Cityspire
New York, USA

HEIGHT: 248m/814 feet
FLOORS: 75 floors
COMPLETION: 1989
ARCHITECT: Murphy/Jahn Inc. Architects

was completed in 1989 as a 72-storey office and apartment building, the city's tallest mixed-use skyscraper.
The 77,100 m² building uses the air rights of the adjacent City Center for the Performing Arts (arch. Harry P. Knowles and Clinton & Russell, 1924). This glass tower of a primarily octagonal plan has short streamlined extension wings, the whole rising in triple setbacks, ending in a domed top at the height of 248 m (the dome being a nod towards the City Center building).

As a residential tower, the building uses a concrete structural system, being at the time of its completion the second tallest concrete-framed skyscraper in the world.

The two lobbies (for the residential and office sections of the building) are lavishly decorated with marble and wood. The bottom 23 floors of the tower are for commercial use and above it there are 353 luxury apartments, growing in size the higher they are. At the top there are two 200 m² apartments. There is also a health club for the tower residents.

http://www.greatgridlock.net/NYC_Images/257.jpg

http://www.greatgridlock.net/NYC_Images/071.jpg

http://hibs.skku.ac.kr/LABHOME/lab-data/rel-struct-data/high-photo/New%20York/images/gallary/city%20spire_1.jpg

http://www.wirednewyork.com/skyscrapers/cityspire/city_spire.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/532/4023102_0223.jpg

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rotpics01/cityspire01.jpeg

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rotpics01/cityspire02.jpeg

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rotpics01/cityspire03.jpeg

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rotpics01/cityspire04.jpeg

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rotpics01/cityspire05.jpeg

6,5/10 the shape of it looks good, but the facade looks very boring.

Could look good with different cladding, but it just looks uninteresting and dreary.

5.5/10

yep :ohno:

5/10

Quite bleak and old looking....was that really built in 1989??? 4.5/10

certainly not jahn's best work, but i still find much to be interested in about this scraper. the setback form, the elegant, if quirky, domed top, and the different porportions it can take on from various vantage points - talll and slender from the side, menacing and slab-like from the front.

i don't quite condsider it to be brilliant, but i feel it warrants much more than a five out of ten.

7.5/10/

Doesn't look like it was made in the 80's at all! More like the 30's.

The windows don't look all impressive, but the building shape :eek2:.

8/10

Boring but Monotlithic 7/10

impressive! i dunno y, but i like it..9/10!

I think that it is pretty impressive for a residential tower. A pretty standard PoMo design IMO. Not that great, but not that bad either. I think that it looks better at night...

7.0/10

Originally posted by Jasonhouse
I think that it is pretty impressive for a residential tower. A pretty standard PoMo design IMO. Not that great, but not that bad either. I think that it looks better at night...

7.0/10


... and I know why: you can't see the drabness of the colors ... :D

Otherwise I like the place just fine. At least there's some interest and variation!

7.0

7/10

Its facade is awful, but the shape is very unique and well proportioned.

The structure is fine.I might have gone with a bit smaller windows. If this is a residence tower,wonder if there are restrictions as to the colors of interior window treatments? Could be a real ugly plaid work visible if not. Therefore a 6.5

I like the shape mostly, as well as the fact it's residential. I suppose the colors and details appointed to it could have been 'more.' 7.

blecch from far away . . but up close it looks alot better. . . 6/10

What I meant about the tower being impressive for a residential building is that there weren't alot of 800ft+ condos getting built in the 80's. It was pretty rare to get that tall with a condo, and it still isn't that common.

It looks nice in that close up, but other than that it's a pretty ugly. I agree with those who say it looks like a decaying 1930's building. I never liked the "shoulders" look in a skyscraper either... 5.0/10

7/10

it is OK...........

6.5 from me...not up there with the best of NY's scrapers.

probably the least recognized highrise in New York. 5/10

5/10
Should be "City Uninspired". Really mucked-up the C P South skyline (which it sits right behind). Looks more like an imitation NY scraper some other city might possess--lacks real inspiration or finesse for something so prominent--explains why it's never remembered. http://www.citycenter.org/Images/history/history0.jpg The dome on top I guess is meant to tie it in to the City Center hall, whose air rights it occupies. Carnegie Hall Tower (right next to it in thread's 1st pic) far more accomplished--a remarkable ultra-retro.

7/10. Not my favorite.

I find it has an interesting look which goes well with its height.

