56 Leonard: Building New York's Jenga Tower | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

56 Leonard is a daringly designed skyscraper in New York City, featuring cantilevers and a narrow floor plate, which posed significant engineering and construction challenges.

Key Insights

• 🦸 56 Leonard is part of a trend of super-skinny residential towers in New York City, joining other notable projects like 432 Park Avenue and 111 West 57th Street.
• 🥳 The narrow width-to-height ratio of 56 Leonard allows for unrestricted views across the city, making it a desirable luxury residential building.
• 🥰 Constructing a super skinny skyscraper in the heart of New York City comes with unique engineering challenges, such as transferring loads and increasing rigidity to minimize sway.

Transcript

building a daringly form new skyscraper in a city renowned for a skyline is no easy task with significant Heights numerous cantilevers and an extremely narrow floor plate 56 Leonard proved highly challenging to engineer and construct this is the story of New York's Jenga tower located in lower Manhattan at the intersection of church and Main Street... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What are some of the challenges in constructing 56 Leonard?

Constructing 56 Leonard posed significant challenges due to its unique design, including its narrow floor plate, numerous cantilevers, and the need to comply with height restrictions in a historic district.

Q: How many apartments does 56 Leonard have, and what are their sizes?

56 Leonard features 145 apartments, ranging from studios of 660 square feet to penthouses over 6,000 square feet in size.

Q: How were the cantilevered penthouses on the top 10 floors of 56 Leonard constructed?

The construction of the cantilevered penthouses presented the greatest challenge for the project team. Floor slabs cantilevered up to 25 feet, requiring additional beams to support them.

Q: How did engineers address the issue of the building's tendency to sway in the wind?

To address the sway, engineers increased the rigidity of the structure by connecting the columns to the core with outriggers. A water tank on the 56th floor helps dampen the building's movement in the wind.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• 56 Leonard is a 60-story skyscraper located in lower Manhattan, designed by Herzog & de Meuron.

• The building's unique design consists of stacked blocks that are increasingly offset as the tower rises, giving it a Jenga-like appearance.

• 56 Leonard offers luxury residential apartments with unrestricted views of the city, divided into several zones and supported by various amenities.