The skyline of the Big Apple continues to evolve as always. The megacity has more skyscrapers than ever these include many of the world's first skyscrapers and many of the world's most well-known ones. New York City has also lost some of its most iconic skyscrapers along the way - like the revolutionary Singer Building.
The latest skyscraper in the city to break ground is JP Morgan Chases' new 1,388 or 1,425-foot supertall headquarters at 270 Park Avenue in Midtown East. It will form a new part of New York's ever-changing (and rising) skyline.
The Newest Kid On The Block
Construction of the new JP Morgan Building is now continuing at a pace. As of October 2021, construction had already reached the first office levels while steel assembly on the gargantuan ground floor has reached the eastern end of the rectangular parcel among other signs the building is taking shape.
While JP Morgan Chase's shiny new building is under construction, 383 Madison Avenue is serving as their temporary headquarters.
- Location: Midtown Manhattan
- Planned Height: 1,388-1,425 Feet or 434 Meters
- General Contractor: Tishman Construction
- Status: Under Construction
- Number of Stories: 70 Stories
- Headquarters: The Headquarters For JPMorgan
It's Going To Be Big But Not The Biggest
This new giant among the Big Apple's forest of towers is destined to rise 70 stories high and have space for an army of 15,000 employees.
While it is planned to rise to 1,425 feet, the zoning envelope allowed for the structure to get up to 1,566 feet or 477 meters. Although at that height there are also fears of it needing a deeper foundation, which in turn could mean that it could interfere with the MTA's East Side Access tunnels and the Grand Central Terminal's rail yards - they run directly underneath.
At 1,425 feet the new tower will be NYC's fourth-tallest building behind the One World Trade Center, Central Park Tower, and the 111 West 57th Street Tower. It would be taller than the One Vanderbilt Tower, the Empire State Building, the Crysler Building.
- One World Trade Center: 1,776 Feet
- Central Park Tower: 1,550 Feet
- 111 West 57th Street: 1,428 Feet
The Ghosts of The Past
This isn't the first time a skyscraper towered at 270 Park Avenue. This has been the name or address of several structures already on the west side of Park Avenue.
In February 2018 JPMorgan announced that the old Union Carbide Building just didn't cut it for them anymore and that they intended to demolish it in favor of building a newer and larger building. This new building is planned to tower above its predecessor and rise 717 feet (219 m) higher. It is all part of the East Midtown rezoning plan.
- Approval: The New York City Council Unanimously Approved The New Building In May 2019
Approval was granted and the old Union Carbide Building became the largest building to ever be voluntarily demolished in history (overtaking the Singer Building that had previously held that title. The only two other towers to have been destroyed are those of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
- Hotel Marguery: First Building, Built-In 1917 Was a Six Building Apartment Hotel Complex
- Union Carbide Building: Built 1957 to 1960, 708 Feet Tall, Later Became the Headquarters of JPMorgan Chase, Demolished Between 2019 and 2021
- Record: The Old Union Carbide Building Become The Largest Building In History to Be Voluntarily Demolished
History Of Demolition - The Unfortunate Demolition of The Singer Building
When the Singer Building was first built, it was revolutionary but it did not enjoy a long career. The Singer Tower was only briefly the tallest building in the world from 1908 to 1909. It was then overtaken by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower (what a mouthful).
Today there are some who consider the Singer Building's demolition to be one of the greatest failures of the early preservation movement.
Still Only A Fraction Of The World's Tallest Planned Skyscraper
As large as the new JPMorgan chase building it is only a shadow of the planned Jeddah (formerly Kingdom) Tower in Saudi Arabia.
The Jeddah Tower is meant to be the centerpiece and the first phase of a massive development work that would be a gleaming tourist attraction called Jeddah Economic City. It is meant to feature homes, hotels, and offices - as well as a range of tourist attractions.
The plan is for the tower to have the world's highest observation deck some 2,178 feet or 664 meters above the ground.
- Gross Floor Area: 2.6 Million Square Feet (243,866 Square Meters)
- Stories: Over 252 Stories
- Planned Height: First To Break One Kilometer (1,000 meters or 3,280 feet)
This giant tower is now partially constructed and was meant to have been completed by 2020. But internal machinations and power struggles in Saudi Arabia have seen the project grind to a halt and now faces an uncertain future.