324
Global
Height rank

Eight Spruce Street

New York City
Height 265.2 m / 870 ft
Floors 76
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Eight Spruce Street

Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.

New York by Gehry at Eight Spruce Street, Beekman Tower, Beekman Place, The Beekman

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed, 2011

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

United States

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

New York City

Address

8 Spruce Street

Postal Code

10038

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

residential

Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.

Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.

concrete

Official Website

New York by Gehry

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

265.2 m / 870 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
271.6 m / 891 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
252.1 m / 827 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

76

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

1

# of Apartments
Number of Apartments refers to the total number of residential units (including both rental units and condominiums) contained within a particular building.

903

# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.

175

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

15

Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.

7.1 m/s

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

92,903 m² / 1,000,000 ft²

Rankings
#
324
Tallest in the World
#
50
Tallest in North America
#
44
Tallest in United States
#
20
Tallest in New York City
#
51
Tallest Residential Building in the World
#
7
Tallest Residential Building in North America
#
6
Tallest Residential Building in United States
#
5
Tallest Residential Building in New York City
#
131
Tallest Concrete Building in the World
#
16
Tallest Concrete Building in North America
#
12
Tallest Concrete Building in United States
#
7
Tallest Concrete Building in New York City
Construction Schedule
2003

Proposed

2006

Construction Start

2011

Completed

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Wind
Owner/Developer
Forest City Ratner Companies
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Gehry Partners
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Kreisler Borg Florman General Construction Company
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Wind
(not specified)
thyssenkrupp

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Americas 2011 Winner

2011 CTBUH Awards

CTBUH Initiatives

Eight Spruce Street Residential Tour

28 October 2015 - Event

Eight Spruce Street Chosen as Featured Building

15 September 2012 - Featured Building

Videos

11 June 2013 | New York City

Session 2: What Contributes Most to Sustainability in Tall Buildings?

The next generation of tall buildings will be judged on more than sheer height or aesthetic appearance. In the context of sustainability, they will also...

Research

22 October 2015

New York: The Ultimate Skyscraper Laboratory

CTBUH Research

A timeline of skyscraper completions in New York uncannily resembles the boom and bust cycles of the United States in the 20th and early 21st...

About Eight Spruce Street

Eight Spruce Street is located in a part of lower Manhattan with few other towers. It is close to City Hall and its adjacent park. The landmark Woolworth Building by Cass Gilbert and the Brooklyn Bridge are its closest neighbors. Its significant height make 8 Spruce Street a prominent addition to the New York City skyline and as the tallest all-residential building in North America adds a significant residential population to its neighborhood. In addition to its 900 residential units, the tower also houses a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade public school, and office space for the New York Downtown Hospital in its base.

The site sits between Spruce Street on the north and Beekman Street on the south, formerly a 100% impervious asphalt topped parking lot. The new project and site design minimizes the building footprint to enable 30% of the site to be developed as landscaped urban plazas which create through block pedestrian spaces on both the east and west sides of the building. These spaces contain outdoor amenities such as landscaping, water features and public seating areas. The West Plaza creates a landscaped setting for a porte cochere that gives car and pedestrian access to the residential lobby.

The development of the form began by using the classical proportions of New York City towers and the traditional setback rules which have created the tall wedding cake designs typical in the city. These guidelines created the initial massing of the building. Then the design developed to accommodate bay windows which the client requested in each unit. Rather than having the bay windows align vertically, they are shifted slightly from floor-to-floor and varied in size from unit-to-unit. The initial massing studies revealed that this created the look of fabric draping over the building, so the design was developed to accentuate this effect utilizing cladding in flat and undulating stainless steel panels. Seven sides of the tower have this configuration, while the south side of the tower is sheared into a flat plane that contrasts the curvature of the other façades and strengthens the sculptural composition. At the base of the tower a simple five-story brick podium ties the tower to the scale and spirit of the neighboring buildings.

Due to the undulating façade each floor of the tower and each residential unit on the seven undulating sides has a different configuration. The apartment interiors were carefully designed to take best advantage of these unique conditions, with large windows framing views and creating window seats on some of the large window sills that are created by the movement of the wall from floor to floor. The bay windows also afford residents the opportunity to step out past the plane of the exterior wall in what the architect has coined “stepping into space” and to have the feeling of being suspended over the whole of Manhattan. The apartments range in size from 450 sq ft (41 sq m) studios to 1,700 sq ft (158 sq m) three bedroom apartments at the top of the tower. All residential units are provided with natural light and natural ventilation to minmize the demands on artificial ventilation and lighting, further, natural daylight is provided for in three quarters of the buildings residential corridors.

