1. The Hearst Tower

2. When was the structure built? How long did construction take?
The Hearst tower construction started in the 1920s but only 6 floors were completed before it had to be postponed due to de Great Depression. Around 80 years later in 2003 the construction started again finishing in 2006

3. Who built it? How many people were needed?
The six-story base was a project of the architect Joseph Urban. The modern tower built in 2003 was the vision of architect Norman Foster.

4. What is it made of? Why do you think the builders chose that material?
The Hearst Tower is made basically out of stainless steal that gives form to the building and its structure and blue glass which completes the facade. I think these materials were well thought by the architect to complement de design. Also 80% of the material used for the tower came from recycling the insides of the six-story base built in the 1920s so the builders had in mind what kind of materials they wanted to use,

5. Why do you think is it shaped the way it is?
The shape from the building was given by the structure. The triangle shape made possible to save 20% of the material that would’ve been spent with a conventional structure. If think the overall shape is a mix of design and efficiency.

6. What holds it up? What keeps it from falling down?
What keeps the Hearst Tower standing up is a stainless steal structure which can be appreciated in the facade and some columns made of the same material, these columns are inside the building.

7. How was it built. Were there any problems during construction
How was it built? Were there any problems during construction? How were they solved?
At first in the 1920s the Hearst Tower rise up to only six stories in consequence of the Great Depression and the big economic crisis that hit the USA in those years. Since this building is part of a the Hearst Corporation the company decided to finish what they had started 80 year earlier and in 2003 they decided to build this amazing tower on top of the old structure, after that the construction went smoothly.

8. How is the structure important to the community?
This building has a long history and it has become an icon of the city of New York. Both young and old people were in the process of building and can feel identify with it. On the other side this building has an enormous impact in the society for various reasons.

9. …continued
First it was the firs skyscraper built after the terrorist attack of September 11th, second it was the first “green” skyscraper in the city of NY with a structure that works perfectly with the shape of the building as well as it does with de environment setting the bar for the up coming buildings and finally it holds one of the biggest publishing companies of the USA and finally it proves that there is room in architecture for unconventional structures like these famous triangles.

10. What did the area look like before it was built?
Before the Tower itself was built there was the unfinished project of the 1920s which was a very old looking structure decorated with some ornaments according to the decade.

12. How did it change the area around it
How did it change the area around it? Has it had any unexpected effects on the community?
With the building of the glass and steal tower the entire place regained some life and color. Now is much more active and is more according to the context of the extremely high building and skyscrapers. Also the entire community started to have a “green awareness” and the buildings that followed took into account the environment and tried to be more self-sustaining.