A 37-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, undergoing a conversion from office space to luxury apartments, was partially evacuated Tuesday after two structural columns buckled, leading to the caving in of several floors. Experts have indicated that the building, located on East 42nd Street near Grand Central Terminal, will require partial demolition, a process that carries the risk of collapse.
Construction crews working inside the building discovered the buckling columns on the 21st floor Tuesday morning. Footage showed massive silver beams on the 21st and 22nd floors bending under stress. Subsequently, the 21st to 26th floors caved in, and multiple cracks and sagging floors were reported throughout the high-rise.
Structural engineers have assessed the damage, with Emily Guglielmo, a structural engineer, telling the New York Post that the visible damage, including buckled columns, cracking, and sagging floors, is likely irreversible. She stated that elements would need to be removed and replaced, a process that requires temporary bracing and shoring but carries significant risk.
Ronald Hamburger, a structural engineer who investigated the World Trade Center catastrophe, warned the building is in "significant danger" of a local collapse. He explained that the buckled columns can now only support about one-third of their intended load, placing immense stress on remaining beams and columns. Hamburger predicted that workers would need to install brackets on columns on the 20th floor to re-level the building and ease the load before replacing the damaged columns. He emphasized the need for rapid action, contingent on a thorough survey of the damage.
New York City officials issued emergency repair permits Tuesday evening after a floor-by-floor analysis confirmed no additional movement of the damaged columns. Workers were seen installing temporary shoring, a scaffolding system designed to support the structure until columns can be replaced. The ongoing work is affecting traffic and pedestrian access on East 42nd Street.
Leila Bozorg, a deputy mayor, described it as "encouraging" that the building showed no signs of shifting as officials ascended to the 37th floor. A visibly bent structural column could be seen through a window on the 21st floor from the street.
The building, formerly the headquarters of Pfizer, is being converted into a residential complex by property developer MetroLoft. This project is noted as the city's largest office-to-residential conversion, with over 1,600 units planned. The architectural firm Gensler is leading the renovation of the 1970s-era buildings.
The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) filed a complaint against the building owner, 235 Fee Owner LLC, alleging unauthorized construction beyond approved plans. DOB records indicate the project has accumulated 22 violations since 2022, including issues with falling debris and a worker fall, resulting in $39,000 in penalties. Thirteen complaints remain active.
Nathan Berman, founder of MetroLoft, suggested that the added weight from widening the upper floors of the building may have caused the structural issues, speculating that the two columns might not have been properly reinforced. He maintained that 95% of the building's structure remains sound and that the damage is confined to a small section.
MetroLoft has stated that the building is not at risk of collapse and no debris fell from the structure. However, city officials have characterized the situation as serious. The incident occurred near Grand Central Terminal, a major transit hub.