229 West 43rd Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 229 West 43rd Street |
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Upper floors of building (December 2009)
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| Former names | New York Times Annex The New York Times Building Times Square Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Architectural style | Neo-Gothic French Renaissance |
| Location | 229 West 43rd Street Manhattan, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°45′27″N 73°59′16″W / 40.75750°N 73.98778°W |
| Construction started | 1912 |
| Completed | August 1913 (eastern section on 43rd Street) |
| Opening | February 2, 1913 |
| Renovated | 1922–1924 (addition; central section on 43rd Street and attic) 1931–1932 (addition; western section on 43rd Street) 1944–1947 (addition; section on 44th Street) |
| Owner | Columbia Property Trust (offices) Kushner Companies (retail) |
| Management | Columbia Property Trust |
| Height | |
| Roof | 267 ft (81 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 18 |
| Floor area | 767,000 sq ft (71,300 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Mortimer J. Fox (original) Ludlow and Peabody (1922 addition) Albert Kahn (1931–1932 addition) Shreve, Lamb & Harmon (1944–1947 addition) |
| Developer | The New York Times Company |
| Main contractor | George A. Fuller Company; Cauldwell Wingate Company |
| Designated: | April 24, 2001 |
| Reference #: | 2091 |
The building at 229 West 43rd Street is an 18-story office building in New York City. It is located in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. This building was once the main home for The New York Times newspaper. It opened in 1913 and was made bigger several times.
The original building was designed by Mortimer J. Fox. Later additions were made by other architects like Ludlow and Peabody and Albert Kahn. A part of the building on 44th Street was added by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon. Today, Columbia Property Trust owns most of the offices. Kushner Companies owns the lower four floors, which are used for shops and fun activities.
The parts of the building on 43rd Street are designed in a mix of old styles. These include French Gothic and French Renaissance. The building is considered a special landmark in New York City. Most of the building is 11 stories tall. A five-story attic sits on top, and a seven-story tower rises even higher. The outside of the building is made of light-colored Indiana limestone, brick, and terracotta. It has different sections with single or double windows. The building has about 770,000 square feet (72,000 m2) of office space and 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of retail space.
The Times newspaper built this annex because its old headquarters was too small. The annex quickly became the main office. As the newspaper grew, the building was expanded in 1922–1924, 1931–1932, and 1944–1947. The Times moved its printing machines out in 1997. They then moved to a new headquarters in 2007. The building has changed owners several times since then.
Contents
About the Building's Location
The former New York Times Building is at 229 West 43rd Street. It is on the north side of the street, between Eighth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. This area is close to Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. The building's plot of land is L-shaped. It stretches north to 44th Street on the eastern side of the block.
The area around the building is famous for its many Broadway theatres. The building shares its block with places like the St. James Theatre and Sardi's restaurant. Many other famous theaters are also nearby. In 1996, the city renamed the block of 43rd Street outside the building. It was named after Adolph Ochs, a former publisher of The New York Times.
Before this building was constructed, the land belonged to the Astor family. There were several brownstone townhouses on the site. The Times bought different parts of the land over time to make the building bigger.
Building Design and Look
The building at 229 West 43rd Street was first called the New York Times Annex. It was built in four main stages. The parts of the building on 43rd Street show styles like French Gothic and French Renaissance. Mortimer J. Fox designed the first part in 1912. Later, Ludlow and Peabody added the central section and the attic. Albert Kahn designed the western part in 1931. This included a second lobby and a studio on the roof. A fourth section on 44th Street was added in 1947 by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon.
The George A. Fuller Company built the first and central parts of the building. The Cauldwell Wingate Company built the westernmost section. Many other companies helped with the construction.
How the Building is Shaped
The building at 229 West 43rd Street has several different parts. The far eastern end of the building is only four stories tall. Most of the building is 11 stories high. A five-story attic sits on top of the 11-story section. This attic is set back from the edges of the building.
