What's Inside the Spires of New York City?

[Music] foreign have you ever wondered why the skyline of New York looks so intimidating well a major factor might be these spiers found across the city on top of the towers of America's most famous architecture and although they're seen from afar not many people know how they look up close or what's inside of them but that all changes today so join me as we discover what's inside the spiers of New York City I'm your host Ryan so cash and you're watching its history [Music] spiers are amazing they add aesthetic appeal a sense of grandeur elegance and Beauty to a building they can make a building look taller and more imposing which can be particularly effective for buildings meant to be landmarks or tourist attractions they also embody symbolism for motifs such as religious Faith national pride or cultural heritage for example a spire on a church may represent a connection to the Divine will Aspire on a government building may represent the strength and power of the state spiers often serve practical purposes as well such as providing a structure for antennas or other communication equipment or ventilation and air circulation in large buildings especially if the Spire is designed to function as a chimney and when it comes to the Stories Behind These spiers of New York their tails are often as enchanting as the impression that the architecture presents starting with four Times Square One of New York's most iconic Office Buildings it was the first of four office Towers to be built around One Time Square today this post-modern building houses the headquarters of scudden one of the world's most prominent law firms at the time of its construction the Empire State development Corps instituted a rule book that set a minimum for the amount of signage on any facade facing Times Square as well as a rule that each Tower had to have a distinctive top to stand out against the skyline with that in mind four Times Square was developed by the Durst organization and designed by Fox and fowl its height up to the top of the Spire is 866 feet and it houses 48 floors and 1.6 million square feet this building was among the first towers of the 42nd Street Redevelopment project and the first of its kind as a sustainable skyscraper adopting several standards for Energy Efficiency indoor air quality tenant Comfort sustainable materials and responsible construction the late architectural critic Hubert muschamp called the building quote a picture of commercial architecture at its most Innovative now let's travel up to the top of this Tower to see what's inside this building is of a split design the Broadway facing side takes on the vibrant brightness of Times Square with the side facing 42nd Street is more suited to the business community of Manhattan its top consists of neon signage and a cluster of Technology the building itself is a mix of various Styles and homage to the combination of life's in the city itself once the world's tallest building between 1899 and 1908 the Park Row building served as a crucial part of New York City's Daily Newspaper industry in the center of newspaper row it was one of the earliest skyscrapers with an estimated 25 000 people passing through daily this Tower was developed by Park ROW construction company and later saw New Life in 1971 as it adopted to the city's growing interests and other kinds of media with this shift it became a hot spot destination for music and electronics with the jnr store today it is one of several surviving late 19th century buildings standing at 30 stories tall a lot has happened inside its walls as it was once home to the offices of the Associated Press News Agency and the August Belmont's interboro Rapid Transit company this building's incredible height and unique plan led to its implementation of many Innovative techno analogies these techniques included a unique concrete floor system for fireproofing a pile and steel Grillage foundation and electric elevators to transport those who traveled throughout the building the interior could accommodate up to 1 000 offices its roof is topped by two multi-story habitable Towers crowned in Copper though they were not well received in their time skyscraper.org reports that critics called them quote insignificant terminations which add nothing these lofty additions are perhaps more appreciated by the modern eye the 40 Wall Street Corporation was formed in 1929 to construct a skyscraper for the Manhattan company aka the bank of Manhattan the skyscraper was contracted by the Starrett Brothers in Eakin who also owned the steric corporation one of the building's principal investors its height is 927 feet which pays tribute to an unspoken requirement of the time as a part of the famous race to the sky during the 1920s during this architectural competition it was set against competitors such as the Chrysler Building whose architect had recently cut ties the race between these two buildings was incredible and a Hot Topic in the papers though it eventually resulted in a loss to the Chrysler Building after it was topped by its secret Spire 40 Wall Street suffered a series of misfortunes falling its defeat including low tenancy until 1944 almost 15 years after its construction tragically in 1946 an army transport plane in route to Newark crashed into its 58th floor claiming the lives of five people [Music] [Applause] in New York City on a foggy evening an army plane seeking a nearby Landing field crashed into the 58th floor of this Wall Street skyscraper parts of the plane bricks and chunks of water fell to the street fortunately New York's downtown financial and business district was deserted at the time 40 Wall Street was purchased in 1992 by the Trump Organization for less than eight million dollars from there it was renovated and it started to see an influx of tenants this gem is topped by a pyramid that is in turn topped by a large spire there is also a public observation deck on its roof said to be on the 69th and 70th floor the Spire also contains machinery and recreational facilities 70 Pine Street also known as the America international building formerly called the city service building was built in the early 1930s by the city Service Company for the oil and gas Baron Henry Dougherty it's Unique Spire topped architectural style comes from the fact that it was also built during the Great race to the sky at 66 stories and 952 feet tall this was the third tallest building in the world when it was completed second only to the Chrysler and empire state buildings it was the last skyscraper to be constructed in lower Manhattan prior to World War II and was the tallest building in Downtown Manhattan until the 1970s when the World Trade Center was completed today it has found success as a residential building described as a mountain peak covered with snow by author Dirk stichwa the Spire rest Atop A 67th floor observation deck it is 124 feet tall and is made up of a 27 foot tall glass Lantern and a stainless steel Pinnacle extending up to 97 feet it was equipped to serve as a beacon seen up to 20 miles away also known as 295 Madison Avenue the left court Colonial building was one of the last buildings developed by Abraham leftcourt it is a 45-story tall neo-gothic tower