More merry Manhattan makeovers: 100 Park; 1515 B'way

[NYguy]

Added to the list of Manhattan remakes. Everything old is new again...

http://www.secinfo.com/d11MXs.v2d8j.d.htm

100 Park Avenue, the trend continues...

http://www.secinfo.com/DB/SEC/2006-000/1104/659-0791/32-064.jpg


http://www.secinfo.com/DB/SEC/2006-000/1104/659-0791/32-062.jpg


http://www.secinfo.com/DB/SEC/2006-000/1104/659-0791/32-063.jpg


http://www.secinfo.com/DB/SEC/2006-000/1104/659-0791/32-060.jpg

[NYguy]

(SL Green)
http://www.slgreen.com/

Not much here about 1515 Broadway, but 100 Park is moving forward:
http://www.slgreen.com/property.php?id=1

http://www.slgreen.com/images/properties/bldgphoto_100_park_avenue.jpg

100 Park Avenue is currently undergoing a $70 million capital improvement plan which will include:

-New facade with a sleek, reflective curtain wall design.

-New two-story atrium lobby.

-New elevator cabs with glass and stone accents.

-New insulated windows.

-New HVAC systems providing tenant-controlled temperature and year-round availability.

-8 watts per square foot of electric capacity.

-New emergency generator providing 100% back up to critical life-safety systems.

-New state-of-the-art security system.

[NewYorkDoc]

1515 Broadway is horrible. Anything done to it would be an improvement.

[NoyokA]

This refacing and whitewashing thing has gone too far. It went too far with the Verizon Building and 2 Columbus Circle, in each instance it was unnecessary and the replacement was architecturally weaker than the original as the original in each case held sentimental value of an architectural era in New York City, which represented a bygone era of the City. All the same holds true for Astor Plaza and 100 Park Avenue, only in this instance both hold greater architectural importance. 100 Park Avenue represented the change of an era, it was the first glass curtain wall skyscraper in an era of limestone and brick, black cars, and long distance train travel. One Astor Plaza was a pioneer in Times Square and in Post Modern architecture, it reflected its context, the energy of Times Square was captured in a pinwheel floor-plate that was integrated into a jazzy crown, the treatments are cheap, but such was the very-much sleazy Times Square, a most unlikely place to build a skyscraper. No building represents the old Times Square and the unlikely transition to the Business District Times Square more than One Astor Plaza.

[NoyokA]

The replacements for both One Astor Plaza and 100 Park Avenue are both Any City USA, devoid of any history and character. The replacement for One Astor Plaza especially reminds me of the Morgan Stanley Building in TXSQ, a most unremarkable building.

http://www.wirednewyork.com/skyscrapers/worldwide_plaza/images/world_wide_plaza_piers_morgan.jpg

While we're at it, why don't we make every modern building from the 1950's onwards; a nice, calming, blue green glass box.

[212]

I don't get it. Why is this happening?
Tax breaks?
Is green glass easier to maintain?
Are renovations a good excuse to drive out current tenants?
Will new tenants pay that much more to be in a reclad building? Why?

[lofter1]

1515 Broadway is horrible. Anything done to it would be an improvement.

Except for the boring gridded box they show in the rendering :mad:

[Fabrizio]

If you really wanted make 1515 Broadway "new", then get to work on the Shubert Alley, ground-floor side. The rest of the tower and crown are fine but if a make-over meant a new alley, I'd be all for it.

What a missed opportunity to create a sense of place. The "Shubert Alley" address is historic, world known, but 1515 Broadway's glass wall ruins it. Create a cornice line, face it in limestone.... something, anything, to work with the Booth and Shubert Theatres. And give it some life with shops ...a couple of resturants instead of the one entrance it has now. A terrace for out door dining .... something other than that blank sheer wall.

And notice the hideous (IMHO the ugliest building in NYC) Marriot Hotel that now completes the view (used to be the Helen Hayes theatre there) ...at least a new vision for 1515 B'way and Shubert Alley could alleviate the damage done.


---

[krulltime]

No!!! I like the Verizon the way it use to be and now they are getting rid off 1515 Broadway interesting facade! I actually rather see them spend money in new construction than doing this 'whitewashing' crap! :( How can this be stop?

