Ms. Sicola

Real World Engineering

11 November 2015

History of the Hearst

The original Hearst tower was an art­deco base. Art­deco was the most dominant

decoration style between the 1920s and 1930s. The use of art­deco is based off precise

geometrical shapes and figures. This 1928 building served as the headquarters for William

Randolph Hearst’s Magazine Company. Constructed of limestone, the original Hearst Tower

stood at six stories tall. At the time this was an exceptionally large building, but nearly a century

later, architect Norman Foster commissioned the idea to develop forty­six more stories atop the

six story base. At a location of 300 W. 57th Street, New York City the now one hundred

eighty­two meter tall building, known as the Hearst Tower is one of the many icons in the New

York City skyline.

Sir Norman Foster is a highly successful and idolized architect. He is known for his use

of steel and glass to create his modern,sleek designs of buildings. Born in England, the young

architect got an education and degrees at both Yale University and the University of Manchester.

Four years after his time in college, Norman Foster was able to develop his own firm called

Foster Associates (Later becoming Foster + Partners). Early on, Foster’s work focused on the

idea of a “shed,” which was a building or structure that had an outer shell. Some of Foster’s most

successful work consisted of the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts which was completed in

1978, and the Headquarters for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. He brought

the idea of elevators to the outside of buildings, where they could be far more accessible.

Many normal tourists or common people may not see the incredible design of the Hearst

Tower in Manhattan. With the Hearst Tower still standing, Norman Foster was able to create a

building with absolutely no vertical columns. Every column in the Hearst Tower is inwardly

slanted or outwards, stretching the span of every four floors. After going up four floors, any

person could see the change in direction of the columns. This alternate pattern of the slanted

columns helped to add to the structurally sound development and success of the forty­six story

tower. Each and every floor is tied to these slanted columns at the far edges, allowing people

inside the building workspace to work efficiently and change the interior layout without any

restrictions. The triangular, crossing design seems like an unpopular type and a first of its kind,

but actually it is not an original Norman Foster Design. The idea Norman Foster had sprouted

from the original design of the Hall of Nations created by Raj Rewal. The Hall of Nations is a

building in the capital of India which is New Delhi. This structure in New Delhi utilizes the

influential triangular concept and the slanted columns also found in the modern Hearst Tower.

Functionality of the Hearst Tower remains the same as a century prior. The function of

the Hearst Tower is to serve as the headquarters for the popular newspaper and news source:

Hearst Corporation. William Randolph Hearst, founder of Hearst Corporation serves a major

reason in the development for the Hearst Tower. Offices located in the Hearst Tower were

designed for maximum efficiency.

Factors and challenges Foster had to face to perfect the Hearst Tower were based on

weather. The weather in New York contains many variables like hurricanes and earthquakes.

Norman Foster and his enterprise were able to replicate the triangular inter­crossing from the

Hall of Nations. This exterior/interior frame was highly successful in the resistance of

earthquakes and other natural disasters. The Hearst Tower was constructed with the environment

in mind. The majority of the Hearst is constructed with the use of steel; over 9,500 tons of steel

was used to add to the structure of the Hearst Tower.. The steel utilized in the development is

eighty percent recycled (“Hearst Tower in New York City”). The floor has a system of

polyethylene tubes to cool and heat the building. In order to chill the lobby efficiently Foster +

Partners added a large, three story tall water sculpture. The huge waterfall was given the

nickname “Ice Fall.” Also, in the basement is a a tank to collect rainfall and excess water to use

for the cooling system and to help plants survive in the building also. “This building uses around

25% less energy than general energy requirement in New York City” (“Hearst Tower in New

York City”).

The Hearst Tower addition of 2006 was a very influential success of the

twenty­first century. I believe the success of Norman and Fosters will continue to inspire future

buildings. The methods Norman Foster developed and used were highly efficient. He was able to

replicate a highly unorthodox design and keep it structurally sound. His techniques consisted of

very green and environmentally friendly actions. The ideas to recycle used steel and collect rain

water can and should be used in future buildings because it can save immense amounts of

money. The glass outer design is very appealing and has been used often after the publicity of

Foster’s addition to the William Randolph Hearst Tower. Norman Foster was successful in many

ways including the fact of saving the environment and changing the history of architecture.

Shown above is the Hall oF Nations developed by architect Raj Rewal, the Hearst Tower’s main influence.

Depicted to the left is the exterior of theHearst Tower, displaying the triangular, slanted beams Foster used.

To the right is a photograph of the interior of the Hearst Tower lobby. Beside the escalators is the waterfall surrounded by glass, commonly known as Hearst’s “IceFall”

Works Cited

"AIA CitiesHearst Tower." Hearst Tower . American Institute of Architects, n.d. Web. 16 Nov.

2015.

"Hearst Tower in New York City." Hearst Tower in New York City . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

"Hearst Tower, New York City." Hearst Tower, New York City . Foster and Partners, n.d. Web. 16

Nov. 2015.

Zukowsky, John. "Lord Norman Foster | British Architect." Encyclopedia Britannica Online .

Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.