SITUATION
959 Eighth Avenue has been home to The Hearst Corporation since it was completed in 1928. By 1998, however, Hearst had outgrown the building and retained Tishman Speyer to help find a solution to their space needs. Tishman Speyer was tasked with two objectives: consolidate the various Hearst businesses in a new, modern facility and fulfill William Randolph Hearst's desire that the Corporation remain at its rightful home. As the building is officially designated a New York City landmark, any alterations were subject to the approval of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC).

DEVELOPMENT
Tishman Speyer successfully managed all aspects of the public review process for the project, obtaining approval from the LPC for the overbuild while also seeking an additional 120,000 square feet of development rights related to transit improvements at the Columbus Circle Station.

To help develop a design solution, Tishman Speyer chose Foster and Partners for its combination of experience in iconic high-rise buildings and previous work with historic structures. The development team came up with a unique 21st Century headquarters that would enhance the historic base through a carefully orchestrated dialogue with a modern structure.

The six-story, cast-limestone façade of the original landmark building has been preserved. Grand archways, with double-hung windows restored to their original 1928 shop fronts, stand as a foundation for the spectacular, highly-innovative office tower rising from within. These landmark walls contain a 40,000 sf sky lit atrium/lobby above which rises a finely crafted tower with a triangulated “diagrid” perimeter structural system clad in stainless steel and high performance glass. The tower itself will rise 46 stories and feature panoramic views of midtown Manhattan and Central Park.

The project is registered with the United States Green Building Council and is expected to achieve a LEED Gold rating, making it one of the most energy efficient office towers in the world. Because of its setting in an urban environment, there have been many challenges in meeting the criteria set forth by these programs while maintaining the existing historic landmark facade. Tishman Speyer’s ability to manage such a complex project is being closely recorded as part of developing guidelines for the construction of green buildings in dense urban areas around the world.

VALUE CREATED
In the Hearst Tower, Tishman Speyer is creating a world class, state of the art facility, which allows The Hearst Corporation to consolidate its various entities around New York into one technologically sophisticated headquarters while accommodating its plans for long term growth. Upon completion, the building will set the standard for all subsequent developments in the city and become another unique part of the NY Skyline.