[NYguy]

I don't get it. Why is this happening?
Tax breaks? Is green glass easier to maintain?
Are renovations a good excuse to drive out current tenants? Will new tenants pay that much more to be in a reclad building? Why?

Basically to become more competitive in Manhattan's overheated office market. The demand for NEW space is hotter than it's ever been. But even without that, sometimes buildings just need new life.

I've mentioned before, those older buildings aren't just there for us to look at, they have to compete with the current class of skyscrapers. For some older buildings, that means giving up completely, and going residential. For older buildings , especially with larger floor areas, this is another option:


100 Park

New facade with a sleek, reflective curtain wall design.

-New two-story atrium lobby.

-New elevator cabs with glass and stone accents.

-New insulated windows.

-New HVAC systems providing tenant-controlled temperature and year-round availability.

-8 watts per square foot of electric capacity.

-New emergency generator providing 100% back up to critical life-safety systems.

-New state-of-the-art security system.

I'm sure if this building were being demolished there would be cries to save it. Well, its being saved.

[NYguy]

In the case of the 1515 Broadway rendering, the appearance goes beyond recladding...

APRIL 28, 2007

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/77918797/medium.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/77918800/medium.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/77918797/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/77918800/large.jpg

[TimmyG]

I'm going to miss the crown on One Astor Plaza if they go through with the renovation.

[ablarc]

^ Should be landmarked. Another Sixties building bites the dust because its style is temporarily out of fashion. Just like 2 Columbus Circle.

Big shame.



Meanwhile, isn't Rogers doing a thinly-veiled replica of it in London?

At least he appreciates its iconic value.

[londonlawyer]

I would like to see the POG located at 330 Madison Ave. reskinned. What a dump!

http://www.gam.com/images/16/3/1638-JuliusBaerGAMOfficeNY.jpg

[212]

Basically to become more competitive in Manhattan's overheated office market. The demand for NEW space is hotter than it's ever been. But even without that, sometimes buildings just need new life.


Thanks for replying, NYguy. But you'll have to forgive my ignorance about the economics, as I'm not in the real estate field: Why don't developers just repair the interiors, make the technology upgrades, give the exterior a good washing, and save themselves the enormous time and expense of actually tearing an entire building open and losing all their rental income for months or years?

Are tenants paying that much more for a fashion statement? ("New and bland"?) I thought modernist buildings like these were already getting really high rents.

[rmannion]

http://www.ardiem.org/images/1515bway.jpg
5/1/07
1515 Broadway at Night
(Excuse the barrel distortion :) )

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05012007/business/hotel_kings_latest_business_steve_cuozzo.htm?page= 0

http://www.nypost.com/img/cols/stevecuozzo.jpg

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05012007/photos/business037.jpg

FACELIFT: This rendering of the new façade for 655 Madison Ave. is scheduled to be finished by the end of the year.


The once dowdy office building at 655 Madison Ave. at 60th Street is getting a new skin, new lobby, new systems - and a new lease on life as a prime Plaza District office address.

In recent years the owners of early 1950s-vintage building watched the more glamorous towers in Barneys country fetch rents above $100 a square foot.

Tenants at 655 Madison were paying half that. "It was a Class-B building at a Class-A address," says Andrew Roos, one of several principals of GVA Williams who own the tower. "We were the low-cost providers in the neighborhood, which we didn't want to be.

"We were surrounded by the likes of 667 Madison, buildings much newer or reskinned," Roos said. Recently, "We decided we wanted to be commensurate with our neighbors."

So the owners are spending more than $15 million on improvements, including a new curtain wall designed by Swanke Hayden Connell chief architect Richard Hayden.

When the job is done by the end of the year, 655 Madison will sport a new façade of tinted gray glass above a granite base, replacing what Roos calls the "ugly" former painted gray spandrels and stone.

The GVA partners have about 90,000 square feet available in the 250,000-square-footer, now home to office tenants Loews and Estée Lauder and retail stores DKNY and Anne Klein.

Roos said the "beautiful" result will be attractive to boutique European firms and hedge funds willing to pay "triple-digit" rents.