A seven-story tower rises above the 11th floor. It is located between the central and eastern parts of the building. This tower makes the building look like a grand old castle. After the first expansion in 1924, the New York Times Company said the building was 399 ft 6 in (121.77 m) tall from the lowest basement to the top of its flagpole. Today, the building's highest point is about 267 ft (81 m) tall.
The part of the building on 44th Street is 11 stories tall. This section was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon. The 43rd Street sections of the building are officially protected as a New York City landmark. However, the 44th Street section is not.
What the Outside Looks Like
The outside of the building is made of light-colored Indiana limestone, brick, and terracotta. The south and east sides of the building are very decorated. This is because they could be easily seen from Broadway. The original windows were steel-framed. Some of these old windows are still there, while others have been replaced.
The Bottom Floors
On 43rd Street, the first two stories are made of rough-cut limestone blocks. The ground floor has 16 sections. Twelve of these sections have rounded arches. These arches used to be loading docks. Most of them were changed into storefronts in 2006. The columns between each section have round lamps.
The second story has 13 window sections. Seven of these have two windows, and six have one window. A decorative band with a shell design runs above the second-story windows.
The main entrance is in the middle of the building. It used to be three sections wide. The main entrance has doorways set back into stone porches. There is also a spinning door surrounded by windows. Stone panels are found between the first and second floors. Two flagpoles hang from the second floor. A carved gargoyle is placed near the top of the second floor. Above this is another decorative band with two griffins around a shield.
At the far east end of the building, there is a four-story section. It has a brick outside and three windows on the third and fourth stories. There is a terracotta roof edge with supports above the fourth story.
The Middle Section
From the third to the ninth floors, the south and east sides are covered in brick. The 10th and 11th floors are covered in terracotta. There are tall, thin columns with decorated tops on the ninth story. The south side has 14 sections, and the east side has five sections.
On the south side, most sections are separated by single columns. The 9th and 10th sections from the west have double columns. A sign hangs from the fourth floor between these columns. There used to be a clock here, but it was replaced in 1963 with a digital one. In 2008, the tower got a new sign and an analog clock face. Each story has five single windows and nine double windows.
On the east side, the outer two sections have single windows. The inner three sections have double windows. These windows are similar to those on the south side. They are all separated by single columns.
On the 10th and 11th floors, the south side has nine arches and five sections of plain windows. The east side has three arches in the middle and two sections of plain windows on the outside. Each arch has metal columns that divide it into three parts. The plain sections have a simple window on the 10th story. On the 11th story, they have a window with a balcony and a decorated top. A decorative band with shell designs runs above the south and east sides. There is also a terracotta roof edge with supports. This edge is topped by a low wall with decorative panels. When the building was finished in 1913, there were large signs on the outside.
The Top Floors (Attic)
The attic is five stories high and is set back from the 11th story. On the north, south, and east sides, there are single and double windows on the 12th and 13th floors. The western side only has single windows. At the top of the 14th floor, there are panels with diagonal stripes and fleur-de-lis designs. These are topped by a decorative band and a terracotta roof edge. Above the roof edge is a low wall with tall, thin decorations. The 15th floor of the attic has windows that stick out from a sloped roof. There is also a terracotta chimney on the eastern end of the roof.
A seven-story tower breaks up the attic. This tower separates the western two-thirds and the eastern third of the building. The tower is three sections wide. On the 14th and 15th stories, the tower's center section used to have an arched opening, but it is now closed. The outside of the 15th and 16th stories has diagonal stripes and fleur-de-lis designs. The 16th-story windows have balconies and decorated tops.
The tower gets smaller at the 17th story. It has a terracotta low wall around it and three arched windows on each side. Above this is a pyramid-shaped roof that looks like it is covered in metal. From 1951 to the 1970s, the tower had large neon letters spelling "The New York Times." On the 18th story, each side has a single window that sticks out from the roof. Above the 18th story are round-arched windows that stick out from the roof. There is also a small structure with a railing at the very top of the roof. This structure originally held a flagpole with the Times' flag.
