The New York Times Building is a skyscraper located in the Midtown area of Manhattan. Its total height, including its antenna, is 1046 feet, which places it at the top of the tallest buildings in New York.
Built-in 2007, it was commissioned by the New York Times Company, a prestigious media company.
A very dynamic skyscraper
The New York Times Building is located at number 620 on 8th Avenue, between 40th and 41st Street. This neighborhood has changed a lot since the mid-2000s. In addition to the construction of this building, we also saw the arrival of the Hearst Tower.
The New York Building has a very original exterior appearance that can be seen in the layout of its straight lines and in the double wall of its facade. Indeed, this building is built around a steel structure that forms a chain of cables and cruciform wires at the level of the large windows.
It was designed by the architect Renzo Piano, who participated in the construction of the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Paul Knee Center in Bern.
The building consists of alternating panes of glass with a ceramic membrane that acts as a solar filter. This “second skin” allows a homogeneous distribution of natural light.
From the street, one can observe what is happening inside the building and vice versa. This deliberate choice by Renzo Piano took the opposite view of the existing skyscrapers. Seen from the outside, skyscrapers seem devoid of life and what goes on inside seems to be a state secret.
A green building
On the first floor, the building seems to be suspended in the void. One enters a huge public square where the vegetable garden is located before entering the building.
There are many skylights in this building, especially on the floors where the editorial offices of the New York Times and the International New York Times are located.
The technical features and certain equipment are designed to make this skyscraper an environmentally friendly building.
The double wall, automated shade shutter system, dimmable lighting system, or floor air distribution system are the main features of this sustainable design.
There is also a large garden on the roof of the building and inside the tower, one can walk through a flowered atrium.
The New York Times Building in numbers
Construction of the New York Times Building began in 2004. The opening ceremony took place on November 19, 2007.
In total, the building measures a little over 318 meters. Its roof stops at 227 meters, on which rests a large glass wall and an antenna.
It is the 5th largest building in New York after the: One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, the Bank of America Tower, and the Chrysler Building.
The building has 52 floors. The New York Times Company occupies the first 28 floors. The others are rented to different companies.
There are 32 elevators. The 378-seat auditorium is adjacent to the first-floor vegetable garden.
You can walk through the vegetable garden and access the auditorium, but the rest of the building is for rental use, so you can’t visit it.