[212]

^ Ah. So if the rents double here, then the renovation pays for itself in 1-3 years.

[NYguy]

^ Ah. So if the rents double here, then the renovation pays for itself in 1-3 years.

Right...



In recent years the owners of early 1950s-vintage building watched the more glamorous towers in Barneys country fetch rents above $100 a square foot.

Tenants at 655 Madison were paying half that. "It was a Class-B building at a Class-A address," says Andrew Roos, one of several principals of GVA Williams who own the tower. "We were the low-cost providers in the neighborhood, which we didn't want to be.

Which they shouldn't have to be.

[londonlawyer]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05012007/business/hotel_kings_latest_business_steve_cuozzo.htm?page= 0

http://www.nypost.com/img/cols/stevecuozzo.jpg

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05012007/photos/business037.jpg

FACELIFT: This rendering of the new façade for 655 Madison Ave. is scheduled to be finished by the end of the year....

This rendering does not do it justice. The glass is really nice in person. Moreover, this structure truly needed a new facade. The old one was disgusting.

[stache]

It still looks dowdy imo.

[TREPYE]

Added to the list of Manhattan remakes. Everything old is new again...

http://www.secinfo.com/d11MXs.v2d8j.d.htm

100 Park Avenue, the trend continues...





http://www.secinfo.com/DB/SEC/2006-000/1104/659-0791/32-060.jpg

I gasped when I saw this:eek: .....they better not touch that classic crown on Astor place, it is a very distinct and emblematic of the Times Square scrapers.

As someone mentioned before the modification should be at that horrendous eyesore base that takes away from Times Square's walkability.

[londonlawyer]

It still looks dowdy imo.

Have you seen it in person? The new glass is dark back and looks awesome. The rendering, by contrast, looks lame. Nevertheless, this area warranted a new limestone facade, but I'm still pleased with the new glass exterior. I hope that Zeckindorf acquires some of the rundown parcels between this building and his site next to the Groliers Club and starts his project soon.

This PO__ at 330 Madison needs a new facade:

http://www.gam.com/images/16/3/1638-JuliusBaerGAMOfficeNY.jpg

As does this PO__ at 260 Madison:
http://www.emporis.com/files/transfer/5/2001/07/125039.jpg

And this one at 261 Madison:
http://forum.stereophile.com/photopost/data/510/31261Madison-1-med.jpg

[BrooklynRider]

^ Should be landmarked. Another Sixties building bites the dust because its style is temporarily out of fashion. Just like 2 Columbus Circle.

Big shame...

I think curtain wall preservation is an increasing issue with buildings of the 1960's and 1970's. We saw it with Lever House. The reality is that these buildings weren't built to last (like bricks & mortar.) Recladding is less a fad than a necessity.

[NoyokA]

I think curtain wall preservation is an increasing issue with buildings of the 1960's and 1970's. We saw it with Lever House. The reality is that these buildings weren't built to last (like bricks & mortar.) Recladding is less a fad than a necessity.

All true. There most definetly are cost benefits to recladding. And as londonlawyer pointed out I wish they would reclad 330 Madison, as well as the sliver across from the NYPL, the Palace Hotel, and countless others. However it should be the developers responsibility to preserve architecturally significant and important buildings, Seagram and Lever are two prime examples. Lesser examples are Verizon, 2 Columbus Circle, Verizon, and 100 Park Avenue, but these are significant and important buildings nevertheless. It is my opinion that buildings with value should only be replaced by something of greater value. Essentially a landmark for a landmark. Such is the real nature of progress and New York City being what it is, its something I could not only live with but perhaps support.

For instance AXA Paris is a recladding done right.

Today.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/img/paris/kvefr0312b.jpg

After the renovation.
http://www.defense-92.fr/photos/axarendu4.jpg

I would support a similar aspiration to greatness at Verizon, 2 Columbus Circle, 100 Park, and Astor Plaza.

When people go for plastic surgery, they tend to go to enhance themselves er. certain attributes, they tend not to go to look plain afterwards.

[BrooklynRider]

The best chance this city had for landmarking any of these curtainwall buildings was when Joan Gerner was LPC commissioner. She was/is the foremost expert in curtainwall restoration in NYC. She left the LPC to head the WTC Memorial Project.

