Carnegie Hall Tower

Carnegie Hall Tower
Map
General information
Location152 West 57th Street
Manhattan, New York
Coordinates40°45′53″N 73°58′47″W / 40.7648°N 73.9797°W / 40.7648; -73.9797
Construction started1988
Completed1991
OwnerTF Cornerstone
Height
Roof757 ft (231 m)
Technical details
Floor count60
Design and construction
Architect(s)César Pelli
Structural engineerRosenwasser/Grossman
Cosentini Associates

Carnegie Hall Tower is a skyscraper at 152 West 57th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1990 and designed by César Pelli, the building measures 757 feet (231 m) tall with 60 stories. Due to the presence of Carnegie Hall and the Russian Tea Room on adjacent sites, the tower is only 50 feet (15 m) wide on 57th Street, making it among the world's most slender skyscrapers at its completion.

Carnegie Hall Tower is designed with a red-and-orange brick facade and cast-concrete decorations, both inspired by the older structure. The tower rises above a six-story base, which contains a setback from 57th Street. The structure has an L-shaped plan through the 42nd floor and a rectangular plan above that story. The superstructure is made of concrete, with a core made of two connected concrete tubes. The building was designed with 485,000 square feet (45,100 m2) for offices and 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) for Carnegie Hall's offstage facilities. Each of the upper floors contains between 8,000 and 14,000 square feet (740 and 1,300 m2). The design was largely praised by architectural critics upon its completion.

The site of Carnegie Hall Tower was occupied by the Rembrandt Apartments until 1963, after which it served as a parking lot. In late 1980, the corporation and the New York City government signed a memorandum of understanding, which allowed the potential development of a skyscraper on the lot. Following a failed proposal to combine the lot with another site to the east, Rockrose Development Corporation was selected as the developer in May 1985. Construction began in late 1987 after approvals from various city agencies. After the building opened, the upper floors were marketed to small tenants, and the tower had some of New York City's most expensive office space by the 21st century.