8.0/10

The building is too boring for me...
5.5/10

6/10 - The shape is good, especially from the side, and I like the setbacks. But that facade!...It isn't ugly, but it sure is boring, somehow, and doesn't add to the sense of height. And the different curtains and so forth create a slightly tacky patchwork effect; this might be a point in favor of tinted or colored windows.

6/10

interesting shape for a residential..it actually looks better from the side but the facade is drab although I've seen worse looking residential buildings in NYC that's for sure....6.5/10

is an example of a cheap art-déco imitation...

eh.. 6

5.5 doesnt look like its 1989. more of 1898

Simply ugly, there's much better in NYC.
5

Ugly and bad shape
3/10

Slim Shady! Yeah this one is slim,like this one.
Only the facade looks a bit messy:D i don't like that
Overall it's a 7.0/10

7 This building has one of the best shapes I've ever seen... those proportions are excellent... very brave design... unfortunately, it's killed by the wretch-worthy facade... what a shame!

Looks ready for take-off.

5.5/10

I'm not a big fan of designs like these... :|

7/10 It's a decent skyscraper, and I like the top.

One of the most boring and dull scrapers of New York.. Second only to the MetLife.. :rant:

6/10

It looks very very tall, it looks more than 300 m...8/10

6.5, this one wont age well

In the 2nd pic it looks better, but I don't like it too much 4/10

7/10

Bad facade, but an amazing job of making it look like a 30's skyscraper.

The facade is ugly, but it's tall 6.5/10

somehow that's looking good

9

8.0/10 - it deserves it ! :)

I don´t like it but is very tall 6.5/10

8

I like slim buildings

5/10


One of the worsts in top 100.

6.5/10

i like it :eek:

8/10

6.5/10

7.5/10
Looks very gigantic & tall. The colour & facade is dull, the shape is nice.

The shit.

I love it! But it looks like it was built before the 50's rather than 1989. 8.5/10

i really like its shape, but the building's built in a bad location. hard to get a good pix of this one cuz of the carnegie hall and met towers next door. guess that's why it's so underrated.

9

6/10

Meh, pretty boring and its too fat, but pretty cool for New York

built in 1989? looks many times older ! 6.5/10

it's ok, i give it a 7/10

Interesting design. 7.5/10

Went searching the NY diagrams for this building recently: I used to stay fairly regularly at the Meridien Hotel in the same street (W56) when it was being completed and it looked gi-normous: something about the narrow street, or the way every floor is delineated on the facade (which was very white, more so than the shadows and tints in some of the pics suggest). Hard to realise that there are taller buildings, built and u/c, in my own city now, because this one gave a soaring impression of height, more than its 248m to my mind. I've given it an 8, but feel a bit mean for sentimental reasons.

btw, for some reason my work visits to nyc then always seemed to take place in mid-winter, and there was a poor mentally-backward black (afr.-Am) man living in a cardboard box on that street opp. Meridien entrance for several years - always there, in the freezing depths of winter. Made me wonder abt the safety net, but the story was something abt the ACLU (that right?) protecting his rights (and others) to live that way. Wonder what happened to him. Not moved into Cityspire, that's for sure.

It's alright, 7.

5.5/10

Average. Really nice shape, different and unusual, epecailly the round top, although it is obscured from below due to its shape. Facade is not good, and the patchwork not good. All been said before, I guess.

8/10
Interesting shape. The facade is a bit drab though.

Reasonably nice 80s Po-Mo.

Wide from 1 angle:

http://www.skyscraperphotos.com/cit/dny02/b/igny226.jpg

Slender form another angle:

http://www.skyscraperphotos.com/cit/dny02/b/igny227.jpg

Loving the dome atop http://www.sayhey.co.uk/invboard/html/emoticons/wub.gif

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rotpics01/cityspire01.jpeg

8 from moi.

3 or less

One of the most ugly buildings in the world.I don't believe an architect can build such a horrible thing....

one of my favourites, 9/10

The shape of it is cool but it's not that interesting. 5/10

This one looks like it was build in the sixties. Messy facade, too wide and a boring colour. 4/10

4/10

it is not very interesting 6/10 :bash:

welcome to skyscrapercity jacek warchol :okay:

welcome to skyscrapercity jacek warchol :okay:
it is my pleasure to meet you too can you help me with creating my post reply for example how you can attach the pictures on the left side of the post

thanks

ok..... it is called Avatar.

if you need to put one, please pay attention.

in the part of above, click in QUICK LINKS..... and click in edit avatar.
you see all the pics of that. but you need to choose only one. :okay:

the shape of the building is ok, but paint, windows,... ugly! 4

8.5

It looks a little messy but fits in perfectly in NYC which has some grit to it. In how many cities could u build a 75-floor primarily residential bldg and have it blend right in? I think it's an amazing bldg despite its imperfect nature.