[stache]

Have you seen it in person?

I promise to take a look the next time I'm near that corner. (My 'usual' corner being 38th St/11th Ave lol!)

[londonlawyer]

I promise to take a look the next time I'm near that corner. (My 'usual' corner being 38th St/11th Ave lol!)

Seriously, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[NYguy]

Another reason why this will continue...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/02/realestate/commercial/02spec.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


Ms. Tighe of CB Richard Ellis....said she believed that New York City needed more speculative development to remain competitive with other cities.

New buildings with a total of almost 3.5 million square feet of space are projected for completion in the New York City area in the next two years, but this may not be enough to meet demand, she said. According to a study done by CB Richard Ellis, by 2010 about 64 percent of all the buildings in Manhattan will be at least 50 years old and technologically obsolete. Not all will be suitable for rehabilitation.

“If rents seem high now, they’re going higher,” unless there is new office tower construction, Ms. Tighe said.

[Fabrizio]

As mentioned, the problem will be deciding which facades are important. But sometimes recladding can work. No one lamented the recladding of the Gulf & Western Building (actually it was kind of similar to the Verizon building). And the results look fine.

(if only Trump would get rid of that goofy globe)

And how about recladding some of the reclads?: The Commodore Hotel, The Biltmore, the HBO building etc...

[Harvick2933]

All I have to say is that they can modernize a building's interior without giving its exterior a total redo. It's been done with buildings from the 20's and 30's, and should be even easier to do with buildings from the 60's and 70's. If they really want a reclad, at least clad the building in a glass of similar hue as the original. Btw, is there such a thing as dark-hued energy-efficient glass?

Of course, I wouldn't shed a tear if many of those diddly squat ugly wedding cake buildings from the 60's and even some of the taller boxes with ho-hum facades get recladded, but they should landmark the ones with more unique design and more historical significance (Verizon Midtown & 1 Astor definitely falls into category 1, and 100 Park is as historically significant as Seagram & Lever House, even though it may not look quite as nice).

And I must say that I really dislike 1 Astor's proposed reclad facade. The square grids are a cheap and totally tacky attempt at making the building stand out in the skyline as much as Hearst Magazine Tower. It's nothing short of a total joke.

Response to previous post: If Trump had reclad the Gulf & Western Building with the same monotonous green glass curtain wall as what they're doing with Verizon Midtown, I would instead prefer its original facade over its replacement. But thankfully Trump had more architectural taste than those who presided over Verizon's recladding.

[BrooklynRider]

Trump? Architectural taste? I think we jumped the shark here.

[Harvick2933]

Trump? Architectural taste? I think we jumped the shark here.

Well, at least in the instance of the Gulf & Western Building. His makeover of that tower and the Trump Tower was about as good as he ever got in NYC, though I must add that his Chicago & Toronto Trump Towers look pretty nice too.

[Alonzo-ny]

Hold on, someone likes the G&W remake? Its a monster of disgusting reflective glass.

Also trumps reclad of the commodore is some of the worst glass akin to some towers around whitehall station on R (One has a raquet club inside) that imo are the most disgusting in the city.

[AtlanticaC5]

I have to say I'm not too fond of these total makeovers of highrises. One Astor Plaza is a classic in the skyline to me, and I don't like how they want to improve it. Sure, it's not a beauty but it symbolizes the time it was built in. It seems like it's "ok" to change a building if it's from the 1960s or -70s, but all kinds of architecture should be respected, otherwise the history just keeps repeating (most people today can't get how they could demolish Penn Station, Singer Building etc). Just my two cents though :)

/First post on WNY - Hi everybody!

[NYguy]

http://www.globest.com/news/912_912/newyork/160829-1.html

545 Madison Ave. Set for Class A Conversion

By Katie Hinderer

NEW YORK CITY-The Plaza District’s 545 Madison Ave. is going to be renovated into a trophy office building. Real estate firm LCOR Inc. is handling the conversion and released plans for the property late Monday afternoon. A request for further comment on the project including construction cost was not returned by deadline.

