Foster + Partners recently revealed its design for a new skyscraper that combines a supertall stature with a significant number of sustainability features. The building, named 270 Park Avenue, will reach an impressive height of 1,388 ft (423 m) in New York City and will incorporate recycled materials and feature a focus on natural ventilation and water-saving design.
To put its height into perspective, 270 Park Avenue will be placed at roughly 31 in the official CTBUH world’s tallest skyscraper rankings and 7th-tallest in North America. Its exterior styling is, like KPF’s recent One Vanderbilt, meant to pay homage to NYC’s proud architectural history and will feature a distinctive stepped design that’s also raised slightly to improve views on the ground.
“The concept for the new design was to create a timeless addition to Park Avenue, which celebrates the city’s iconic architectural history and serves as a powerful new symbol for the next generation of office towers in New York,” explained Foster + Partners. “Using a state-of-the-art structural system to negotiate the site constraints below and at ground level, the innovative fan-column structure and triangular bracing allow the building to touch the ground lightly across the entire block. By lifting the building about 80 ft (24 m) off the ground, it extends the viewpoint from the Park Avenue entrance through to Madison Avenue.”
The skyscraper will serve as the new headquarters for investment banking firm JPMorgan Chase and host up to 14,000 employees. Its interior will consist of 60 floors, most of which will be given over to flexible column-free office space. As with many other office spaces being built post-COVID-19, natural ventilation is a primary focus and air quality will be monitored for the benefit of employees’ health. There will also be generous communal spaces, fitness facilities, medical spaces, a large food hall, and other amenities.
Foster + Partners says the building will achieve net zero operational emissions and we expect to learn more on this aspect as the project progresses. It will be the city’s largest all-electric tower (NYC has banned the use of gas in new buildings) and will be fully powered by a New York State hydroelectric plant. AI systems and machine learning will be used in tandem with building monitoring systems to predict, respond and adapt to the energy needs of the staff.
Additionally, water storage and reuse systems will decrease water usage by over 40 percent compared to similar buildings, says Foster + Partners, plus the demolition that was carried out on the build site – an act which itself came under criticism as it involved destroying a relatively new LEED Platinum tower – involved recycling, reusing or upcycling 97 percent of the building materials. Triple-pane glazing used on the facade and automatic solar shades will also be connected to HVAC systems to reduce heating and cooling needs.
The building is currently under construction and is slated to be completed in 2025.
NYC supertall skyscraper will go big on sustainable design [New Atlas]