Hearst Tower

Hearst Tower realises a dream dating back to the 1920s, when the original six-storey Art Deco block was intended as the base of a tower – something that finally materialised in 2006.

Situated on Eighth Avenue, the new tower emerges effortlessly from the historical 1920s building, connected by a skylight with a flat, horizontal ceiling – giving the impression that the tower is floating. This skirt of glazing allows natural light to flood inside and illuminate the atrium. Hearst Tower was the first ‘green’ office building in New York City and was winner of CTBUH Best Tall Sustainable Building Award in 2007.

Brands: Permasteelisa, Permasteelisa North America

Design architect: Foster + Partners

Architect of record: Adamson Associate Architects

Developer: Tishman Speyer

Contractor: Turner

The project

The concept

The challenge was to blend old and new – with the polyhedron glazed blocks of the tower providing a complementary tone to the pronounced linear trajectories and shapes of the original base. The innovative ‘diagrid’ system consists of a series of four-storey triangles which create the characteristic look of the façade – with each triangle acting as a reinforcing brace for the next as they proceed upwards.

What did we do?

We designed, engineered, manufactured and installed a total of 3,200 customised, unitised façade glass units, of 625 unique sizes and shapes. The overall area supplied was 26,400 sqm.