Engineer Explains Manhattan Tower Collapse Risk and Why Israel Faces Different Construction Challenges
A 38-story tower in Manhattan, formerly Pfizer's headquarters, was evacuated this week due to fears of collapse during its conversion from offices to residential use. The building, constructed in the 1960s and undergoing a major renovation to create 1,600 apartments with amenities like a rooftop pool and gym, experienced structural failure after adding new floors above the 21st level. Two supporting steel columns in the new section buckled, causing the building to shift sideways, but the overall structure did not collapse due to its load-bearing capacity.
Israel David, chairman of the Israeli Association of Building and Infrastructure Engineers, told ynet that such an event is rare and the risk of a similar collapse in Israel is much lower. He explained that the Manhattan building is steel-framed, which requires very precise engineering and construction, unlike Israel’s predominantly concrete buildings, which are more resilient. David noted that steel is used in such projects for rapid assembly without disrupting ongoing building use, but it is a sensitive material.
The Manhattan project is led by MetroLoft, a New York real estate company founded by Nathan Berman, a Holocaust survivor’s son who immigrated from Ukraine. MetroLoft has converted dozens of office buildings into over 8,000 residential units in New York since 1997. In contrast, Israel has yet to advance office-to-residential conversions on a similar scale.
David emphasized that New York’s strict building regulations and inspections make such failures very unusual. He also clarified that the warning signs in Manhattan were not typical wall cracks but bent columns and noticeable building movement, which occupants should heed as a danger signal. While dismissing concerns about similar collapses in Israel, he highlighted a more significant risk for Israeli buildings: earthquakes. Many older structures in northern and southern Israel lack seismic reinforcement and could collapse in a strong quake.
