4 Times Square

The 4 Times Square is a Postmodernist skyscraper designed in 1995 by Fox & Fowle Architects, and built between 1996 and 1999, for a reported $270 million dollars, in New York, NY.

4 Times Square is not the only name you might know this building by though. Between 1999 and 2010 it was also known as Condé Nast.

Its precise street address is 151 West 42nd Street, New York, NY. You can also find it on the map here.

On the fourth floor of the building, architect Frank Gehry designed a cafeteria for Condé Nast employees. It was the architect's first project in New York.

At the time of its completion in 1999 the 4 Times Square incorporated solutions that were quite advanced at the time, these included natural gas-powered chillers for its cooling system, which was an environmentally conscious choice at the time of its construction. This system was significant because most buildings then used fossil fuels, such as oil, for heating and cooling. Natural gas was considered a more eco-friendly option due to its lower carbon emissions compared to other fossil fuels.

This innovative approach helped the building become one of the earliest examples of sustainable skyscrapers in the United States, setting a precedent for other commercial developments.

The building has been restored 2 times over the years to ensure its conservation and adaptation to the pass of time. The main restoration works happened in 2010 and 2017.

Fox & Fowle Architects was the architecture firm in charge of the architectural design.

That being said, architecture is a complex discipline involving many professionals from different fields, without whom this building would have not been possible. We will surely be leaving out a lot of names here, but here is a list of the people we do know also played their part in making the 4 Times Square a reality:

• WSP Cantor Seinuk in charge of Structural Engineering
• Tishman Construction as the Main Contractor
• Heitmann & Associates in charge of Facade Consultancy
• Otis Elevator Company as the company in charge of the elevators system
• Durst Organization as the Main Developer
• Cosentini Associates in charge of MEP Engineering

The 4 Times Square can be categorized as a Postmodernist building.

The 4 Times Square was completed in 1999. By 1999 the Postmodernism movement was experiencing a transition. Critics argued that Postmodernism, initially a rebellious and innovative style, had become formulaic and commercialized, and so the trend started moving away from blending historical styles, irony, and playful ornamentation, and begun to give way to emerging architectural trends concerned with more present matters such as technology, ecology or sustainability.

The 4 Times Square uses a frame structure made of steel columns and concrete and steel slabs.

A frame structure uses a combination of beams and columns to sustain the building's weight. The walls in this case are non-load bearing, which allows for more flexibility when distributing the interior spaces.

The facade uses a non-load bearing curtain wall system. This means the curtain wall modules are anchored to the building's structural frame, typically by being attached to the edge of the floor slabs. The curtain wall system connects to the slabs using brackets, anchors, and mullions, which transfer the loads imposed by wind and temperature changes, to the building's primary structural elements.

This setup allows the curtain wall to accommodate differential movement between the facade and the structural frame, such as thermal expansion, floor deflection, or sway from wind forces. This system's integration with the slab edges also allows for continuous insulation and weatherproofing layers.

From an aesthetic point of view, the facade features metal and glass cladding on the north and west sides and textured masonry on the east and south facade.

An eight-story cylindrical glass facade is located on the corner of 43rd Street and Broadway and contains the Nasdaq MarketSite. It stands out from the typical rectangular forms of surrounding buildings, making it a focal point in the area.