Bloomberg Tower
Encyclopedia
Bloomberg Tower is a 1400000 sq ft (130,064.3 m²) glass skyscraper
on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan
, New York City
. It houses the headquarters of Bloomberg L.P.
, retail outlets, restaurants and 105 luxury condominiums
. The residences are known as One Beacon Court and are served by a separate entrance. The tower is the 15th tallest building in New York City and the 46th tallest in the United States. It stands at 55 stories tall, reaching 806 ft (245.7 m).
Located at 731 Lexington Avenue, the building occupies the same block where Alexander's
department store once stood. It opened in 2004.
and César Pelli & Associates
served as the design architect.
The building comprises a full city block between Lexington and Third avenues and 58th and 59th streets. The complex features two towers constructed above a steel office and retail section, separated by a seven-story atrium. The design of the courtyard at One Beacon Court, which connects 58th and 59th streets, was inspired by other historic New York enclosures, like Grand Central Station, the reading room of the New York Public Library
and the skating rink at Rockefeller Center
. Glass walls curve around the perimeter of the courtyard, tilting slightly inward as they rise.
in the Aug. 6, 2007 issue of New Yorker magazine, lauded the Bloomberg offices as "a newsroom truly designed for the electronic age ... a dazzling work environment tucked inside a refined but conventional skyscraper." By 2011, Bloomberg L.P. added another 200000 sq ft (18,580.6 m²) of office space at 731 Lexington Avenue and announced plans to expand to an additional 400000 sq ft (37,161.2 m²) in the former Philip Morris building at 120 Park Avenue.
Primary retail tenants include the first large national chains to open stores in the neighborhood, namely The Home Depot
, H&M
and The Container Store
. The tower is also home to Sirio Maccioni's
Le Cirque
restaurant which moved from The New York Palace Hotel
in 2006.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It houses the headquarters of Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
, retail outlets, restaurants and 105 luxury condominiums
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
. The residences are known as One Beacon Court and are served by a separate entrance. The tower is the 15th tallest building in New York City and the 46th tallest in the United States. It stands at 55 stories tall, reaching 806 ft (245.7 m).
Located at 731 Lexington Avenue, the building occupies the same block where Alexander's
Alexander's
Alexander's was a department store chain in the New York metropolitan area. Catering to low- and middle-income consumers, Alexander's offered discounted designer fashions and high-quality private label goods. At its height, the company operated 16 stores. Its advertising slogan was "You'll find...
department store once stood. It opened in 2004.
Construction and design
Construction on Bloomberg Tower began in 2001, three years after the vacant Alexander's department store was demolished. The building was developed by Vornado Realty TrustVornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust is a New York based real estate investment trust. It is the inheritor of real estate formerly controlled by companies including Two Guys and Alexander's.- History :...
and César Pelli & Associates
César Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
served as the design architect.
The building comprises a full city block between Lexington and Third avenues and 58th and 59th streets. The complex features two towers constructed above a steel office and retail section, separated by a seven-story atrium. The design of the courtyard at One Beacon Court, which connects 58th and 59th streets, was inspired by other historic New York enclosures, like Grand Central Station, the reading room of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
and the skating rink at Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
. Glass walls curve around the perimeter of the courtyard, tilting slightly inward as they rise.
Tenants
Bloomberg L.P., seeking to consolidate its operations into one space, negotiated a deal with Vornado Realty Trust to lease 700000 sq ft (65,032.1 m²) of office space at the base of the tower, even though One Beacon Court was originally intended to be a residential building. As part of the deal, Bloomberg was able to design the office to suit the company's needs, which included space for rows of uniform desks for approximately 4,000 employees and a large central atrium known as the Link that overlooks the courtyard. Paul GoldbergerPaul Goldberger
Paul Goldberger is the Architecture Critic for The New Yorker, where since 1997 he has written the magazine's celebrated "Sky Line" column. He also holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at The New School in New York City...
in the Aug. 6, 2007 issue of New Yorker magazine, lauded the Bloomberg offices as "a newsroom truly designed for the electronic age ... a dazzling work environment tucked inside a refined but conventional skyscraper." By 2011, Bloomberg L.P. added another 200000 sq ft (18,580.6 m²) of office space at 731 Lexington Avenue and announced plans to expand to an additional 400000 sq ft (37,161.2 m²) in the former Philip Morris building at 120 Park Avenue.
Primary retail tenants include the first large national chains to open stores in the neighborhood, namely The Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
, H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
and The Container Store
The Container Store
The Container Store is a specialty retail chain that sells storage solutions for home and office.On July 1, 1978, The Container Store opened its doors in a small, retail space in Dallas...
. The tower is also home to Sirio Maccioni's
Sirio Maccioni
Sirio Maccioni is a restaurateur and author.He was awarded the Impresario del’ Anno award at Affreschi Toscani...
Le Cirque
Le Cirque
Le Cirque is a French restaurant in Manhattan owned and operated by Sirio Maccioni. It first opened at the Mayfair Hotel in 1974. It closed and reopened as Le Cirque 2000 at the Palace Hotel in 1997. The latest installation of Le Cirque opened in 2006 in the Bloomberg Tower building at One Beacon...
restaurant which moved from The New York Palace Hotel
The New York Palace Hotel
The New York Palace blends the historic landmark Villard Mansion with a modern 55-story tower. Located at the center of Manhattan in Midtown at the corner of 50th Street and Madison Avenue, it is directly across the street from St Patrick's Cathedral, and a short walk from Rockefeller Center and...
in 2006.