Developer Explains Structural Risk Behind Manhattan Tower Evacuation
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Nathan Berman, developer of a major Manhattan office-to-residential conversion, said the partial collapse risk was caused by the weight of a 15-floor rooftop extension. Two support columns failed under the load, leading to evacuations including the Israeli consulate. The rest of the building remains stable, and the project is expected to finish next year.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Structural risk in Manhattan tower caused by weight of 15-floor rooftop extension.
- Two support columns on 21st floor collapsed, bending steel beams and triggering evacuations.
- Nine buildings evacuated, including the Israeli consulate near Chrysler and UN buildings.
- Damage limited to new extension; 95% of original structure remains intact and stable.
- Project converts former Pfizer HQ into 1,600 residential units with amenities, completing next year.
- Developer Nathan Berman founded MetroLoft, a leader in office-to-residential conversions in NYC.
Nathan Berman, the developer behind a major Manhattan project, attributed the partial collapse risk of a tower to the weight of an added rooftop extension. The building, formerly Pfizer's headquarters, is undergoing the largest office-to-residential conversion in the U.S., adding 15 floors above the 22nd floor. Berman explained in a Wall Street Journal interview that two support columns on the 21st floor likely failed under the extra load, causing steel beams to bend and prompting evacuation of nine nearby buildings, including the Israeli consulate.
Berman, founder of MetroLoft, emphasized that the damage was confined to the new extension and did not affect the rest of the structure, which remains stable. The building covers 150,000 square meters and was originally constructed in the 1960s with a tiered wedding cake-style facade. The redevelopment will create 1,600 residential units with amenities like a rooftop pool, gym, and ground-floor shops, expected to complete next year.
Ahmad Tigani, chair of the city’s building committee, stated the project plans underwent thorough review over the past two years. The architecture firm Gensler declined to comment, directing inquiries to MetroLoft. Berman, son of Holocaust survivors and an immigrant from western Ukraine, founded MetroLoft in 1997 and has converted dozens of office buildings into over 8,000 residential units in New York. He was described by the Financial Times in 2023 as a leading figure in the office-to-residential conversion trend, which he likened to performing surgery on buildings.
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