The project was announced on December 13, 2001, entailing the erection of a 52-story tower on the east side of Eighth Avenue between 40th and 41st Street across from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Bus Terminal. The project, in conjunction with the Hearst Tower, represents the further westward expansion of Midtown along Eighth Avenue – a corridor that had seen no construction following the completion in 1989 of One Worldwide Plaza. In addition, the new building—called by many New Yorkers “The New Times Tower”—keeps the paper in the Times Square area, which was named after the paper following its move to the original Times Tower on 42nd Street in 1904.
The New York Times Building is promoted as a green structure, though it is not LEED certified. The design incorporates many features for increased energy efficiency. The curtain wall, fully glazed with low-e glass, maximizes natural light within the building while the ceramic-rod screen helps block direct sunlight and reduce cooling loads. Mechanized shades controlled by sensors reduce glare, while more than 18,000 individually dimmable fluorescent fixtures supplement natural light, providing a real energy savings of 30 percent.
A natural gas cogeneration plant provides 40 percent of the electrical power to The New York Times Company‘ space within the building, with the waste heat used for heating and cooling. Floors occupied by The New York Times Company utilize a raised floor system that allows for underfloor air distribution, which requires less cooling than a conventional ducted system. The building also incorporates free-air cooling, bringing in outside air when it is cooler than the interior space, which saves additional energy. In excess of 95% of the structural steel was recycled. The building, like many in midtown Manhattan, has no on-site parking, with most employees arriving by public transit. Since December 2007, building management has provided an indoor parking area for 20 bicycles. The story of the tower’s construction is showcased at the Liberty Science Center‘s exhibition “Skyscraper! Achievement and Impact”.
[caption id="attachment_230694" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Plan of an ideal city of 100 000 inhabitants by Jean-Jacques Moll from 1801[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regiona...
[caption id="attachment_160810" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Rüdesheim on the Rhine around 1900[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Rüdesheim is a winemaking town in the Rhine Gorge and thereby part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It l...