The tower was designed using software developed by Gehry Technologies called Digital Project. The software enabled cost and fabrication information to be automatically produced as part of every design iteration, which allowed the design team to optimize the design quality while continually meeting the client’s budget. The project’s exterior wall was completely documented in the 3D computer model. The curtain wall geometries were rationalized into three types of geometries—standard flat panels, moderately shaped panels, and highly shaped panels. The software enabled the designers to apportion the complexity to within the client’s budget. The shop drawings were produced automatically from the digital model and connected directly to the fabricator’s production machinery. This streamlined communication and removed errors. Because of this tight coordination from design through fabrication, there were zero change orders from the contractor on the curtain wall, a significant cost saver on the project.

All new parking is provided on the site underground helping to reduce the impervious site surface. The parking garage mechanical system is designed as a demand control ventilation system. Air flow increases within the parking garage as Carbon dioxide is detected within the garage. This system minimizes the amount of energy used to operate the system.

Several strategies were implemented in the design to reduce energy consumption in the tower. All components of the exterior curtain wall assembly are thermally broken and high-performance insulated glass was used at all glazed openings, minimizing heat loss through the exterior wall system. Light reflecting pavers were used on all roofs to minimize the amount of heat gain to the building and create a thermally protected roof slab. Radiant floor heating is provided in the public spaces to minimize the excessive loading on the mechanical systems and high efficient linear fluorescent light fixtures are used through the residential corridors.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Americas 2011 Winner

2011 CTBUH Awards

11 June 2013 | New York City

Session 2: What Contributes Most to Sustainability in Tall Buildings?

The next generation of tall buildings will be judged on more than sheer height or aesthetic appearance. In the context of sustainability, they will also...

20 September 2012 | New York City

The Design Process of Complex Architectural Facades

Facades form the identity and functionality of high-rise buildings. The “design process” for complex bespoke architectural high-rise facades is an abstract term that in reality...

19 September 2012 | New York City

MFREE-S Closed Cavity Façade: Cost- Effective, Clean, Environmental

This presentation covers the performance differences of the Closed Cavity Façade compared with traditional single and double skin façades by means of detailed dynamic whole...

03 November 2011 | New York City

Best Tall Building Americas: Eight Spruce Street: Getting Under the Skin: Façade Innovation

The façade of "New York by Gehry" at Eight Spruce Street is designed to create a draping fabric-like quality and gives the building its landmark...

03 November 2011 | New York City

CTBUH 10th Annual Awards Dinner

The 10th Annual Awards Ceremony & Dinner was held in Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Crown Hall, on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, Chicago....

03 November 2011 | New York City

Interview: Eight Spruce Street

Joseph A. Rechichi of Forest City Ratner Companies, John Bowers & Craig Webb of Gehry Partners, LLP are interviewed by Jeff Herzer during the 2011...

22 October 2015

New York: The Ultimate Skyscraper Laboratory

CTBUH Research

A timeline of skyscraper completions in New York uncannily resembles the boom and bust cycles of the United States in the 20th and early 21st...

01 August 2011

New York City Scrapers

Nathaniel Hollister, Jan Klerks & Antony Wood, CTBUH

New York’s dramatic skyline, over a century in the making, has for years been the envy of cities around the world. From the very birth...

28 October 2015

Eight Spruce Street Residential Tour

CTBUH 2015 delegates toured Eight Spruce Street which was the tallest all-residential building in North America at the time of completion.

15 September 2012

Eight Spruce Street Chosen as Featured Building

A beautiful building, elegantly fitting into its Manhattan context, “New York by Gehry” at Eight Spruce Street uses the very latest in computer-enabled construction.

4 October 2011

New York City Scrapers

New York’s dramatic skyline, over a century in the making, has for years been the envy of cities around the world. From the very birth of the tall building typology, New York has been at the forefront of the scene.

3 April 2011

New York by Gehry Tour Report

New York City’s latest addition to the downtown skyline is a 76-story tall residential tower which, as the name suggest, has been named after the architect.