Opulent Living

When the word “skyscraper” is said, what comes to mind? I would assume the Empire State Building comes to mind immediately. Or perhaps things like sleepless in Seattle, high rise apartments, or not being able to see the skyline! Whatever you may think of skyscrapers, they are pretty interesting! They are an undeniable architectural feat and a clear example of modern architecture.

Since I am not an interior design or architecture major, I assumed that a skyscraper was a generic term for a tall building. However, according to Carl W. Condit and Dietrich Neumann, a skyscraper is a “multi-story building designed for human occupancy”. The first building that received the term “skyscraper” was Queen Anne’s mansions which were 10 stories high when it was completed in the mid

Burj Khalifa (Guiness)

1870’s and was increased to 12 stories in 1877 (Keegan). Comparing that 141-foot building to the current tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, whose height is 2,716 ft 6 in, humans have made an exponential improvement in our capability to build towards the heavens (Guiness World Records)!

As is human nature, the desire to build things that are bigger and better pushed architects to find a way to safely increase the height of these important buildings. To do this, the development of the skyscraper was dependent on iron and “steel-framing techniques” (Condit and Neumann). Another key element of the increase in skyscrapers was the development of the elevator (Condit and Neumann). Thanks to Elisha Graves Otis, the inventor of the steam-driven elevator with a safety brake, people were able to move between floors safely (Condit and Neumann). Her invention was superseded by the development of electrically powered elevators in 1887 (Condit and Neumann).

Temporary construction elevator (Kelechava)

As I mentioned, I am not currently studying interior design or architecture, however my sister is an interior designer. When I asked her to tell me something interesting about skyscrapers, the first thing she mentioned was that they are built from the inside out. Because of how long, wide, and heavy elevators are, the rest of the building has to be built around the elevator! How cool is that?? She also explained that since those elevators are typically not usable while the skyscraper is getting built, construction workers will use a temporary construction elevator and there are specific requirements that must be met in order for them to be considered safe.

To further expand my knowledge about skyscrapers, I watched the “Billionaire Building” segment of Super Skyscrapers by PBS. The episode aired on February 26, 2014, and covers work that was completed in 2013. The “Billionaire Building” covers the final stages of building One 57, a combination hotel and condominium in New York. One 57 is the passion project of Gary Barnet, a prior jewelry salesman. At the time that it was being built, the goal was for One 57 to be the tallest residential building in New York City. It is a 30-story building with a 5-star hotel inside. The mastermind architect behind the project is Christian de Portzamparc. With the title “Billionaire Building” you can already assume who the target market is. To live there in 2013, the cheapest apartment was 6 million dollars! The penthouse was expected to sale for 100 million dollars! I checked the website for the condominiums and there is a one bedroom/one bathroom available for the price of $3,950,000.

One57 -  New York (Portzamparc)

Watching this documentary had me on the edge of my seat. Everything in this building, from the floor to ceiling windows that look out onto Central Park to the overpriced Carrara marble bathroom, was expensive. The episode begins with a preview of the model room for this hotel/condo combo. The building was under construction for four years, so the sales team and investors were anxious to start making money on this project. However, in April of 2013 the building was still under construction so to encourage buyers to plan to move into the unfinished building, the team built a model room outside of One 57. Viewing was available by invitation only. In order to provide potential customers with an idea of the view they would experience from the hotel, the owner arranged to have a drone record the very view that customers can expect when they live there. Truly no expense was spared in the creation of these condos.

To encourage future tenants to spend millions on their home, the owner filled the apartment with top-of-the-line luxury! The cabinets were imported from a small bespoke carpenter in the UK. PBS interviewed the carpenter and they explained that they do not mass produce their cabinetry and it takes 16 weeks to make one kitchen. In order to complete the project on time, they implemented some mass production techniques but made sure to stay true to the high level of quality that they are known for. The penthouse kitchen also boasts two fridges, two stoves, and two dishwashers. As one of the sales agents pointed out in the documentary, those appliances are not for the tenants. They are meant for the chefs and caterers that are employed by the billionaire tenants.

Speaking of no expense spared, Roy Kim oversaw the Carrara Marble aspect of the project. The marble came 

Bathroom in One57 (Houzz)

from a small quarry in Italy, and Roy Kim went right to the source to inspect the opulent marble before it was supposed to be installed in the bathrooms. When he arrived on April 8, he was not impressed with what the owner of the quarry had picked out for him, so he looked at every piece of Carrara marble that the quarry had to offer. I will admit, watching Roy Kim be so particular about minor issues in the marble was a little frustrating! Then again, if I was paying more than 6 million dollars to live somewhere and my marble tub had too many cracks or ugly marbling, I might be a little upset. When he finally made his decision, he picked five four-meter-long blocks of Carrara marble worth $130,000 each. Each block was turned into 2 bathtubs and 2 benches. The final products were delivered on September 9.

Stepping away from the opulence of the building, the documentary had 2 moments where I had to hold my breath and sip my tea. The first was when PBS covered the installation of a 20 ton, fully rotating telescopic crane that would be used to clean the 8,400 windows on the building. The crane was lifted by a crane that was operated by Kurt, and it took 20 minutes to safely lift the window washer. Before the crane was lifted, all of the windows were installed. So, if there happened to be a strong breeze or a slight slip of the crane, it could result in the 20-ton crane window washer crashing into the windows on the side of the building! Thankfully, Kurt used his years of experience and safely lifted the crane to the roof. The second moment was when PBS covered May 4 at 8 pm. At that time, a crew had to lift and place 9 polished stainless-steel panels that were worth $100,000 each. As if that wasn’t complicated enough, they had to fit the panels through a 3-foot-wide curtain wall on the side of the building. Just like with the crane, they could not drop, hit, or scratch anything on the expensive building. This installation was also a success!

Because of its high price, few people will ever step foot inside One 57. However, by December of 2013 the sales team reached their goal of selling 2 billion dollars’ worth of condos. The main customers for housing of this kind are Hollywood celebrities, sports agents, and brokers in New York City. This skyscraper may not be the tallest skyscraper in the world but absolutely no expense was spared in its creation.

References:

Condit, Carl W., and Dietrich Neumann. "Skyscraper." Grove Art Online. 2003. Oxford University Press. Date of access 12 Sep. 2023, https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000079154

Guiness World Records. Burj Khalifa: The tallest building in the world. 1 October 2009. 13 September 2023.

Keegan, Victor. Vic Keegan’s Lost London 58: the Queen Anne’s Mansions ‘monster blocks’. 21 September 2018. 13 September 2023.

Kelechava, Brad. Temporary Construction Elevator Safety Requirements. 2 March 2016. 13 September 2023.

“One57 - New York.” Christian de Portzamparc, 10 Feb. 2020, www.christiandeportzamparc.com/en/projects/one57/.