that is visible throughout the Midtown area while the street level retail space and Lobby have been updated for the modern world its incredible architecture and Decor stands as remnants of a Time long since passed however it was not without its struggles being auctioned off in foreclosure just two years after it was completed as the Great Depression caused the owners Banking and real estate Empire to crumble however it has found new life as a commercial office and now for massive golden Tip finials Top the left court Colonial building they each stand at nine feet tall a picture of Elegance in combination with the buildings Art Deco neo-gothic style the Bank of America tower also known as one Bryant Park was designed by cook and fox Architects as one of the world's most efficient and ecological towers with a price tag of one billion dollars the 55-story tower was topped within architectural spire and opened in 2009 when it was inaugurated this was the fourth tallest building in the city it represents a modern shift in the building's design regarding green buildings with material efficiency water and energy conservation it is the first high-rise office tower in the world that has obtained a prestigious lead Platinum rating apparently its developers were inspired by New York's lost Crystal Palace and the city's many iconic skyscrapers in keeping with its efficient Legacy it contains a gray water rooftop system that conserves recycles and collects water meaning this rooftop was designed to capture as much rain water as possible and to prevent further runoff and with such an Innovative water recycling system it's not uncommon to see plumes of steam rising from the slanted top of the tower now considered a signature landmark of lower Manhattan 14 Wall Street once served as the headquarters of the Bankers Trust Company the building is 37 stories tall and encompasses 1 million square feet it is an official New York City landmark and was among the first buildings to employ the cofferdam foundation system the building was designed in 1912 by a throw bridge in Livingston and a 25-story addition was added between 1931 and 1933. even after Bankers Trust moved employees out of 14 Wall Street to new buildings 14 Wall Street remained as a commercial space around 2001 there were plans to convert the building into residential Condominiums however these plans never went through no doubt its defining feature is its seven-story stepped pyramid top which the city review cites as quote setting an important precedent for the development of boldly topped skyscraper Towers this roof was so distinctive that it even became the bank's logo but this iconic topping isn't just for show underneath it contains record rooms and seven layers of storage space designed by William Van Allen the Chrysler Building is by far one of the most famous buildings in New York City if not the entire world it was built between 1928 and 1930 at the peak of the race to the sky competing against many other buildings for the title of the world's tallest building it stands at 1046 feet briefly holding the title of the world's tallest building until 1931 when the Empire State Building opened Walter P Chrysler commissioned this building and as such many stainless steel automobile motifs were Incorporated in various parts of the skyscraper its stainless steel Spire the same Spire that was Kept Secret during the race to the sky was unveiled to assure its Victory it is without a doubt the building's most striking trade should you catch a rare Glimpse inside the Spire you'd see an abstract almost Labyrinth view of ladders concrete and crawl spaces the few from inside is nothing short of breathtaking if not dizzying from Such Great Heights undoubtedly one of the most iconic buildings in the United States is the Empire State Building remaining Timeless throughout the years like the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street it was built during the fierce competition to create the tallest skyscraper in the world upon its completion its total height was 1250 feet but after the addition of a 222 foot antenna in 1950 its height reached a soaring 1472 feet this would later be reduced in 1985 to 1 454 feet after the antenna was replaced the primary people behind this project were John J raskop and L Smith building on the former site of the original Waldorf Astoria Hotel its iconic Spire originally meant to serve as a mooring station for airships is home to a private deck on the 103rd floor the 103rd floor is certainly not for the faint of heart and although its views are beautiful they can be head spinning beneath it is the observation deck on the 102nd floor which is open to visitors who want to take in the sights the General Electric building was built to create a presence for the up-and-coming radio Victor Corporation of America or more simply the RCA Corporation a subsidiary of General Electric one of the most prominent electric companies in history at the time it was at the Forefront of the radio and Communications industry as such the building is decorated as a testament to the company that it once housed with its sharp lines and colors it mirrors electricity radio waves and Sparks this masterpiece was designed by Architects Crossing cross in 1931 who had a difficult task ahead of them you see they had to create a building for General Electric that would also blend in with the nearby Saint Bartholomew's Church Crossing Crossroads to the challenge and the General Electric building opened to critical Acclaim General Electric occupied the building until it moved to Fairfield Connecticut in the 1970s top of the General Electric building is reminiscent of a torch lit up by daylight or perhaps even a Regal Crown the sharp points and curves serve as homage to radio waves and it's a Marvel to behold at night when it's lit from within and inside the upper floors you can find a spiral staircase set in Brick leading up to the outside of the crown with a breathtaking view of the city below spiers are not unique to New York City in fact we did an entire episode about what's on the rooftops of Texas's most famous buildings and I think you'll be shocked at what we discovered the news gets better we actually have enough additional video footage from New York to make part two of the series but if you want that to happen let me know by clicking subscribe join and like also show some support for photographer Max Tui our dear friend and viewer for providing the Beautiful video footage found in this episode his information and links are in the description until next time this is Ryan silkash signing off

Channel: IT'S HISTORY

Views: 53,416

Keywords: Ryan Socash, New York City, New York City Skyscrapers, New York City Architecture, It's History New York City, New York City History, New York City Buildings, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, 40 Wall Street, General Electric, General Electric Building, 14 Wall Street, Bank of America Tower, One Bryant Park, Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Avenue, 70 Pine Street, American International Building, Cities Service Building, Manhattan Co. Building, Trump Tower

Id: RqQuTlzpWqE

Length: 16min 16sec (976 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 25 2023