“This rare opportunity to recreate a Plaza District office building from scratch will allow us to provide space to an upscale, yet limited, tenant roster of 17 or fewer boutique firms,” says David Sigman, SVP of LCOR. Tenants are expected to take a full floor once construction completes and the building opens again for occupancy.

The 17-story building on the corner of 55th Street will be completely stripped to the structure and then developed into a class A office building. A floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall will be installed, as well as new, top quality electrical, HVAC and mechanical systems. Once renovations are complete, executives at LCOR say the building will qualify for LEED gold standard.

“And as a green building, tenants can enjoy improved indoor air quality, which can boost employee productivity and reduce absenteeism,” Sigman says. “The increase in energy efficiency can reduce their costs further. The LEED certification will be a win for the building’s tenants and for the earth as well.”

In November, LCOR leased the building for 75 years. After construction, which the demolition phase began in March, the building will be 140,000 sf. The first tenants are slated to be able to move in by spring 2008. Jones Lang LaSalle’s Peter Riguardi, Frank Doyle, Lisa Kiell and David Kleiner will exclusively lease the office space; while CB Richard Ellis’ Susan Kurland will handle the retail leases.

“545 Madison will offer the kind of top-tier quality space that only a handful of buildings in the city possess,” Sigman says. “The building is destined to become the new jewel of Madison Avenue.”

[londonlawyer]

330 Madison needs a new facade desperately. It's so tired and disgusting and yet is located in an ultra-prime location near GCS. Also, Vornado owns it, so money is not an issue. It's not like it's owned by corporate slum lords like Sapir that don't want to spend a dime on their properties.

PS: The new skin on 655 Madison looks amazing.

[londonlawyer]

The new skin on 655 Madison looks amazing.

The glass is rising on 100 Park, and it looks quite good. It is a massive improvement of the prior, tired facade.

[Sparkletron]

http://efferential.net/NYC2.htm
http://efferential.net/NYC3.htm


-S

[NYguy]

http://www.cpnonline.com/cpn/property_type/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003601133

GVA Williams Repositioning 655 Madison into Luxury Office

http://www.cpnonline.com/commercialpropertynews/photos/general3/655MadisonAve.jpg

June 20, 2007
By Amanda Marsh, Associate Editor


A major renovation is underway at 655 Madison Ave., a 25-story office tower in the Plaza District of Manhattan. Principals of GVA Williams, who are the general partners of Plaza Madison Associates, will reposition the building as a luxury office tower.

Changes to the building (pictured) will include a new façade, renovated terraces, installation of new glass walls, a state-of-the-art lobby, new elevator cabs, upgraded mechanical systems and new bathrooms.

The vacant floors will be completely gutted and built out to fit the needs of individual tenants moving in. The renovations, which will be completed by next year, amount to the virtually complete construction of a brand new building in the Plaza District.

A build out price has not been released yet, but the Plaza District’s market conditions are “extremely strong” and justify the costly renovations at this time, Jerome Cohen, GVA Williams’ chairman, told CPN. “We have an enormous amount of confidence in the property, and we wanted to make it one of the best in the area.”

And the Plaza District conditions are indeed strong--office rents command between $125 and $150 per square foot for some of the best spaces. Another repositioning project is taking place at 545 Madison, which LCOR Inc. is gutting and transforming into a Class A office tower with a minimum silver-LEED rating.

655 Madison houses retail tenants such as Donna Karan, Anne Klein and Anya Hindmarch, as well as office tenants Loews and Estée Lauder. This is the second major renovation project to the building, which was built in 1951 and purchased by Williams Real Estate Co. (now GVA Williams) in 1971. Shortly afterwards, the ownership upgraded the building by relocated the main entrance and lobby from Madison Avenue to East 60th St., which allowed for an increase in retail space on the building’s Madison Avenue Side.

Along with renovations, approximately 90,000 square feet of space may become available, including a contiguous block of 55,000 square feet, as some tenant leases expire around the same time. Cohen said that GVA Williams has already received several inquiries for space in the building.

Architect Richard Hayden of Swanke Hayden Connell will design and oversee the transformation of the building’s exterior and public areas. The firm also designed and supervised replacements of 320 Park Avenue and 130 East 59th St.’s facades, designed Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and 58th St. and redesigned One New York Plaza in Lower Manhattan. Hayden was also hired by the U.S. government to restore the Statue of Liberty.

