by William Lebovich

Pritzker Prize laureate Norman Foster is a master of levitating buildings of dubious design, treatment, or association to the pantheon of architectural icons. The Hearst Tower in Manhattan, which he designed in collaboration with architects Adamson Associates and Gensler, is the most recent example of this resuscitation.

The 42-story glass- and metal-skinned tower is characterized by a large diagonal grid, emphasized by vertically alternating recessed and projecting multistory corner triangles.

The tower sits atop the six-story cast-stone building designed by Joseph Urban for the Hearst Company headquarters, completed in 1928. The tower, which opened in October 2006 to immediate acclaim, remains true to the design concerns — blending architectural articulation with engineering efficiency — which Foster started exploring as far back as 1967, when he opened his first office.

According to Foster + Partners, the tower was constructed using 85 percent recycled steel and designed to consume 26 percent less energy than its conventional neighbors. It is New York City's first new occupied office building to have been given a LEED-Gold rating by the U.S. Green Buildings Council.   >>>

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Hearst Tower in Manhattan, by Norman Foster with architects Adamson Associates and Gensler. Photo: William Lebovich Steel and glass tower emerges from 1928 cast stone building by Joseph Urban. Photo: William Lebovich   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.