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Hearst Tower, New York
Architect: Norman Foster & Partners
The dazzling glass facades with their triangular structure (diagrid frame) of this new building inaugurated on the 9th of October on 8th Avenue are not the only attractive feature of the Hearst Tower. In fact, what has earned it its reputation is the LEED* certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. Standing 182 metres high (46 floors, 67,000 m²), this is the first office tower in New York to obtain an environmental certification. |
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Built in 1928 by Joseph Urban on behalf of the press magnate William Randolph Hearst, the tower that was to crown the six-storey base was never added due to the onslaught of the Great Depression. The stone Art Deco facades, granted architectural heritage status by the city, today serve as a foundation for the new building that shoots from it like a missile. The « Hearst Tower » is the first office tower in North America not to position the steel beams of it facade vertically but obliquely.
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While reinforcing the stability of the structure, this geometric grid with undeniable graphic qualities makes it possible to use 20% less steel (partially recycled) compared with a conventional structure. The external glass with low emissivity filters the sun's rays, only allowing natural light to enter and not the heat, so as not to have to use air conditioning in summer. In winter, it acts as a protective shell and insulates the building from the outside.
Inside the offices, captors control the supply of artificial light according to the quantity of natural light present on each floor. Movement detectors placed on each floor control the occupancy of the premises and, if necessary, automatically switch off the light and the computer monitors. All the measures put in place should reduce electricity consumption by 25%. The same economy is achieved on water consumption thanks to the roof design, which collects a part of the rainwater and channels it towards a large reservoir situated on the underground level. This reserve is then used to water the plants in the building and to regulate air humidity.
*Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
© PHOTOS Hearst Corporation |
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