Time Warner Center

The Time Warner Center is a mixed-use skyscraper developed by The Related Companies in New York City. Its design, by David Childs and Mustafa Kemal Abadan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, consists of two 229 m (750 ft) towers bridged by a multi-story atrium containing upscale retail shops. Construction began in November 2000, following the demolition of the New York Coliseum, and a topping-out ceremony was held on February 27, 2003. It is the property with the highest-listed market value in New York City, $1.1 billion in 2006. [" [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/nyregion/13property.html Property Values in New York Show Vibrancy] ." New York Times. Jan. 13, 2007.]

Originally constructed as the "AOL Time Warner Center," the building surrounds half of Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan. The total floor area of 260,000 m² (2.8 million ft²) is divided between offices (notably the offices of Time Warner Inc.), residential condominiums, and the Mandarin Oriental hotel. The Shops at Columbus Circle is an upscale shopping mall located in a curving arcade at the base of the building, with a large Whole Foods Market grocery store in the basement. The complex is also home to a 1,200 seat theater for Jazz at Lincoln Center as well as CNN studios, from where "Anderson Cooper 360°" and "Lou Dobbs Tonight", among other shows, are broadcast live. CNN's Jeanne Moos, known for her offbeat "man on the street" reporting, frequently accosts her interview subjects just outside the building. In 2005, Jazz at Lincoln Center announced a partnership with XM Satellite Radio which gave XM studio space at Frederick P. Rose Hall to broadcast both daily jazz programming and special events such as an Artist Confidential show featuring Carlos Santana. [" [http://www.jalc.org/about/news/050518-news.html XM Satellite Radio to Open New Studios at World-Renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.] " Jazz at Lincoln Center press release. May 19, 2005.] [" [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=7990 Santana - XM & Jazz at Lincoln Center.] " All About Jazz Nov. 10, 2005.]

Design and construction

Construction was delayed for nearly 15 years after Mortimer Zuckerman's Boston Properties initially won a bidding contest to buy the property for the Coliseum's owners the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York). Boston proposed to build a two 63-story buildings to be designed by Moshe Safdie on the 4.5 acre Coliseum site in 1985. Unsuccessful competitors for the site included Donald Trump who proposed building a 137-story, 488 m high building which would be the world's tallest. [ [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=10columbuscircle-newyorkcity-ny-usa 10 Columbus Circle - Emporis.com] ]

Boston's winning bid was $455 Million for the site. It was to be the headquarters of Salomon Brothers. The building ran into intense opposition (including most prominently Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis) who were concerned it would cast a shadow on Central Park. In 1988 a court ruled that the building violated the city's own zoning ordinances. At about the same Salomon Brothers backed out. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE6DE163CF937A35752C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all New Yorkers & Co.; Developer vs. Himself Over Coliseum Project - New York Times - January 4, 1988] ]

A renegotiated deal called for the building to be 52-stories with Boston paying a lower $357 million for the site. David Childs was tapped to redesign the building.

The building still languished until 2000 when the Coliseum was finally demolished. The Center which now has 55 floors markets it as a 77-story building. [ [http://wirednewyork.com/aol/condominium.htm Time Warner Center Condominium Apartments - wirednewyork.com - Retrieved July 13, 2008] ]

The Time Warner Center was the first major building to be completed in Manhattan after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, although it was already under construction in 2001. While some New Yorkers noted the uncanny resemblance of the Time Warner Center to the fallen Twin Towers, the building's developer disclaimed to the press any intentional similarity. [ [http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/ny-twc0219,0,1112834.story Inside the Time Warner Center] , Newsday, Feb. 19, 2004]

The building drew publicity in 2003 when Mexican financier David Martinez paid $54.7 million dollars for a penthouse condo, then a record for New York residential sales.

The building’s street address is officially 10 Columbus Circle, but the developers use the name “One Central Park” to promote the residential units. The address One Central Park West, meanwhile, belongs to a tower across the street owned by Donald Trump. Upon the completion of the Time Warner Center, Trump made a “little joke” at the Time Warner Center’s expense by hanging a large sign on his building gloating, “Your views aren’t so great, are they?” [Caroline Overington. " [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/28/1069825988067.html Gotham agog as plutocrats stage battle of the towers] ." The Sydney Morning Herald, Nov. 29, 2003]

The design of Time Warner Center pays homage to the streets of New York: The curvature of the base helps frame Columbus Circle, the angle of the two towers aligns with Broadway, and the space between the towers gives the illusion that 59th Street passes through. In addition, the rectangular patterns on the glass curtain wall overlooking Columbus Circle suggest the Manhattan street grid.

In popular culture

* TWC was seen in Matt Reeves 2008 movie, Cloverfield; one of the building was damaged by monster and collapsed onto another, staying in highly unstable position.

ee also

*Buildings and architecture of New York City
*Tallest buildings in New York City
*Masa (restaurant)
*per se (restaurant)

References

[http://onlinexplore.com/timewarnercenter/ 360° virtual tour] - onlinexplore.com

External links

* [http://www.onecentralpark.com/ One Central Park] — Residential sales and information
* [http://www.timewarner.com/ Time Warner] — Corporate Website
* [http://www.related.com/ The Related Companies] - Corporate Website