WSP Cantor Seinuk provided the structural design for Time Warner Center, a mixed-use ‘vertical village’ located on the south-west corner of Central Park in New York. Two 55-storey towers topped by 20 m tall lanterns contain luxury condominiums and the Mandarin Oriental hotel. They sit on a podium base which includes a luxury shopping mall, Time Warner offices, large span studios, CNN broadcasting facilities, parking and a performing arts centre for jazz.
Structured for flexible use
The structural system and construction materials were selected for their ability to support the different layout requirements of the building’s various end users, as well as providing maximum flexibility for each unit.
The main spine of the development comprises two concrete cores, one in each tower, passing down through the podium to the foundations. They house the elevators, stairs and mechanical rooms. The towers are framed in reinforced concrete, whereas the podium is a steel-framed structure. The podium consists of 24 floors on the south side and 17 floors on the north, each topped by double-storey height transfer trusses, which in turn serve as mechanical levels.
The ‘double-spine’ cores resist all lateral and torsional forces and are independent of supporting columns regarding lateral stability. This allowed the columns’ design to be adapted according to the different uses of the building. Some columns had to be sloped, some were split “A” shapes, while others, whose loads could not be transferred to the foundations, became hanger columns supported from the transfer trusses. To resist the large horizontal forces produced by the sloped compression columns, a horizontal truss system within nine floors was also introduced. These major compression columns, known as ‘boomers’, and the two major transfer trusses were encased in reinforced concrete to provide increased rigidity and better protection for fireproofing. Furthermore, this value engineering design also resulted in a major reduction in steel tonnage.
Nestling in the centre of the podium is “Jazz at Lincoln Center”, a 1200-seat multipurpose concert hall. To prevent the transfer of noise and vibrations, the structural solution resulted in the construction of a separate ‘box’ supported on neoprene pads that provide acoustic isolation from the rest of the building as well as vertical and horizontal support.
Awards
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York - Diamond Award 2004
New York Construction News - Best Project of the Year 2003
Project information
Client: Columbus Centre, LLC (a partnership comprising The Related Companies, L P and Apollo Real Estate Advisors L P)
Size: two 55-storey towers of 230 m; 260 000 sq m floor space
Value: £1000M
Status: completed 2004