Schindler proves perfect fit for New York's best
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The triangle shapes help the building withstand forces from tremors and wind (images: Michael Ficeto).
Schindler was convinced that New York's Hearst Tower was going to be something special. That view is now shared by the building industry.
The judges were unanimous: the 46-storey tower – equipped with 15 Schindler 7000 high-speed elevators – was the obvious winner of New York Construction magazine's "Project of the Year" award. The accolade tops the list of the "Best of 2006" awards.
Designed by the firm of star architect, Norman Foster, the $500-million (CHF 624 million) tower clinched the award primarily because of its striking diagonal grid structure, which creates four-storey triangles on the façade, and for its environmentally sound credentials.
Today those 15 elevators, controlled by Schindler's Miconic 10 destination-dispatch system, transport 2,000 employees of the Hearst media group skyward and back, as they put together titles such as Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping.
The tower also contains three escalators, two service elevators and four hydraulic elevators. "We are proud to have played a role in this architectural wonder in the sky," said Bill Fiacco, Schindler regional vice-president, New York. The project was a joint effort between Schindler Elevator Corporation in the US and the company's Top Range Division in Switzerland.
The Hearst building, constructed in 1928, was a six-storey art-deco structure built by the media group's founder William Randolph Hearst. Located on Eighth Avenue between 56th and 57th streets, it was designated a landmark site by the city of New York in 1988.
Permission to renovate the structure by adding a completely new tower was granted in 2001. Construction began two years later, and was completed last July. The façade of the original building has been preserved, making it look like the new tower is rising out of it.
The company said building permission had been conditional on adding something special to the New York skyline.
Besides its impressive appearance, the innovative diagonal grid structure meant that 2,000 tons less steel was needed than would have been the case with a conventional frame. The geometric strength of the triangle shape makes the building better able to withstand forces from tremors, wind and gravity.
Schindler elevators and the Miconic 10 technology have also recently been installed in other New York landmarks including the Rockefeller Center and the Marriott Marquis Hotel.
The judges were unanimous: the 46-storey tower – equipped with 15 Schindler 7000 high-speed elevators – was the obvious winner of New York Construction magazine's "Project of the Year" award. The accolade tops the list of the "Best of 2006" awards.
Environmentally sound
Designed by the firm of star architect, Norman Foster, the $500-million (CHF 624 million) tower clinched the award primarily because of its striking diagonal grid structure, which creates four-storey triangles on the façade, and for its environmentally sound credentials.
Today those 15 elevators, controlled by Schindler's Miconic 10 destination-dispatch system, transport 2,000 employees of the Hearst media group skyward and back, as they put together titles such as Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping.
The tower also contains three escalators, two service elevators and four hydraulic elevators. "We are proud to have played a role in this architectural wonder in the sky," said Bill Fiacco, Schindler regional vice-president, New York. The project was a joint effort between Schindler Elevator Corporation in the US and the company's Top Range Division in Switzerland.
Art deco
The Hearst building, constructed in 1928, was a six-storey art-deco structure built by the media group's founder William Randolph Hearst. Located on Eighth Avenue between 56th and 57th streets, it was designated a landmark site by the city of New York in 1988.
Permission to renovate the structure by adding a completely new tower was granted in 2001. Construction began two years later, and was completed last July. The façade of the original building has been preserved, making it look like the new tower is rising out of it.
Building permission
The company said building permission had been conditional on adding something special to the New York skyline.
Besides its impressive appearance, the innovative diagonal grid structure meant that 2,000 tons less steel was needed than would have been the case with a conventional frame. The geometric strength of the triangle shape makes the building better able to withstand forces from tremors, wind and gravity.
Schindler elevators and the Miconic 10 technology have also recently been installed in other New York landmarks including the Rockefeller Center and the Marriott Marquis Hotel.
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