Building Systems
After the 1924 expansion, the building had a strong power system. It had three main power lines from different power stations. This meant the Times could keep printing even if one power line failed.
The building also had good heating and air systems. Four boilers provided heat. They could use coal or oil. The heat was sent to the upper floors through 576 radiators. Thirteen large ventilation systems brought in and pushed out a lot of air. There was also an ice-making plant in the basement. It made ice for the drinking fountains. A cooling system on the eleventh floor served the employee dining rooms.
The building got its water directly from the New York City water supply system. When the building first opened in 1913, it could get 500 U.S. gallons (1,900 L) of water per minute. After the 1924 expansion, this increased to 1,500 U.S. gal (5,700 L) per minute. Water was collected in the lowest basement and then pumped to a main water tank. The fire-protection system had large tanks with 20,000 U.S. gal (76,000 L) of water. After the 1924 expansion, the sprinkler system had four tanks with 30,000 U.S. gal (110,000 L) each. The building's drainage system had pumps that could drain a lot of water.
Inside the Building
The building originally covered about 144,000 sq ft (13,400 m2) or 170,000 sq ft (16,000 m2). The lowest four floors each had 11,722 sq ft (1,089.0 m2) of space. The top seven floors had 8,280 sq ft (769 m2). After the 1924 expansion, the building had about 318,000 sq ft (29,500 m2). After all its expansions, 229 West 43rd Street has about 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m2) of office space.
After the 1924 expansion, there were seven passenger elevators. This number stayed about the same over the years. There was also a freight elevator at the eastern end of the building. It was used to move paper from the loading dock to the basement. Another freight elevator was at the western end. Many lifts and conveyor belts moved printing plates and papers throughout the building.
Times Newspaper Facilities
When the building first opened, each floor had a different purpose. The basement was for printing the newspaper. The ground floor was for mail and delivery. The second floor had the business department. The third floor had the newsroom and telephone switchboard. The fourth floor was for setting type. The fifth floor had employee showers, a dining room, and a doctor's office. The seventh floor was for photoengraving. The ninth floor had the Sunday Times department. The tenth floor had the editorial team and library. The eleventh floor had executive offices, including those of Times publisher Adolph Ochs. After 1924, some offices moved to higher floors.
The basement of the original building had strong steel columns. These were designed to hold the heavy printing presses. When the building opened in 1913, it could print 372,000 sixteen-page newspapers per hour. This was much faster than the old Times building. The basement had several large presses. After the first expansion in 1924, the basement had 16 large presses. They could print 480,000 newspapers per hour. The basement also had a room for making printing plates and a machine shop. There was a lower basement for storing paper and press parts.
The ground floor had a special entrance, three loading docks, and two storefronts. The loading docks led to a large hall. This hall was used by trucks to deliver paper to the basement. It was also used by the delivery department to load newspapers onto trucks. The printing plant closed in 1997. Since then, the ground floor and basement have been changed into shops. A two-level Bowlmor Lanes bowling alley is one of the shops there.
From 1950 to 1989, radio stations WQXR and WQXR-FM had their studios on the ninth and tenth floors. These studios were designed to be soundproof. There was also an auditorium on the ninth floor from the 1950s to 1999.
Building History
The New York Times newspaper started in 1851. It moved several times before settling at One Times Square in 1905. This building was also known as the Times Tower. The area around the new headquarters was then renamed from Longacre Square to Times Square.
Building Construction and Opening
Within ten years, the Times newspaper had grown too big for its slender Times Tower. The old building was too small and had very deep basements. Even though space was tight, the Times wanted to stay in Times Square. So, in 1911, the Times bought land at 221–229 West 43rd Street. They planned to build an "Annex" there for their printing presses. Mortimer J. Fox was chosen as the architect.
