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Ms. Sicola
Real World Engineering
11 November 2015
History of the Hearst
The original Hearst tower was an artdeco base. Artdeco was the most dominant
decoration style between the 1920s and 1930s. The use of artdeco is based off precise
geometrical shapes and figures. This 1928 building served as the headquarters for William
Randolph Hearst’s Magazine Company. Constructed of limestone, the original Hearst Tower
stood at six stories tall. At the time this was an exceptionally large building, but nearly a century
later, architect Norman Foster commissioned the idea to develop fortysix more stories atop the
six story base. At a location of 300 W. 57th Street, New York City the now one hundred
eightytwo meter tall building, known as the Hearst Tower is one of the many icons in the New
York City skyline.
Sir Norman Foster is a highly successful and idolized architect. He is known for his use
of steel and glass to create his modern,sleek designs of buildings. Born in England, the young
architect got an education and degrees at both Yale University and the University of Manchester.
Four years after his time in college, Norman Foster was able to develop his own firm called
Foster Associates (Later becoming Foster + Partners). Early on, Foster’s work focused on the
idea of a “shed,” which was a building or structure that had an outer shell. Some of Foster’s most
successful work consisted of the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts which was completed in
1978, and the Headquarters for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. He brought
the idea of elevators to the outside of buildings, where they could be far more accessible.
Many normal tourists or common people may not see the incredible design of the Hearst
Tower in Manhattan. With the Hearst Tower still standing, Norman Foster was able to create a
building with absolutely no vertical columns. Every column in the Hearst Tower is inwardly
slanted or outwards, stretching the span of every four floors. After going up four floors, any
person could see the change in direction of the columns. This alternate pattern of the slanted
columns helped to add to the structurally sound development and success of the fortysix story
tower. Each and every floor is tied to these slanted columns at the far edges, allowing people
inside the building workspace to work efficiently and change the interior layout without any
restrictions. The triangular, crossing design seems like an unpopular type and a first of its kind,
but actually it is not an original Norman Foster Design. The idea Norman Foster had sprouted
from the original design of the Hall of Nations created by Raj Rewal. The Hall of Nations is a
building in the capital of India which is New Delhi. This structure in New Delhi utilizes the
influential triangular concept and the slanted columns also found in the modern Hearst Tower.
Functionality of the Hearst Tower remains the same as a century prior. The function of
the Hearst Tower is to serve as the headquarters for the popular newspaper and news source:
Hearst Corporation. William Randolph Hearst, founder of Hearst Corporation serves a major
reason in the development for the Hearst Tower. Offices located in the Hearst Tower were
designed for maximum efficiency.
Factors and challenges Foster had to face to perfect the Hearst Tower were based on
weather. The weather in New York contains many variables like hurricanes and earthquakes.
Norman Foster and his enterprise were able to replicate the triangular intercrossing from the
Hall of Nations. This exterior/interior frame was highly successful in the resistance of
earthquakes and other natural disasters. The Hearst Tower was constructed with the environment
in mind. The majority of the Hearst is constructed with the use of steel; over 9,500 tons of steel
was used to add to the structure of the Hearst Tower.. The steel utilized in the development is
eighty percent recycled (“Hearst Tower in New York City”). The floor has a system of
polyethylene tubes to cool and heat the building. In order to chill the lobby efficiently Foster +
Partners added a large, three story tall water sculpture. The huge waterfall was given the
nickname “Ice Fall.” Also, in the basement is a a tank to collect rainfall and excess water to use
for the cooling system and to help plants survive in the building also. “This building uses around
25% less energy than general energy requirement in New York City” (“Hearst Tower in New
York City”).
The Hearst Tower addition of 2006 was a very influential success of the
twentyfirst century. I believe the success of Norman and Fosters will continue to inspire future
buildings. The methods Norman Foster developed and used were highly efficient. He was able to
replicate a highly unorthodox design and keep it structurally sound. His techniques consisted of
very green and environmentally friendly actions. The ideas to recycle used steel and collect rain
water can and should be used in future buildings because it can save immense amounts of
money. The glass outer design is very appealing and has been used often after the publicity of
Foster’s addition to the William Randolph Hearst Tower. Norman Foster was successful in many
ways including the fact of saving the environment and changing the history of architecture.
Shown above is the Hall oF Nations developed by architect Raj Rewal, the Hearst Tower’s main influence.
Depicted to the left is the exterior of theHearst Tower, displaying the triangular, slanted beams Foster used.
To the right is a photograph of the interior of the Hearst Tower lobby. Beside the escalators is the waterfall surrounded by glass, commonly known as Hearst’s “IceFall”
Works Cited
"AIA CitiesHearst Tower." Hearst Tower . American Institute of Architects, n.d. Web. 16 Nov.
2015.
"Hearst Tower in New York City." Hearst Tower in New York City . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
"Hearst Tower, New York City." Hearst Tower, New York City . Foster and Partners, n.d. Web. 16
Nov. 2015.
Zukowsky, John. "Lord Norman Foster | British Architect." Encyclopedia Britannica Online .
Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
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