I dont know why this "supposed to be gorgeous" looks so ugly, must due to its terrible facade and horrible fatty-wide-shape.

8/10

8/10

some of you guys are a little harsh. this tower is very good at looking old and blending in, something that most postmodern towers cant do. the shape is very good, and i like how the everything leads up to the dome. i also think that those curtains add a neat effect to the tower.

Don't like the top, but from the side the view seems fine.
6,5/10

http://img114.exs.cx/img114/9564/DSC00277.jpg

^ Wow, great pic.

5/10

I like the distinct shape, tall too..
7/10

7/10

Kind of ugly building. Doesn't compliment its city very well either. I give it a 5.5/10. :(

6.5 for me...

this building is set on a midblock..looks like is in a straight jacket!!! it would be more impressive sitting on a corner...i love the crown, the height, but overall is a thumbs down for me.....

the best thing about this tower is when it opened, the commercials featured Andy Warhol!! telling us to live at cityspire!!! :)

not the best one for sure... 5,5/10

I don't like the cladding. 6

9

Looks better in person

I like the domed roof

Nice height

Old and drab cladding and horrible windows 5/10

Eek.
Saved from the 3 or less by the rather unique shape. But well. All the rest is a total mess-up IMO. The dome is uurgh.
3.5

7/10

6.5/10

I don't now what it is but I like it. 8/10.

I always loved this building. It's really huge and impressive. One of my favs of NY
9.5

Sergei, your pic is just amazing :runaway:

some of the earlier pics make this building look kinda like the old gothic style....... but in other pics it appears to be a good looking tower.... either way i like the height

9/10

Needs recladding badly. Shape is interesting, but not the best. 5.5/10.

5.5/10

8/10

I like its shape and height, but the facade looks old and dull. 7/10

8.5/10

I love this building. Somthing about it is very imposing 8.5

I quite like it, a bit chunky and brown but it's ok. 8/10

cool, but i hate the top dome thing. 8/10

5/10

A fresh breeze compared to all the boring and ugly modernist buildings that dominated the 60's, 70's and 80's (and to a certain extent still do). Kudos for thinking outside the box! 9/10

8/10

6.5/10

9/10
great building i love it, especially its set backs and its domed top
its simple yet impressive

7/10

It's alright, nothing special, but good for a mixed use tower. 7/10

i love it! 9/10

Looks good, i like it.8/10

this building is awesome in person.

10.

-

7/10 cuz is too old

6.5/10

7/10

awful facade. 6/10

Not nice at all just 5

6/10... dont really like it

6/10.

This tower dosen't do it for me. Bad shape & facade. 5.5

no thanks 6/10

Don't know why I like this building a lot, it's height maybe. 9/10

8/10

4/10 loos ugly

The least famous of NY's top 20. but aside from height and the cool green top its not impressive at all. the facade is something you'd see in the jumbo superblock res towers of Hong Kong. bland and forgettable.

5.10

6/10

I dont' like the Stumpy looking shape of this building but i think that the facade is just OK
7/10

6.5/10.

Much better scrapers in NYC

Cityspire does look a little bleak, but it has good height and adds something unique to the Midtown skyline. 6/10 from me

7/10

3/10

5/10

4/10

8/10

7/10

7/10 ;)

6/10

6/10

Love this giant...awful facade, but shape and top are great. 8,5/10

looks interesting but the facade is not goodlooking 7/10

What a little wierdo. o_0
6.5 . . . . .

Facade is not good... and what's with the crown? :sleepy:

Rather ugly in my opinion 6/10

This tower looks a bit like a 20's building, and i like 20's buildings. 10/10

great tower with great design 9/10

9/10 impressive

6/10

hmm don't like this one thát much .. 7/10

5.5/10

:/

8/10

BIG!!! 7/10

I've always liked CitySpire, but for reasons unknown, really, lol.. 9/10

6/10

5/10

7.5/10

9/10

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http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g287/seksonjd/Thai-1.jpg

facade is bad but the building shape is one of the best
7.5/10

under 3. Unacceptably ugly skyscraper (my opinion), especially for a city like NYC. An eyesore.