[NYguy]

Another look at 1515 Broadway (Astor Plaza)

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884623/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884635/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884665/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884674/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884686/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884623/medium.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884635/medium.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884665/medium.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884674/medium.jpg__http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/80884686/medium.jpg

[lofter1]

Leave 1515 alone -- but take a buzz saw to that Marriott monster next door ...

[stache]

And the Westin, while you're at it.

[lofter1]

I really don't mind the Westin -- IMO it works over at that corner of Times Sqaure ...

However ...

Sledge hammers for everybody to take out that gawd-awful magenta glass at the Crowne Plaza (http://www.amiaga.com/retailSpaces/TimesSquare-NYC-CrownePlaza.shtml) ...

[stache]

omg!

[ablarc]

Times Square is supposed to be gawd-awful.

[Turboff]

I remember reading an article a while back about the tens of thousands of birds killed every year due to flying into reflective glass. Has new glass, such as the type being used for these reclads, addressed this issue? The article said that such developments are in the works. And please, no immature "who cares about the birds" posts.

[londonlawyer]

100 Park's new facade looks great.

[BrooklynRider]

Sledge hammers for everybody to take out that gawd-awful magenta glass at the Crowne Plaza (http://www.amiaga.com/retailSpaces/TimesSquare-NYC-CrownePlaza.shtml) ...

Owners there are looking to completely renovate the building and reposition it as for the upscale market.

[lofter1]

Looks like this is the guy in charge of Construction over at SL Green Realty (http://www.secinfo.com/d11MXs.v2d8j.d.htm#1stPage) ...


http://www.secinfo.com/DB/SEC/2006-000/1104/659-0791/32-061.jpg

[londonlawyer]

I think 655 madison's new black glass is flat, dreary and lifeless.

I like it. However, I was disappointed that cheapo Mark Green's company, SL, didn't give 655 the limestone facade that the area warrants. Nonetheless, it's a big improvement over the depressing facade that previously existed on 655 Madison.

[sfenn1117]

Glass is as flat as Verizon. Sorry for the blurryness.

http://i9.tinypic.com/62zsl92.jpg

[mao miaow]

Any suggestions on "historically respectful" recladding aside from Lever and The Look?.. or even recent disasters?

Colgate-Palmolive was a disaster.. and now with sustainibility issues and the Clinton Climate Initiative this city will be transformed at lightspeed.. What about historical impact? Of course there are terrible modern buildings and greening issues but do we have enough "recul", perceptive distance, to judge buildings?

[londonlawyer]

Any suggestions on "historically respectful" recladding aside from Lever and The Look?.. or even recent disasters?

Colgate-Palmolive was a disaster.. and now with sustainibility issues and the Clinton Climate Initiative this city will be transformed at lightspeed.. What about historical impact? Of course there are terrible modern buildings and greening issues but do we have enough "recul", perceptive distance, to judge buildings?

It looks much better than the Verizon reskin. I think that the reskin of 655 Madison is quite nice.

[macreator]

Call me what you want, but I actually like the Colgate-Palmolive building's reskinning. Especially considering what you used to look like. Obviously I'd prefer a newer, taller skyscraper in its place, but the aluminum facings on the building look pretty sleek.

[Tectonic]

How about the Metlife building, read where its one of the most hated buildings in the city. I think a lighter appearance would make it more acceptable.

[Derek2k3]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1044/874689706_8f83ac333f_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1357/874689790_04ae84c722_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1418/874689804_9504a5fc2b_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1356/874689822_207de65f7e_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1057/874689850_2710cac813_o.jpg

[Derek2k3]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1043/969358025_78a0f90322_o.jpg

[Jim856796]

http://www.secinfo.com/DB/SEC/2006-000/1104/659-0791/32-060.jpg

I don't want 1515 Broadway looking like that (the latter picture).
If I had my own renovation plan, I would replace the dark blue glass with a cerulean blue curtain wall, then paint its crown and spires a pure white.

[kz1000ps]

I like that idea a lot -- just update it. No need to go changing the design beyond recognition.