One Vanderbilt Avenue -

New York, NY

Owner: SL Green Realty Corp.
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox
Area: 1.7million Sq.Ft.
Cost: $3.3 billion
Completion Date: 2020

Awards
  • 2021 CIB of New York Roger H. Corbetta Awards–Award of Merit
  • 2021 ENR New York Project of the Year–Finalist
  • 2021 ENR New York Best Projects–Office/Retail/Mixed-Use
  • 2021 ENR New York Best Projects–Excellence in Sustainability (Merit)
  • 2021 SEAoNY Excellence in Structural Engineering Award–Large-Scale New Buildings
  • 2022 ACEC New York Engineering Excellence Award–Platinum
  • 2022 AISC IDEAS2 Merit Award–Greater than $200 Million
  • 2022 ASCE Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Honor Award
  • 2022 ENR New York Project of the Year–Finalist (Le Pavillon)
  • 2022 ENR New York Best Projects–Residential/Hospitality (Le Pavillon)
  • Other Awards

  • 2018 AIA New York Merit Award for Urban Design
  • 2021 Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Awards
  • 2021 Commercial Observer Magazine Smart Building of the Year Award
  • 2021 Interior Design Magazine NYCxDesign Awards–Commercial Lobby/Amenity Space
  • 2021 ULI New York Awards for Excellence in Development–Excellence in Office Development
  • 2022 BOMA of Greater New York Pinnacle Awards–Grand Pinnacle Award
  • 2022 BOMA of Greater New York Pinnacle Awards–New Construction Building of the Year
  • 2022 BTEA Transformative Project Awards
  • 2022 Commercial Integrator Magazine Integration Awards–Best Large-Venue Project (SUMMIT One Vanderbilt)
  • 2022 CTBUH Overall Winner–Best Tall Building (400m+)
  • 2022 CTBUH Award of Excellence–Best Tall Building (400m+)
  • 2022 CTBUH Award of Excellence–Best Tall Office Building
  • Iconic Supertall Joins Empire State and Chrysler Buildings on Manhattan Skyline

    At 1,401 ft. in height, One Vanderbilt Avenue is Midtown Manhattan’s tallest office tower. Motivated in part by a New York City rezoning challenge to provide new building stock at increased density, the building offers 1.7 million sq. ft. of office, retail, and amenity spaces, topped by a 128 ft. spire. Transit and open space improvements include a public transit hall, new entrances and improved circulation corridors for adjacent subway lines, and a car-free pedestrian plaza.

    Historical Elegance and Contemporary Flair

    The building’s simple geometry of tapering rectangular volumes integrates the aesthetics of the golden age of high-rise buildings with contemporary concepts of sustainability and public realm enrichment. The façade is clad in alternating strips of glass and terra cotta that acknowledge the building’s proximity to Grand Central Terminal and other historical buildings. A dramatic cantilever creates a setback through which a corner of the landmarked terminal can be viewed.

    Expansive Floors and Efficient Structure

    One Vanderbilt features column-free floorplates with high ceilings, stunning 360-degree views, and best-in-class infrastructure. Floor beams that span up to 70 ft. were designed in strict adherence to performance criteria to keep vibrations acceptable. Floor-deep column transfer trusses give the building its distinctive shape. At nodes, forgings were utilized to make connections as compact as possible while also providing a smooth flow of forces and simplifying field work.

    Innovative Hybrid Core and Lateral System

    One Vanderbilt employed a steel-first erection sequence developed and refined by Severud Associates in which the core framing was designed to stand alone for 12 stories. As erection proceeded, concrete shear walls followed the steel below. The walls are augmented by three levels of steel outrigger trusses and a compact tuned mass damper, composed of pendulums, cables, struts, and viscous dampers, to keep accelerations within a comfortable range.

    Solid Foundation and Integrated Base

    The core is supported by a concrete mat more than nine ft. thick. Its volume of more than 4,000 cu. yd. was placed continuously over a 24-hour period, a feat considered to be the largest such operation in New York City’s history. Severud Associates coordinated with their counterparts at the MTA to eliminate the building’s influence on adjacent train and subway structures and incorporate the significant transportation facilities located within and around the building.

    Conclusion

    One Vanderbilt Avenue highlights Severud Associates’ ability to meet complex engineering challenges of supertall buildings. The structural design helped realize the owner’s needs and the architect’s vision in an efficient, erectable, and enduring manner. Now home to many leading finance, law, and real estate firms, the building revitalizes the East Midtown district and serves as a model for future public-private endeavors.