, they were once at the same function, "I tried to shake his hand and he said, 'I don't talk to people like you.' So he doesn't talk to me... I don't care... I don't like his hairdo anyway." Trump told the Observer, "Maybe I just don't find him interesting. It doesn't mean I don't like him." more ›

As we mentioned before, a good 76% of New Yorkers apparently think building a 1,200 foot tower two blocks away from the Empire State Building would be detrimental to the New York City skyline. But as The Empire State Building Company's Times ad said, "There will be taller buildings in New York City...but they should merit the height with excellence." We took a look back at some recent New York history to one building that seems to be doing just that. The year was 2009, and Frank Ghery's 76-story Beekman Tower was causing quite a stir. more ›

Today's windy weather has blown debris from an unfinished Frank Gehry skyscraper in Lower Manhattan. Materials started falling from the 76-story Beekman Tower this morning, causing police to close off the "area between Gold Street, Ann Street and Park Row" to cars and pedestrians. The NotifyNYC service sent out an initial warning at 8:05 am urging New Yorkers to "[a]void the area near Spruce Street between Williams Street and Park Row," then followed up with another message at 10:04 am noting that "[d]ebris is falling because of the high winds." more ›

Yesterday, developer Bruce Ratner and architect Frank Gehry celebrated the "topping off" of the 76-story Beekman Tower in lower Manhattan. A 10-pound bucket of concrete was lifted 900 feet onto the roof of the 1.1 million square foot skyscraper, which will have rental apartments, a pre-K through 8th grade public school, an ambulatory care center for NY Downtown Hospital, retail space, and public plazas. more ›

Back in March, the economy forced developer Bruce Ratner to scale back plans for a 76-story Frank Gehry-designed building called Beekman Tower to just a 38- (or 40-) story structure. Now, the NY Times reports that a deal between Ratner's company and labor unions will help save "as much as 20 percent on labor costs" and allow construction to resume at Beekman Tower. Forest City Ratner executive MaryAnne Gilmartin said, "We’re thrilled to be going back to work. It’s a great project and a great building." Beekman Tower, which will be the tallest residential building in the city at 867 feet, was originally planned as a condominium, but FCR made it a rental (given the economy). Gilmartin also said, The savings we achieved go a long way toward insulating the project from any dip in rents or any protracted period of time required to lease up the building. We’re really bullish on this building." more ›