8/10

6/10 . . . No money left to spend on the facade???

7.5/10 Typical architecture of circa 80'sfor those who know their architecture... Since it is distinctively reminds you of a NY building (so it fits well in NY) it deserve this relatively high rating i gave

One word: Grotesque. 5.5/10

8/10:D

6/10

Don't mind the design but would have given it more than the 6/10 if it was all clad in glass.

this building really disturbs me. I cant believe the colors that were chosen for the cladding. looks bad from most angles, maybe it looked good on paper..
5/10

i hate the dome......the top of the building is tooooo small for this dome to make any sense.....besides if you look at the tower it hints that it really wants to have a pyramid top......when you finally get there it's a teeny tiny dome that's awkward at best. I like the setbacks. Hate the skin of the entire tower....looks cheap and drab. this building should be really warm looking....instead it's frigid and very matter of fact.......6.0

Scary!!!! Looks like a 'Transformer' or 'Gobot' and that you're going to have this 800 ft thing come to life a kick everyones ass and destroy the city... I don't like it... 4.

8 / 10

I like the texture of the facade.

I come to like this one over the years. 7.5

5 out of 10

Its not very creative or attention grabbing. The facade is very dry, and something I commonly see on lesser skylines. Its a New York skyscraper, give us something a bit more bold.

a few more pics...

http://en.structurae.de/files/photos/1/052080/000038.jpg
http://www.wirednewyork.com/skyscrapers/cityspire/cityspire_ge.jpg
http://www.astronomija.co.yu/nauke/petrologija/granit/Cityspire.jpg

Drab and uninspired. It is not as bad as it could be but not as good as it should be and i agree with those who ask can it really be as late as 1989 that that dour thing was built.

It's a 6.

I simply like it

unique building in the land of extrodinary buildings....over-looked in NYC...but in other cities maybe LA or Houston it would add height and and a diversity to their skyline.8/10 Nice looking for the 80's.

7/10 I like it but there is something about it that I dont really like

7. not that bad though.

5 - it's a freakin' eyesore :)

it could be worst

6/10

love that building

Interesting shape but the windows and cladding bring it down

4/10

Ugly.

Cityspire has a wonderful shape along with decent height, however the windows are clear enough to see the curtains which gives off the impression of different shades of color. It's nice: 8

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/47582796_daa3411be5_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/433066150_88f4faf3e3_b.jpg

It's seperate windows makes it look like a megatower!

8/10

i totally love the shape of the building, but yeah it does look a lil bit dull...

What do you people see in this one?

3/10 This building is not doing it for me at all... Looks like something I killed and flushed down the toilet just the other day...sorry New York.

Quite possibly the ugliest American skyscraper of the 1980s.:ohno:
Nothing at all pleasing about the architechture in this oversized mixed-use high-rise prison.

1/10 (because i'm generous)

7.5/10

6/10

base is too big....3.5/10

I do not really like this one, a 6 out of 10.

I think once they decide to reclad Cityspire with some nice flashy blue windows it will look great!

NY is NY!!!

8 - boring.

2/10

Boring, monolithic and monotinous, capable of inducing miscarriages.

if it was built in 1940, 8/10
but in 1989, 3/10

too heavy 8

too massive 7/10

8/10

It's reasonable 7/10, I just don't like that extra 'bulge' on the east face, makes it loose its symmetry.

Oh yeah... love this building. 8.5/10.

5/10

I dont like

5/10

5/10

10/10

10/10

The shape is good, but the coulour not. 7/10

i really love that tower

8.5 Really nice building, very imposing. Obviously, there's something wrong in the brains of people who gave it a very bad score.

6/10

6,5/10

5.5/10

3/10

Not bad. 8/10!

This one needs a serious recladding. 5/10

Is it made with lego's?
Boring
-3

Cool building 7/10 IMO

Not fit to be in New York.

5/10.

eew so ugly! 4/10

7 only

ok,ugly top.

its ok. 6

It's very 'havy' building, but I like it. It's quite new building so why they built it from concrete? eg.Torre Espacio has specific shape so it can't be made from stell so i understand it but this building?

Just a little giant...

8/10

5/10

8,5/10

7/10

7/10

6/10

7/

7/10

5/10

7/10

I like the top part, looks very unique !

7.5/10

pretty nice- 8/10

7/10. looks indeed talles than it actually is.

8. Good building. Regards.

8/10

8/10

7/10

Dreadful forgettable clunker. 3