Construction started in April 1912. By June, the main structure was finished. A flag with "The New York Times" was raised on the roof, 251 ft (77 m) above the street. The building was 11 stories tall, with a four-story section to the east. The Times moved into the new building on February 2, 1913. All work was finished by August. The Times Annex was connected to the Times Tower by a 400 ft-long (120 m) tunnel under 43rd Street. Most of the Times' operations quickly moved to the annex.
Growth and Expansions
1910s and 1920s
After the annex was built, the Times newspaper was selling over 230,000 copies a day. The Times Annex was called "the largest, finest, and most completely equipped newspaper home in North America." By the mid-1910s, 600 people worked at the annex. By 1915, all floors were in use. The Times bought more land nearby in 1915 to expand. The newspaper's daily sales grew to over 300,000 by 1921. The size of the weekday newspapers also grew after World War I.
In January 1922, the New York Times Company planned a big expansion. Ludlow and Peabody designed it. The addition would look similar to the original building. This expansion added eleven stories to the west. It also added a setback attic on top of both sections. Construction was finished by October 1924. The expanded building was 243 ft (74 m) wide. After this, the Times sold 400,000 copies on weekdays and 600,000 on Sundays. The Times added new printing presses in the basement in 1928 to keep up with demand.
1930s and 1940s
In 1930, Adolph Ochs built a new printing plant in Brooklyn. Albert Kahn, who designed the Brooklyn plant, also designed a second expansion for the 43rd Street building. Kahn planned this addition in August 1930. It was also 11 stories tall and looked similar to the earlier parts. This western section was finished by January 1932. This made the building 318 ft (97 m) wide.
The Times bought the Little Theatre (now Hayes Theater) in 1931. They thought about tearing it down for a delivery exit. But because of money problems during the Great Depression, they kept the theater open. The Times Annex continued to be the Times' headquarters. In 1938, a museum about printing opened inside the building. The building also hosted art shows and flower shows. In 1941 or 1942, the Times Annex was renamed the Times Building. The old building at One Times Square became the Times Tower.
The Times planned a third expansion in August 1944. Shreve, Lamb & Harmon designed this 11-story addition. It was built on the site of the 44th Street Theatre. The lobby and main entrance were also redesigned in 1946. At the dedication for the new entrance, officials found that the old door had not been locked since 1912. The expansion to the north was finished in 1947. It made the printing presses 50 percent more powerful. It also added bedrooms on the 14th story for executives.
Mid- to Late 20th Century
Radio stations WQXR and WQXR-FM moved to the ninth and tenth floors of the Times Building in April 1950. Five new studios were built for them. In 1951, 43rd Street was made wider for delivery trucks. An auditorium opened on the ninth story the next year. In 1955, the Times bought land on the West Side of Manhattan. They planned to move their printing plant there. The new printing plant opened in 1959. The Sunday edition of the newspaper started being printed there.
In 1960, the Times began printing its international edition in Paris and its local edition in New York City at the same time. This was done using a special machine at 229 West 43rd Street. The clock on the building was damaged in a 1956 fire. It was replaced in 1963 with a digital clock. In 1965, the Times bought more land at 217–219 43rd Street. This land included the four-story eastern wing. In the late 1960s, crime in the area was increasing.
In 1977, a very heavy air-conditioning system was installed on the roof. The radio station studios on the 9th and 10th floors were updated. The attic was also changed in the 1980s. A glass-walled section was added to the western end. The Museum of the Printed Word moved out of the building in 1981. WQXR and WQXR-FM often held live public performances in the 10th-floor auditorium. In 1985, the city thought about making the building a landmark. But the Times was against it because the printing plant was still in use.
Times Newspaper Moves Out
WQXR and WQXR-FM moved out of 229 West 43rd Street in 1989. In 1992, the Times decided to build a new printing plant in Queens, New York. The new plant would be much larger and more efficient. The Edison plant opened in 1993. It printed one-third of Times newspapers. The rest were still printed at 43rd Street. The Times printed its last newspaper at 43rd Street on June 15, 1997. This move allowed the Times to make its daily newspapers longer. The old WQXR auditorium was used until 1999, then it became offices.
