The first curtain wall panels have begun installation on JPMorgan Chase‘s rising 1,388-foot supertall headquarters at 270 Park Avenue in Midtown East. Designed by Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners and developed by Tishman Speyer, the 70-story skyscraper will yield 2.5 million square feet of office space for 15,000 employees, and will become the tallest structure in New York powered entirely by hydroelectric energy. Adamsom Associates is the architect of record, Banker Steel provided the steelwork, NYC Constructors is the steel subcontractor, Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers (MRCE) designed the structural foundation elements, Severud Associates is the engineer of record, R&R Scaffolding Ltd. will provide the BMU, and AEOCOM Tishman is the general contractor for the property, which occupies a full block bound by East 48th Street to the north, East 47th Street to the south, Park Avenue to the east, and Madison Avenue to the west.
Recent photos show the metal-trimmed glass panels, which are being supplied by New Hudson Facades, beginning to line the first story above the tower’s base on the wide southern elevation. Construction has continued to rise on the steel-framed superstructure since our last update in December, crossing the halfway mark and closing in on the second of its four setbacks. At this point, the skyscraper stands taller than its predecessor, the 707-foot Union Carbide Building.
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
The following photos show the details in the glass façade with its bronze-hued columns and fins, as well as the process of its installation.
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
Crews are installing the curtain wall with the help of a hanging scaffolding rig.
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
The below images show one of the column panels being attached.
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
YIMBY expects the superstructure to top out sometime next winter, with construction accelerating due to the diminishing size of the floor plates from the stepped setbacks. The base will incorporate tall glass walls between the fanning columns, offering pedestrians a clear view of the massive lobby space, which will feature a corridor running east to west from Park and Madison Avenues.
270 Park Avenue. Rendering © DBOX for Foster + Partners
270 Park Avenue. Rendering © DBOX for Foster + Partners
The lobby of 270 Park Avenue. Rendering © DBOX for Foster + Partners
270 Park Avenue is anticipated to finish construction sometime in 2025.
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Where is the hydroelectric energy coming from? Niagara Falls?
Power, power, power, who’s got the power? Where does it come from you ask? Alas, much as was depicted in the metaphor of the Matrix, it’s only fitting that this Chase Citadel of Capitalism will be powered by cascades of blood, sweat and tears squeezed from hordes of workers harnessed & hidden away deep in the dank basement bowels of this building, deep below the busy banker bees enjoying their light & air above, and deep below the massive lobby that, by dwarfing all human scale to near insignificance, says it all. Hey after all, this is Chase, this is New York, this is America!They do what they want. It’s much more than mere “hydroelectric” power of which we speak. As for the architectural massing of the structure itself, as seen from its sides it reminds me of a giant cascading tombstone, with all the inherent symbolism, conscious or not, that it implies for our modern day Pharaohs.
Maybe “ Champlain Hudson Power Express”?
Great update
Awesome photos!!! Been looking forward to seeing that for the longest time and it’s finally happening!
The scale of this building is just nuts. Standing next to the soon to be lobby and realizing it has more open volume than my apartment building is insane. I can’t wait to see it done.
A giant office building in midtown….YAWN
I still kinda wish they would have sold the original 270 Park to someone who would have preserved it, and then used to proceeds to purchase an underdeveloped lot to build this on instead. While this building looks great, 270 Park was a big loss in my opinion.
Not to mention the enormous waste of all the renovations before destroying it. As a chase customer I’m happy my money is being used so wisely.
Location,location,location.
This building is being built because 270 Park is a particularly good location to build a particularly large building.They already sold the old Morgan (60 Wall) and Chase(28 Liberty) sites and replacing those would have been no less of a loss…this was the place to build.
The curtain wall looks really nice so far.
Indeed and can’t wait to see them cover the columns for the diamonds!
JPMorgan is the world’s largest funder for fossil fuels. So not only do they destroy mid-century modern skyscrapers, but they also destroy the future of civilization.
Are they finally going to have all their workers come back to the office?
Yes!
Good question.
They plan to bring 15,000 workers scattered across various buildings in Manhattan to this one location…what I want to know is,how easy is it going to be to fill the space being vacated in those other buildings?
This building looks great. I’m sure I’ll be in the minority with my opinion.
Will be interesting to see the panels that cover the mechanical floors too! That should give a nice contrast and breakup of the glass skin
The power to the building is coming from local powerhouses, not hydroelectric as you keep saying.
Very large structure of this beautiful giant, including looking there are towers all around. I had to look up to observed size of the ongoing progress, that was reaching its height. The installation has already started on curtain wall, I think it is definitely the new focus of the city. This height is impossible to see: Thanks to Michael Young.
David, strange to see your post so far down the line, it’s usually first.. 😀
I wonder how my boxes of “little clips” are being used to “hang” all those glass or metal panels on a 70-story BEHEMOTH?! 😳🤔
Kind of scary “they” are all that keep them attached 40, 50, 60 stories above the sidewalk?
Just saying! 🥺
Great addition to NYC & glad it’s in midtown. Fantastic photos & coverage.
This is a significant update moment. I pray that progress goes well for all envolved.
This will be a landmark structure for sure.