Tall Buildings in Numbers

New York City Scrapers By Nathaniel Hollister, Jan Klerks & Antony Wood (all at CTBUH)

New York’s dramatic skyline, over a century in the making, has for years been the envy of cities around the world. From the very birth of the tall building typology, New York has been at the forefront of the scene. Even as recently as the , alone contained over 50% of the world’s 150 m+ buildings. The city’s accomplishments, including both historic and under construction buildings, are impressive when examined in isolation as well as a part of the global whole. The study below examines the make-up and historical development of the New York City . In 2010, The Bank of America Tower became the tallest building completed in New York City since the completion of World Trade Midtown 150 m+ buildings By the end of 2011, 221 buildings 150 meters or taller will Center Two in 1973. It was recognized as the CTBUH Best Tall exist in New York City. This number, more than any other 12%(20) Building Americas Winner in 2010. city save Hong Kong, makes up nearly 9% of the global 7%(11) 168 buildings Completion Date: total and 34% of the buildings in the United States. 76% 20%(33) 2009 of NYC total 63%(105) Architectural Height: In addition to these impressive figures, New York City has 366 m (1,200 ft) Stories: enjoyed a large number of records, including being the 55 Function Primary Use: location of the first 150 meter building and the first Office supertall. Structural Material: Hearst Magazine Tower Composite Map: Location of New York City Including all buildings 150m+

Office Hotel Other Residential Mixed-use Center

New York Times Tower Notes: 1. Three of New York’s 150 m+ buildings are not located GE Building in and therefore not included in this map: The Brooklyner, Brooklyn; One Hanson Place, Brooklyn; and the Citicorp Building, . Perhaps New York’s most iconic 2. 150 meters was chosen as the minimum height threshold skyscraper, the Empire State for this study to ensure accuracy of information. Building was the world’s tallest building for an unprecedented 41 years, from 1931–1972. It was then replaced by New York’s 1 World Trade Center which was, after two years, surpassed by Chicago’s Sears Tower in 1974.

Metropolitan Life Tower Completion Date: 1931 Architectural Height: 381 m (1,250 ft) Stories: New York’s One World Trade Financial District 150 m+ buildings 102 Center, developed by the Port Primary Use: Authority of New York & New 2%(1) 8%(4) Office Jersey, is set to become North 6%(3) Structural Material: America’s tallest building when 50 buildings Steel it completes in 2013, surpassing 23% 16%(8) Chicago’s Willis Tower by 99 of NYC total 68%(34) meters (325 feet).

Completion Date: 2013 (est.) Function Architectural Height: Eight Spruce Street, 541 m (1,776 ft) completed in 2011, is North Stories: America’s tallest residential 104 building and is being Primary Use: recognized as the CTBUH Best Office Tall Building Americas Winner in Structural Material: 2011. Composite The Singer Building, Completion Date: Thurgood Marshall completed in 1908, was the 1908 U.S. Court House Completion Date: world’s first building over 150 Architectural Height: 2011 One World Financial Center meters and held the title of 186 m (612 ft) Architectural Height: “World’s Tallest” for one year, Stories: American International Building 265 m (870 ft) before being surpassed by New 47 Stories: York’s 213-meter Metropolitan Primary Use: 76 Life Tower. The Singer Building Office Primary Use: was demolished in 1968 and Structural Material: Residential holds the record for tallest Steel Structural Material: planned demolition. Concrete

54 | Tall Building in Numbers CTBUH Journal | 2011 Issue III Timeline of New York City Skyscraper Completion Dots represent buildings: completion year and height; bars represent total number of buildings completed each year

Office Hotel Other Residential Mixed-use Demolished

1925 1950 1975 2000 2011

7 buildings 45 buildings 111 buildings 180 buildings 221 buildings 3% 20% 50% 81% 100% of 2011 total of 2011 total of 2011 total of 2011 total of 2011 total

400 m 10 bldgs 1931: 1972: 1 and 2010: Bank of America Tower

350 m 8 bldgs 1931: Most active year to 1930: The Chrysler Building date, 10 buildings completed 2007: New York Times Tower (world’s first supertall, 319m)

1932: American International Building 300 m 6 bldgs 1930: Bank of Manhattan 1977: Citigroup Center 9/11 1980s: Most active 1933: GE Building decade to date, 44 2011: Eight Spruce Street buildings completed 1913: Woolworth Building 1960: JPMorganChase Tower 250 m 1909: Metropolitan 4 bldgs Life Tower 1929-1939: Great depression 1973-1974: Oil Crisis 1920-1929: “Roaring 20s” 1908: Singer 1936: Thurgood Marshall Building 1914-1918: WWI U.S. Court House 200 m 2 bldgs 1914: Municipal Building 1937-1949: Longest period of tall building inactivity (1939-1945: WWII)

150 m 0 bldgs 1900 19101920 1930 1940 19501960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2011

History of the “World’s Tallest Building” According to CTBUH Height Criteria: Height to Architectural Top

NYC Buildings Non-NYC Buildings

Home World Manhattan Singer Metropoli- Woolworth Bank of Chrysler Empire State One World Sears Tower Petronas Towers Taipei 101 Burj Khalifa Insurance Building Life Building Building tan Life Building Manhattan Building Building Trade Center Chicago 1 & 2 Taipei Dubai Building New York Building New York New York Tower New York Building New York New York New York 1974 Kuala Lumpur 2004 2010 Chicago 1890 New York 1899 1908 New York 1913 New York 1930 1931 1972 442 m 1998 508 m 828 m 1885 94 m 1894 119 m 187 m 1909 241 m 1930 319 m 381 m 417 m 1,451 ft 452 m 1,667 ft 2,717 ft 55 m 309 ft 106 m 391 ft 612 ft 213 m 792 ft 283 m 1,046 ft 1,250 ft 1,368 ft 1,483 ft 180 ft 348 ft 700 ft 927 ft

+3939 m +1212 m +1313 m +6+68 m +26 m +2828 m +4+42 m +36 m +6+62 m +36 m +2525 m +1010 m +56 m +320320 m +129129 ftft +3939 ftft +4+43 ftft +221221 ftft +8888 ftft +9292 ftft +135135 fftt +118118 fftt +20204 ftft +118118 fftt +8383 fftt +3232 ftft +18184 fftt +1,050050 ftft

+7+711%% +13%13% +12%12% +57% +14% +13%13% +17% +13%13% +19%19% +9%9% +6+6% +2%2% +12%12% +6+63%3%

60% 59% 85 39 A remarkable 10 of the 16 52% of 145 As late as 1970, New Far from slowing after 85 skyscrapers which have of 165 York City contained 52% the events of 9/11, 39 40% enjoyed the title of the 34% of the world’s 150 m+ buildings 150 m+ have 221 world’s tallest were located of 654 buildings and 59% of 16 completed in NYC in New York, giving the city 20% USA buildings. These from 2002–2011, 18% the title for a combined 9% numbers are now at 9% of the city’s current 221 of 2480 1992– 2002– total. total of 84 out of 126 years. 0% and 34% respectively. 2001 2011 1970 2011

CTBUH Journal | 2011 Issue III Tall Building in Numbers | 55