IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

Amidst global shifts in office space utilization and evolving urban dynamics, Manhattan stands at a pivotal crossroads concerning its extensive post-war office building stock. Considering the unprecedented surge in vacancy levels within global office markets, this phenomenon – particularly radical in New York City – requires to prefigure transformation options for high-rise office buildings. This research delves into the future prospects of Manhattan’s office towers from the 1960s and 1970s, emphasizing their transformative potential anchored in critical morphological features. Despite the considerable attention devoted to factors influencing the conversion of these buildings, such as adherence to urban codes, historical and social significance, and energy efficiency, there remains a notable gap in understanding the correlation between fundamental morphological features, encompassing spatial and material aspects —such as circulation system, envelope sustainability and dimensional flexibility— and their impact on future transformations into housing within this large office building stock. This contribution employs the conversion of 180 Water Street, transitioning from an office tower to a residential skyscraper, as a pilot case study. The methodological approach commences with architectural drawings and involves a qualitative interplay between quantitative dimensional data, employing a “critical redrawing” technique to elucidate the transformation process and a survey-method assessment of the retroactive embodied energy of their primary materials. Ultimately, the paper posits that analyzing the building form can furnish a primary toolkit capable of unveiling both positive and negative potentials through an extensive examination of similar buildings with respect to morphological features. This approach is instrumental in comprehending the intricacies of future transformations, offering insights into the latent possibilities inherent in redundant building stocks.