In 1999, the Times planned to build a new headquarters tower on Eighth Avenue. If they couldn't, they would keep their headquarters at 43rd Street. That year, the Times thought its 43rd Street building could sell for $45 million. The Times chose a developer for its new tower in 2000. In 2001, the city decided to make the 43rd Street sections of the building a landmark. The Times supported this. The Times was expected to move out when its new building was ready.
In November 2004, the Times sold the building to a group led by Tishman Speyer for $175 million. Tishman Speyer planned to update the office space and add shops to the bottom floors. They planned to change the ground-level loading bays into 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of storefronts. The Times moved its publishing operations to its new headquarters on Eighth Avenue on June 11, 2007.
After the Times Left
AFI USA and Challenges
Tishman Speyer put the building up for sale in April 2007 for $500 million. Lev Avnerovich Leviev's Africa Israel Investments (AFI USA) bought it for $525 million. AFI USA renamed the building the Times Square Building. The company thought about turning it into luxury apartments or a hotel. AFI USA planned to spend over $200 million on renovations. During this time, the building was completely empty. By 2008, AFI USA faced money problems because of the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Demand for office space dropped. In September, AFI USA sold half ownership of the building.
After fixing up the retail space, AFI USA leased parts of the basement to entertainment companies. The office space stayed empty. In December 2009, Leviev planned to turn the building into a mix of shops, hotel rooms, and apartments. A 50-lane bowling alley, run by Bowlmor Lanes, opened in November 2010. AFI USA also opened a horror-themed club.
Office and Retail Sales
In 2011, The Blackstone Group bought the top 11 office stories for $160 million. AFI USA and Five Mile still owned the retail space on the lowest four floors. Blackstone spent $105 million on renovations to attract tech companies. The building was renamed 229W43. By 2013, AFI USA had leased almost all the retail spaces. New shops included a restaurant by Guy Fieri. Tech companies like Facebook, 10gen, and Yahoo! showed interest in the office space. Other office tenants included Pubmatic and Snapchat.
Blackstone sold the office space to Columbia Property Trust for $516 million in July 2015. The same year, Jared Kushner bought the retail section for $295 million. Kushner wanted to lease the space to many entertainment venues. In 2016, plans were announced for "Gulliver's Gate," an attraction with scale models of landmarks. National Geographic Encounter also signed a lease for an educational ocean attraction. Celebrity chef Todd English signed a lease for a food hall, but it never opened.
In October 2016, Deutsche Bank lent $370 million to refinance the retail space. This loan was looked into during the Special Counsel investigation. Guy Fieri's restaurant closed at the end of 2017. The food hall was canceled after lawsuits. In April 2018, a new restaurant called The Ribbon opened in Guy Fieri's old space. By the end of 2018, some retail tenants were having financial problems. Gulliver's Gate got a 50 percent rent reduction. National Geographic was asked to leave in January 2019.
Kushner Companies had trouble paying their loans in March 2019. The rent income was lower than expected, and costs were higher. A special company took over the loan in January 2020. Gulliver's Gate closed the same month. The building's office tenants at the time included the temporary headquarters for the Michael Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign. In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Kushner again fell behind on loan payments. The retail unit was put up for auction in June. By the end of 2020, the retail part of the building was valued much lower. BuzzFeed moved to the building in 2022. In early 2023, Columbia Property Trust also had trouble paying a mortgage for the building. By mid-2023, 40 percent of the building was empty.
Office Tenants Today
- Floor 5: MongoDB Inc.
- Floors 6–7: Snapchat
- Floor 7: Pubmatic, WGSN
- Floor 8: Knotel
- Floors 9–12, 14: Verizon Communications companies Yahoo! and Complex Media
- Floors 15–16: BuzzFeed
See also
In Spanish: 229 West 43rd Street para niños
- 1913 in architecture
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets
