4 Times Square

4 Times Square (also known as 151 West 42nd Street or One Five One; formerly the Condé Nast Building) is a 48-story<ref name="fxcollab"/> skyscraper at Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Located at 1472 Broadway, between 42nd and 43rd Streets, the building measures Template:Cvt tall to its roof and Template:Cvt tall to its antenna. The building was designed by Fox & Fowle and developed by the Durst Organization. 4 Times Square, and the Bank of America Tower to the east, occupy an entire city block.

Fox & Fowle planned a masonry facade facing south and east, as well as a glass facade facing west and north. The northwest corner of the building's base contains the eight-story cylindrical facade of Nasdaq MarketSite, which includes a large LED sign. The top of 4 Times Square includes an antenna mast and four large illuminated signs on each side which read ‘H&M’. The building contains Template:Cvt of floor space, much of which was originally taken by publishing company Condé Nast and law firm Skadden Arps. The lowest three stories contain retail space while the fourth story has a food hall for tenants, originally designed by Frank Gehry for Condé Nast. 4 Times Square is an early example of green design in commercial skyscrapers in the United States.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Park Tower Realty and the Prudential Insurance Company of America had planned to develop a tower for the site as part of a wide-ranging redevelopment of West 42nd Street. After long opposing a tower there, Douglas Durst proposed an office building on the site in late 1995. Condé Nast and Skadden Arps leased the majority of the building in 1996, and the structure was finished in 1999. After Condé Nast and Skadden Arps moved out of the building during the 2010s, a variety of office tenants have occupied 4 Times Square. Several modifications have been made to the building after it opened, including an expansion of the antenna mast atop the building in 2003, as well as a renovation in the late 2010s.

Site

4 Times Square is on the eastern side of Broadway, between 42nd Street and 43rd Street, at the southern end of Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S.<ref name="ZoLa">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="aia5">Template:Cite aia5</ref> The land lot is trapezoidal and covers Template:Cvt. The site has a frontage of Template:Cvt on Broadway and a depth of Template:Cvt.<ref name="ZoLa" />

4 Times Square, as well as the Bank of America Tower and Stephen Sondheim Theatre to the east, comprise the entire city block. Other nearby locations include the Town Hall theater and the Chatwal New York hotel to the northeast, 1500 Broadway to the north, 1501 Broadway to the northwest, One Times Square and 3 Times Square to the west, Times Square Tower and 5 Times Square to the southwest, and the Knickerbocker Hotel and Bush Tower to the south.<ref name="ZoLa" /><ref name="aia5" /> An entrance to the New York City Subway's Times Square–42nd Street station, served by the Template:NYCS trains, is across 42nd Street. There is also an entrance to the 42nd Street–Bryant Park/Fifth Avenue station, served by the Template:NYCS trains, less than a block east.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

3, 4, and 5 Times Square and the Times Square Tower comprise a grouping of office buildings that were developed at Times Square's southern end in the late 1990s and early 2000s.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 714">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="wsj20141117">Template:Cite news</ref> The northern portion of 4 Times Square's site had been occupied by George M. Cohan's Theatre and the Fitzgerald Building before 1938,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> then by the Big Apple Theatre and a Nathan's Famous.<ref name="nyt19900218"/> The southern portion of the site had contained the Longacre Building.<ref name="nyt19900218">Template:Cite news</ref> The Nathan's space was originally a Toffenetti's restaurant,<ref name="Morabito 2012">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="nyt19680810">Template:Cite news</ref> which opened in 1940.<ref name="Morabito 2012" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Designed by Walker & Gillette, the Toffenetti's restaurant had 1,000 seats;<ref name="Morabito 2012" /> the Nathan's opened in the Toffenetti's building in 1968.<ref name="nyt19680810" />

Architecture

The building was designed by Fox & Fowle and developed by the Durst Organization.<ref name="aia5" /><ref name="A 1996-08" /><ref name="Stephens p. 91">Template:Harvnb</ref> WSP Cantor Seinuk was the structural engineer, while Tishman Construction was the main contractor.<ref name="Stephens p. 91" /><ref name="Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat" /> Other companies involved with the project included wind consultant CPP Wind Engineering and Air Quality Consultants, elevator contractor Otis Worldwide,<ref name="Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> mechanical engineer Cosentini Associates, photovoltaic contractor Kiss + Cathcart Architects, lighting contractor Fisher Marantz Renfro Stone, and cladding contractor Heitmann & Associates.<ref name="Stephens p. 91" /> The New York City Economic Development Corporation owns the structure.<ref name="ZoLa" />

4 Times Square has 48 usable floors above ground, as well as two basement floors.<ref name="Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat" /><ref name="Emporis" /> Including mechanical stories atop the building, 4 Times Square is 52 stories tall.<ref name="Fybush">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The building measures Template:Cvt to its architectural tip and Template:Cvt to the top of the antenna mast.<ref name="Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat" /><ref name="Emporis">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The main roof is only Template:Cvt high.<ref name="Emporis" />

4 Times Square is one of the first examples of green design in commercial skyscrapers in the United States.<ref name="Case Study">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The design incorporates many environmentally efficient features.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="nyt19970330">Template:Cite news</ref> In particular, Fox & Fowle had been chosen for its experience designing ecologically sustainable buildings.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Stephens p. 95" /> One of the building's original major tenants, publisher Condé Nast, had committed to designing its space to environmentally efficient standards (the other major tenant, law firm Skadden Arps, did not make a similar commitment).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The building's high energy usage limits the extent of the energy savings; Suzanne Stephens wrote for Architectural Record that the inclusion of such features was "a little like opening up a smoke-enders clinic on a tobacco farm".<ref name="Stephens p. 95" /><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

Form

The building is part of the 42nd Street Development Project and, thus, could bypass many city zoning rules such as those relating to floor area ratio (FAR).<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="Stephens p. 92">Template:Harvnb</ref> Bruce Fowle of Fox & Fowle estimated that the building had a FAR of 35,<ref name="Jacobs 1999">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while The New York Times stated that the FAR was only 31.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The massing of the building contains several setbacks, which were not mandated by zoning ordinances but were included to make the building's design fit in with its setting.<ref name="Stephens p. 91" /><ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /><ref name="New York Magazine 1996">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The 43rd story contains a glass setback with a cavetto-shaped cornice. Stephens wrote that the building contained a combination of neo-Modernist and traditional design elements. While the building is divided into a base, shaft, and pinnacle similar to older skyscrapers, the design of the facade was more varied.<ref name="Stephens p. 91" />

Antenna mast

If the building's antenna mast is included, the structure's total height is Template:Cvt.<ref name="Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat" /> The original antenna mast measured Template:Cvt and was built primarily for Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia, Inc.) as a backup transmitter site.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After the broadcast equipment atop the World Trade Center's towers was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001, the main transmitters for radio stations WKTU, WNYC-FM, and WPAT-FM and the backup transmitter for WSKQ-FM were transferred to 4 Times Square.<ref name="Fybush" /> In 2003, the original installation was replaced with a Template:Cvt mast.<ref name="Fybush" /><ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" /><ref name="The Broadcast Bridge 2017">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This allowed WKTU, WNYC-FM, and WPAT-FM to build main transmitters at the Empire State Building without disrupting existing FM tenants there.<ref name="Fybush" /> The topmost antenna, designed for Univision's WFUT-TV,<ref name="Fybush" /><ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" /> was removed in 2015 and replaced with a very high frequency (VHF) antenna for television station WJLP, bringing the mast to Template:Convert tall.<ref name="The Broadcast Bridge 2017" />

The mast includes five antennas. The topmost one is used by WJLP.<ref name="The Broadcast Bridge 2017" /> The second-highest tier contains two antennas for ultra high frequency (UHF) broadcasts; the antenna serving UHF channels 40–60 is above that serving channels 24–45.<ref name="Fybush 2010">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn Below that are two antennas for VHF broadcasts: one for low-VHF broadcasts and the other for FM radio stations.<ref name="Fybush 2010" /><ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" /> The antenna systems and mast were constructed by Andrew Corporation, Dielectric Communications, Shively Labs, and Electronics Research Inc.<ref name="Fybush 2010" /><ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" /> Template:As of, the mast at 4 Times Square is used as a primary site by FM radio stations WBGO, WKCR, WNYE, and WBAI.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In addition, the mast has been used as a backup site for FM stations such as WKTU, WNYC, WPAT, WSKQ, WHTZ, WAXQ, WWPR, WLTW, and WCAA.<ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" />

Facade

File:Times Sq Sep 2021 28.jpg

Detail of the masonry facade

Fox & Fowle planned a masonry facade, largely oriented south toward 42nd Street and east toward Bryant Park, as well as a glass facade, largely facing west toward Broadway and north toward 43rd Street.<ref name="A 1996-08">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="New York Magazine 1996" /><ref name="ZT p. 36">Template:Harvnb</ref> The arrangement was meant to fit in with the livelier character of Broadway and the more restrained character of 42nd Street and Bryant Park.<ref name="A 1996-08" /><ref name="nyt19960518">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Wells p. 132">Template:Harvnb</ref> This led multiple media sources to compare the facade to the two-faced god Janus.<ref name="A 1996-08" /><ref name="nyt19960519">Template:Cite news</ref> In general, the lower stories have low-reflective glass to increase transparency, while the upper stories have highly reflective glass that deflects heat.<ref name="Stephens p. 96" />

The masonry facade wraps around much of the north, east, and south elevations.<ref name="Stephens p. 93">Template:Harvnb</ref> In a 1996 press release, Fox & Fowle described the character of the masonry facade as presenting "a more composed personality appropriate to the context of Midtown Manhattan".<ref name="New York Magazine 1996" /> The offices are accessed from an entrance on 42nd Street,<ref name="nyt19960518" /><ref name="The Durst Organization 2020">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which is named One Five One after its street address of 151 West 42nd Street.<ref name="The Durst Organization 2020" /> The main entrance has a recessed glass wall and originally had an angled glass canopy, which complemented the curving ceiling of the lobby.<ref name="Stephens p. 94">Template:Harvnb</ref> The entrance originally contained glass doors and was flanked by stone blocks.<ref name="Jacobs 1999" /> The masonry facade has windows measuring Template:Cvt, larger than in typical office buildings.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /> The large windows were meant to reduce the amount of electricity required for illuminating the offices.<ref name="p398625408">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

The glass facade, which wraps around the west elevation and part of the south elevation, is designed to blend in with the surrounding signage.<ref name="Stephens p. 93" /> The glass facade contains green panels and is divided by vertical steel mullions.<ref name="nyt19960518" /> The west elevation on Broadway was designed with video screens,<ref name="A 1996-08" /><ref name="New York Magazine 1996" /><ref name="nyt19960518" /> which cover Template:Cvt and are mandated by the zoning law.<ref name="Stephens p. 95">Template:Harvnb</ref> There are ten signs, which could be rented to advertisers; when the building was constructed, the signs were projected to earn $7 million per year. The signs were included as part of Robert A. M. Stern's 42nd Street Now! master plan,<ref name="A 1996-08" /> which required a variety of lighting and signage for facades along Times Square.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

The 37th through 43rd stories of the south and east elevations have photovoltaic (PV) panels.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These were installed in place of some of the spandrels that separate windows on different floors.<ref name="nyt19970330" /><ref name="Stephens p. 92" /> There are 208 panels covering Template:Cvt, half a percent of the facade's total area. While the panels can generate enough power for five or six houses, they only supply one-half of a percent of the total power needs of 4 Times Square.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /><ref name="Stephens p. 96">Template:Harvnb</ref> The PV modules are placed on a thin glass pane that is then laminated on both sides. The PV panels were included because they were inconspicuous and only cost Template:Cvt more than conventional spandrels. Originally, the architects had planned for Template:Cvt of PV panels.<ref name="nyt19970330" /> Before deciding to use PV panels, Fox & Fowle had considered installing solar panels on the roof, as well as wind turbines.<ref name="nyt19970330" /> Douglas Durst of the Durst Organization said the panels were intended to indicate the building's energy-saving features, as the PV panels could be upgraded when the technology was more advanced.<ref name="n85616074">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt20020317">Template:Cite news</ref>

Nasdaq MarketSite

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

File:NYC - Midtown Manhattan – Times Square – Broadway by night - panoramio (2).jpg

Nasdaq MarketSite at the bottom of the Condé Nast Building at night

The eight-story cylindrical facade of 4 Times Square's northwest corner, on Broadway and 43rd Street, contains Nasdaq MarketSite.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717" /><ref name="Nast 2000">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The facade was part of the building's original design and was included before Nasdaq had leased the space.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At street level is a three-story glass facade, which contains a view of the studio inside.<ref name="Nast 2000" /><ref name="cnn19991228">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Above the studio, the facade consists of a giant LED display, variously cited as measuring Template:Cvt<ref name="Nast 2000" /> or Template:Cvt.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717" /> The display was the world's largest at the time of its completion.<ref name="BF p. 32">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="p195762697">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="nyt20000217">Template:Cite news</ref> The display is allowed because 4 Times Square is exempt from the zoning rules regarding signs.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717" />

The LED sign over the studio cost $37 million.<ref name="cnn19991228" /><ref name="Stern (2006) p. 718">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="nyt20000217" /> The display can show information at a computer display standard of 1280x1824, and it has over 18 million LEDs.<ref name="Nast 2000" /> The display is made of about 8,200<ref name="nyt20000217" /> or 8,400 panels,<ref name="nyt19990804" /> manufactured by Saco Smart Vision.<ref name="p195762697" /><ref name="nyt20000217" /><ref name="nyt19990804">Template:Cite news</ref> It is Template:Cvt thick and is interrupted by thirty square windows.<ref name="Stern (2006) pp. 717-718" /><ref name="nyt19990521">Template:Cite news</ref> The windows are arranged into five rows, which illuminate a portion of Condé Nast's space.<ref name="nyt19990521" /> There is a Template:Cvt catwalk and a ventilation space behind the display,<ref name="nyt19990804" /><ref name="Stern (2006) pp. 717-718">Template:Harvnb</ref> creating a gap of about Template:Cvt between the sign and the actual facade.<ref name="Stephens p. 96" /><ref name="nyt19990521" /> At 4 Times Square's opening, Nasdaq leased the sign space from Durst for $2 million a year.<ref name="nyt20000217" />

Top-story signs

The top of the building was originally ornamented with four signs, each measuring Template:Cvt and displaying the address 4 Times Square.<ref name="A 1996-08" /><ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /> Unlike the signs at the base, the top stories' signs are not required by zoning.<ref name="Stephens p. 95" /> While modern New York City building code prohibits logos from being more than Template:Cvt above the curb or occupying over Template:Cvt on a blockfront,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the top-story signs are protected because they are in the 42nd Street Development Project.<ref name="nyt20000123" /><ref name="CBS New York – Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic And The Best of NY 2013" /><ref name="wsj20130812" />

The panels were originally vacant, though Durst had sought to market them to tenants at $1 million a year. In 2000, after the building opened, panels with the name of wireless provider Teligent Telecom were installed on the top stories, measuring Template:Cvt.<ref name="nyt20000123">Template:Cite news</ref> The signs were subsequently replaced by the number "4" during the mid-2000s.<ref name="nyt20060405">Template:Cite news</ref> Since 2013, the top of the building has contained four illuminated panels with the name of clothing retailer H&M, a retail tenant at the base.<ref name="CBS New York – Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic And The Best of NY 2013">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="wsj20130812">Template:Cite news</ref>

Mechanical and environmental features

Fuel cells

File:Condé Nast Building Times Square.jpg

Southeastern corner, showing the glass facade on Broadway (left) and masonry facade on 42nd Street (right)

The building is partially powered by two fuel cells that are capable of Template:Cvt each.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /><ref name="nyt20020317" /><ref name="Stephens pp. 95-96">Template:Harvnb</ref> They are installed on the fourth floor.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The two cells could provide 50 percent of the exterior signs' nighttime power needs but a minuscule amount of the daytime needs.<ref name="nyt19970928" /> They could generate eight percent of the building's total electricity.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /><ref name="Stephens pp. 95-96" /> The fuel cells cost $1 million and were made by United Technologies Corporation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As part of an agreement with Consolidated Edison (Con Ed), which operates much of New York City's power-supply system, the cells must be turned off during a power failure, such as the Northeast blackout of 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Fox & Fowle originally planned to include eight fuel cells, which would have been capable of generating Template:Cvt of power annually, including all of the exterior signs' power needs.<ref name="nyt19970330" /> Along with the photovoltaic panels on the facade, the fuel cells would have been able to provide most of the power for 4 Times Square, with building managers purchasing power from the city's electrical grid from Con Ed only as needed.<ref name="nyt19970330" /><ref name="Stephens pp. 95-96" /> The fuel cells would have to run continuously to operate efficiently, since they could not be turned off or on easily, but the building's power needs were much lower at night during the day.<ref name="p398625408" /><ref name="nyt19970928">Template:Cite news</ref> Furthermore, each cell cost $600,000.<ref name="p398625408" /> Consequently, plans for six of the eight fuel cells were discarded in 1997.<ref name="p398625408" /><ref name="nyt19970928" />

Air delivery

Fox & Fowle and Durst decided to use chillers powered by natural gas to provide cool air to the offices.<ref name="Stephens p. 96" /><ref name="p398625408" /><ref name="Wells p. 134">Template:Harvnb</ref> At the time, many buildings still used fossil fuels for power generation, and natural gas created much less pollution than other fossil fuels.<ref name="p398625408" /> Gas was used instead of electricity because gas could be stored for later use, while electricity had to be used when it is produced.<ref name="nyt19970928" /> According to Bruce Fowle of Fox & Fowle, the firm had contemplated using electric chillers, which could create and store ice at night, then use the ice to chill the offices during the daytime. Fowle said the firm had decided against using ice storage because it was more expensive than natural gas-powered chillers.<ref name="nyt19970330" /> After an upgrade in 2003, the building had Template:Cvt of air conditioning.<ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" />

The air-delivery system provides 50 percent more fresh air than is required by New York City building code.<ref name="Case Study" /><ref name="n85616074" /><ref name="Wells p. 134" /> It can also be used to ventilate polluted air from specified floors; a separate exhaust shaft was designed for employee smoking areas.<ref name="p398625408" /> The air-circulation system was built so air on any set of three floors could be replaced every 24 to 48 hours.<ref name="n85616074" /> Sensors on each floor are used to monitor air quality, and the building's management team could adjust the air-delivery and ventilation systems as needed.<ref name="Wells p. 134" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tenants could also independently adjust the heating and air-conditioning systems in their offices.<ref name="Wells p. 134" /> The building's climate control system was designed to operate in tandem with the wastewater system, further reducing energy use.<ref name="ZT p. 36" />

Other features

The building is also served by recycling chutes.<ref name="nyt19970330" /><ref name="p398625408" /> There are dedicated shafts for paper recycling and trash,<ref name="p398625408" /> which lead to storage bins in the basement.<ref name="n85616074" /> There is mechanical equipment on the 49th floor and on two mezzanines above it. These stories contain three diesel generators, which power the antenna mast and are capable of a combined Template:Cvt. In addition, the 51st floor has FM transmitters and combiners while the 52nd floor has TV combiners.<ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" />

Interior

The superstructure is made of both concrete and steel, though the structural core is made of concrete.<ref name="Stephens pp. 91-92" /> The steel columns are embedded in shear walls made of reinforced concrete.<ref name="Stephens p. 96" /> The building uses demolition debris that was recycled from the previous structures on the site,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and the previous foundations were also reused.<ref name="n85616074" /><ref name="Wells p. 134" /> Where newer foundations were installed, deep-rock caissons and deep foundations were used to minimize damage to neighboring buildings and subway tunnels.<ref name="Wells p. 134" /> The building's core and external columns rise to the top of the building.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /><ref name="Stephens p. 92" /><ref name="Wells p. 132" /> The four large signs on the roof conceal the "hat truss" that connects the core and external columns.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /><ref name="Stephens p. 92" /> Behind the truss is mechanical space, which doubles as a damper.<ref name="Stephens p. 92" /><ref name="nyt19990926">Template:Cite news</ref> Inside, 4 Times Square has Template:Cvt of space.<ref name="nyt19960508" />

Lower stories

File:H&M (38161134321).jpg

Storefront window of the H&M store in the building

The lobby is on the east side of the ground floor and is accessed from both 42nd and 43rd Streets.<ref name="Stephens p. 95" /> The ceiling contains aluminum and fiberglass panels, which curve downward from both entrances toward the center of the space.<ref name="Stephens p. 94" /> The lobby has an exhibit of the Durst Organization's history. There are also architectural models of various projects developed by the Durst Organization, such as the VIA 57 West residential development on Manhattan's West Side, as well as brochures of buildings owned by the company.<ref name="nyt20150930">Template:Cite news</ref> There are also security checkpoints with turnstiles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The building was designed with Template:Cvt of retail space on the lowest three stories.<ref name="nyt19960630">Template:Cite news</ref> When the building opened, the retail space was occupied by a three-story ESPN Zone entertainment restaurant, operated by The Walt Disney Company.<ref name="n85636030">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ESPN.com: ESPNINC 1998">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The ground floor had an American grill called the Studio Grill; the second floor had the Screening Room, a sports-viewing area with television screens; and the third floor had the Sports Arena, which included a small practice facility and an arcade video game area.<ref name="ESPN.com: ESPNINC 1998" /> Part of the ground floor and basement was also occupied by a Duane Reade.<ref name="nyt20020728">Template:Cite news</ref> Since 2013, the old ESPN space has contained a three-story H&M clothing store.<ref name="WWD 2013" />

Einhorn Yaffee Prescott designed Nasdaq MarketSite's Template:Cvt space at the northwest corner of the building.<ref name="BF p. 32" /><ref name="Stern (2006) p. 669">Template:Harvnb</ref> The space had a 72-seat auditorium, a public exhibit area, and a pair of broadcast studios below the large LED sign.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 669" /> The ground floor of the MarketSite contains a broadcast studio with a wall of 96 monitors, measuring Template:Cvt tall and broadcasting information about stocks and the market. It is visible from the windows that overlook Times Square.<ref name="BF p. 32" /><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> An exhibit on the second floor was designed as the "MarketSite Experience", displaying items about MarketSite's history.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

Condé Nast cafeteria

Frank Gehry designed an employee cafeteria on the fourth floor for Condé Nast.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717" /><ref name="ZT p. 36" /><ref name="Stephens p. 117">Template:Harvnb</ref> The cafeteria was Gehry's first New York City project; prior to designing the space, Gehry had had difficulty gaining any major commissions. Gehry had been friends with Condé Nast CEO Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr., who offered to hire Gehry for the interior design of Condé Nast's offices, a role that Gehry declined.<ref name="nyt20150930" /><ref name="6sqft 2017">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> When the cafeteria opened in 2000, it was directed by Sean J. Killeen and a staff of 53. The space was given several nicknames, such as "the Commissary" and "the Aquarium".<ref name="nyt20000817">Template:Cite news</ref> The main cafeteria covered Template:Cvt<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717" /><ref name="wsj20100804">Template:Cite news</ref> and could fit more than 250 people.Template:Efn Next to the main cafeteria were four smaller dining rooms<ref name="Stephens p. 117" /><ref name="nyt19990620" /> and an auditorium with 85 seats.<ref name="nyt19990620">Template:Cite news</ref> The private dining rooms could fit 70.<ref name="Ro 2017">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="nyt20000423">Template:Cite news</ref> The New York Daily News said that James Truman, Condé Nast's editorial director, "spent months thinking about nothing else" during the design of the cafeteria.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The cafeteria reportedly cost $30 to $35 million.<ref name="nyt20000817" /><ref name="wsj20100804" />

The main cafeteria measures Template:Cvt tall.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717" /> It was originally decorated with serpentine blue-titanium walls, as well as a ceiling with blue-titanium panels and hanging white shapes.<ref name="Free Online Library 2015">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="nyt20000423" /> The floor was made of plywood,<ref name="nyt20000423" /> but it was resurfaced in linoleum by 2002 because Condé Nast editors' high heels kept damaging the floor.<ref name="nyt20020822">Template:Cite news</ref> Most of the seats were initially in 39 upholstered-leather booths with yellow elliptical wooden tables.<ref name="nyt20000423" /> The booths were slightly lifted on concrete podiums clad with wood, and the pathways through the cafeteria varied in elevation depending on the booths' height.<ref name="Free Online Library 2015" /><ref name="Stephens p. 123">Template:Harvnb</ref> Each booth is divided by angled glass partitions that measure Template:Cvt tall, Template:Cvt wide, and about Template:Cvt thick and weighing Template:Cvt apiece.<ref name="nyt20150930" /><ref name="Free Online Library 2015" /><ref name="Stephens p. 122">Template:Harvnb</ref> The panes are held in place by metal grommets at the top and bottom.<ref name="Stephens p. 122" /> It took one year for Gehry and the glass workers to determine how to bend the glass into a three-dimensional shape.<ref name="nyt19990620" /> Gehry used CATIA software to modify the glass.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717" /><ref name="Stephens p. 122" /> The partitions in the private dining rooms were sandblasted and were designed with overlaps.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 717" /><ref name="Free Online Library 2015" /> A model of part of the dining area was fabricated in Italy before being shipped to New York City.<ref name="Stephens p. 123" />

After Condé Nast moved out during 2014, the cafeteria was unused for five years.<ref name="6sqft 2017" /><ref name="Ro 2017" /> Studios Architecture renovated the dining room, which reopened in 2018 as a tenant-only food hall operated by Claus Meyer.<ref name="Fazzare 2018">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The floors were resurfaced in white oak; the leather seats and tables were replaced; and the titanium walls were covered with curving sheetrock and plaster. A set of test kitchens was turned into a reception area for an adjacent conference room.<ref name="Fazzare 2018" /> The northwestern western section of the cafeteria, which had once contained mechanical space behind the MarketSite sign, was converted into a garden room with a full-height green wall containing 2,200 plants.<ref name="Fazzare 2018" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Seating capacity was increased to 300 during the renovation.<ref name="6sqft 2017" />

Offices

The lowest office floors cover Template:Cvt each, while the highest floors cover Template:Cvt each.<ref name="Lee p. 102">Template:Harvnb</ref> When designing the building, Fox & Fowle tried to maximize the amount of space illuminated by natural light.<ref name="ZT p. 36" /> Since natural light could only penetrate about 25 percent of each office story, the office stories contain a flexible open plan arrangement. The lighting in the office stories can be controlled by dimmers.<ref name="Stephens p. 96" />

Condé Nast's space originally spanned floors 4 to 23<ref name="nyt19990620" /> and cost an estimated $100 million.<ref name="Lee p. 102" /><ref name="nyt19990620" /> The Condé Nast offices were designed by Mancini Duffy, though Truman influenced the furnishings in the offices.<ref name="Lee p. 102" /><ref name="nyt19980226">Template:Cite news</ref> The company's flagship magazines Vogue and Vanity Fair had their own stories, while The New Yorker had floors 20 and 21; the rest of the space had corporate offices.<ref name="Lee p. 102" /> Most of Condé Nast's stories were shared by two publications; the elevator lobbies served as a common reception area, with glass doors on either side. Past the glass doors were curved "branding walls" with the logo of the publication that occupied the corresponding office space. Behind the "branding walls" on each floor are Template:Cvt rectangular conference rooms with beige or gray decorations, as well as Template:Cvt meeting spaces for editorial teams.<ref name="Lee p. 105">Template:Harvnb</ref> Along the outer edges of each story, each publication's offices were connected by an "art corridor" decorated with works of art.<ref name="Lee p. 105" />

Most of Condé Nast's offices were arranged in an open plan, which was not popular among the publication's employees.<ref name="nyt19980226" /><ref name="Lee p. 105" /> The open-plan workspaces had white-laminate and blue-gray aluminum workstations with wooden accents.<ref name="Lee p. 103">Template:Harvnb</ref> Only five percent of offices were directly adjacent to windows,<ref name="nyt19980226" /> but the open plan allowed many lower-ranking employees to have desks next to windows.<ref name="nyt19990620" /><ref name="Lee p. 105" /> Publishers and top editors had their own offices at the corners,<ref name="Lee p. 103" /> while senior staffers had to work near the building's core.<ref name="Lee p. 105" /> Some editors customized their offices. For example, Anna Wintour of Vogue used aluminum chairs and potted bulbs to resemble a setting in Home and Garden magazine, and Ruth Reichl of Gourmet designed her offices in a contemporary style with red accents.<ref name="Lee p. 105" /> Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair redesigned his editorial office so it looked like his previous accommodations.<ref name="nyt19990620" /><ref name="Lee p. 105" /> Test kitchens, two private dining rooms, and a photograph studio were also installed for Gourmet's recipe editors.<ref name="Lee p. 105" /> Newhouse's office was on the 11th floor, unlike other executive offices that were generally placed at the top.<ref name="nyt19990620" />

History

Planning

The Durst family had started acquiring property on the city block bounded by Broadway, Sixth Avenue, and 42nd and 43rd Streets in 1967, when Douglas Durst's father Seymour Durst bought a building that housed White's Sea Food Restaurant.<ref name="nyt19990316">Template:Cite news</ref> Seymour Durst planned to redevelop the area east of Times Square with office skyscrapers, but he canceled these plans in 1973 amid a declining office market.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several other failed proposals followed for the block.<ref name="nyt19990316" />

Early plans

File:Conde Nast Building New York.jpg

4 Times Square's spire as seen from a distance

The Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), an agency of the New York state government, had proposed redeveloping the area around a portion of West 42nd Street in 1981.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Four towers designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee were to be built around 42nd Street's intersections with Broadway and Seventh Avenue;Template:Efn the largest of those would have been a 56-story building at the northeast corner of 42nd Street and Broadway.<ref name="Stephens p. 92" /><ref name="nyt19920803">Template:Cite news</ref> These towers would have been redeveloped by George Klein of Park Tower Realty, though the Prudential Insurance Company of America joined the project in 1986.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Furthermore, as part of the West Midtown special zoning district created in 1982, the New York City government had allowed new buildings in Times Square to be developed with an increased floor area ratio. To ensure the area would not be darkened at nightfall, the city passed zoning regulations that encouraged developers to add large, bright signs on their buildings.<ref name="Stephens p. 92" /><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

The Durst Organization opposed the redevelopment for 15 years, citing concerns over the subsidies that were to be given to the developers, which in turn would decrease the value of the Dursts' buildings.<ref name="nyt19951121">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n85495587">Template:Cite news</ref> Durst himself had acquired a small portion of what would be Park Tower and Prudential's office building, part of 20 lots on the same city block that he owned by February 1990.<ref name="nyt19900218" /> However, he was loath to develop his sites on the block until the 42nd Street redevelopment had been finalized.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Dursts' opposition, along with Prudential and Park Tower's inability to secure tenants for the proposed buildings,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> led government officials to allow Prudential and Park Tower to postpone the project in 1992.<ref name="nyt19920803" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By then, Prudential had spent $300 million on condemning the sites through eminent domain.<ref name="nyt19951121" /> The partners retained the right to develop the sites in the future,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the ESDC's zoning guidelines remained in effect.<ref name="Stephens p. 92" /> Klein ceded decision-making power for the sites to Prudential, which decided to exit the real-estate market altogether, selling off all four sites.<ref name="p1646401632">Template:Cite news</ref>

Durst proposal

Seymour Durst ultimately died in mid-1995 before any building was developed on the block.<ref name="nyt19990316" /> By November 1995, Seymour's son Douglas Durst was negotiating with Prudential to develop the northeast corner of 42nd Street and Broadway with a larger skyscraper that would use the Durst family's adjacent lots. Durst asked Prudential to postpone the development of the other three sites until Durst had completed his building.<ref name="nyt19951121" /> The new building would be the first in the same redevelopment project that the Durst family had once opposed.<ref name="nyt19951121" /><ref name="n85495587" /> Further, Durst planned to claim a 35 percent tax abatement for the project.<ref name="nyt19960412">Template:Cite news</ref> Durst acquired a $215 million mortgage loan on three other buildings to fund the proposed skyscraper.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

After a slight delay,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Prudential's board voted to sell the site to Durst in February 1996.<ref name="n85495587" /> Klein was opposed to the proposed sale, citing the Durst family's previous objections to the redevelopment. Ultimately, Klein received an unknown amount of compensation for ceding the site's development rights to Durst.<ref name="p1646401632" /> Durst acquired the plot that April,<ref name="nyt19960412" /> he combined the newly acquired lot, which covered Template:Cvt, with an adjacent lot owned by his family, covering Template:Cvt.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Durst proposed a Template:Cvt skyscraper on the expanded site.<ref name="nyt19960508" /> To reduce concerns from community members and civic groups, he showed them his plans.<ref name="nyt19960508">Template:Cite news</ref> Fox & Fowle was hired to design the building; at the time, it was one of four companies that were allowed to design green buildings in New York City.<ref name="ZT p. 36" /> Its plan for limestone and glass facades was generally well received by civic groups such as the Municipal Art Society.<ref name="nyt19960519" />

Before construction started, the state required a commitment from a large tenant.<ref name="nyt19960412" /><ref name="Rice 2001">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This led media sources to debate whether the building was a speculative development.<ref name="Rice 2001" /><ref name="Wells p. 132" /> Though Durst had intended the building to be developed without an anchor tenant, similar to speculative buildings, the state would not approve the project unless a tenant was secured.<ref name="Rice 2001" /> The author Matthew Wells characterized the building as "the first speculative office block to be completed in Manhattan for over a decade".<ref name="Wells p. 132" /> At the time of the sale, Durst denied rumors that Condé Nast would occupy the building for its headquarters.<ref name="nyt19960412" /> That May, Condé Nast leased Template:Cvt,<ref name="nyt19960508" /><ref name="n85520173">Template:Cite news</ref> taking up floors 4 to 23,<ref name="nyt19990620" /> with an option for an additional Template:Cvt.<ref name="nyt19960508" /> The building was consequently named after Condé Nast.<ref name="nyt19960508" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Stern (2006) p. 714" /> The publisher had wanted to consolidate the operations of 17 of its magazines, which then occupied six separate buildings,<ref name="nyt19990620" /> and many of its leases were set to expire in 2000.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Condé Nast had selected 4 Times Square because of the environmentally-efficient features planned for the structure.<ref name="nyt19960630" />

Construction

Preliminary work for 4 Times Square, as the building was known, began in September 1996.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 714" /> At the time, it was the first speculative office development to be built in Midtown Manhattan in fifteen years,<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> and its construction prompted the development of other office buildings in the area.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 4 Times Square and its three neighboring developments would collectively add almost Template:Cvt of office space.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> All four projects were being marketed with a Times Square address, which until the early 1990s had not been popular in the city's real estate market.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The project was to receive $10.7 million in tax relief and Durst was to receive a $4 million tax exemption every year.<ref name="nyt19960519" /> That October, law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom agreed to move its headquarters to 4 Times Square,<ref name="n85520173" /><ref name="nyt19961025" /> with Template:Cvt on the top 21 stories.<ref name="nyt19961025">Template:Cite news</ref> Skadden Arps's commitment was part of an increase in leasing in buildings around Times Square.<ref name="Stern (2006) p. 715" /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> By March 1997, though the building's site had not been fully excavated, 87 percent of the office space had already been leased.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Rainforest Cafe tentatively agreed to lease a storefront in the street level and basement that July.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:ESPN Zone in New York (4702626143).jpg

Disney leased three stories of retail in late 1998 for the ESPN Zone entertainment restaurant.

Since most of the office space had been taken by Condé Nast and Skadden Arps, the Durst Organization decided to distribute CDs to promote the retail space and the signs atop the building. The promotional CD contained a photo gallery of Times Square's history, details of 4 Times Square's green-building features, and a map of planned hotels and stores nearby.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Durst Organization received a $340 million construction loan in mid-1997.<ref name="p249811301">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The loan was issued by a syndicate of banks led by the Bank of New York.<ref name="p249811301" /> The site was cleared by that August 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The superstructure had risen to 30 stories by the February 1998,<ref name="nyt19980226" /> though steel construction was delayed by the rainy weather.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Around that time, Nasdaq was considering leasing a marketing center and TV studio at 4 Times Square.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By mid-1998, it had agreed to lease the space and add an LED sign around the cylindrical northwest corner.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Disney leased three stories of retail later that year for the ESPN Zone entertainment restaurant.<ref name="n85636030" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Several incidents occurred during construction, leading the city's tabloid newspapers to describe the construction site as "jinxed".<ref name="nyt19990410">Template:Cite news</ref> A construction crane fell onto a building on 43rd Street in January 1998,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ZT p. 37">Template:Harvnb</ref> and a piece of aluminum dropped from the northern facade that April, though no one was hurt in either incident.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That June, a carpenter was crushed to death by an elevator.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The most severe incident occurred on July 21, 1998, when a construction elevator fell onto the nearby Woodstock Hotel, killing an 85-year-old woman and injuring twelve other people.<ref name="ZT p. 37" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The surrounding area was closed to the public and many residents and businesses were displaced;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the area could not be reopened until netting was installed around the collapsed scaffold.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the scaffold was disassembled,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the surrounding segment of 43rd Street was reopened a month after the collapse,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> though Woodstock Hotel residents did not return until that October.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The July 1998 construction collapse delayed construction by two months.<ref name="n85636030" /> Following an investigation, U.S. government officials said in early 1999 that the scaffold had collapsed because it had lacked crucial support beams.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The construction crane was being disassembled by February 1999; at the time, it was the eighth-tallest structure in Manhattan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The next month, as the building was being completed, falling debris from the construction site injured three pedestrians.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Usage

Opening

File:Times Sq Sep 2021 24.jpg

42nd Street entrance

The first Condé Nast employees began moving into the building on June 21, 1999, when almost 200 employees from Brides, House & Garden, and Women's Sports and Fitness moved to the structure.<ref name="nyt19990620" /> The relocations continued over the two following months.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The overall reaction among Condé Nast employees was positive, though some were critical of the building; one editor would not preview the building prior to the move, while another expressed concern about the construction incidents.<ref name="nyt19990620" /> Furthermore, many staff members of The New Yorker were reluctant to move to 4 Times Square, though this was more heavily influenced by the fact that The New Yorker previously occupied a different building from the other Condé Nast publications.<ref name="nyt19990410" /> Many Condé Nast staff arrived at the building in limousines, which created congestion on nearby streets, prompting the city government to create a limousine-dropoff area nearby.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

At the building's opening, Durst also faced two class-action lawsuits from nearby business owners as a result of the construction incidents in 1998. These were both dismissed in July 1999 because the business owners did not suffer physical damage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, Nasdaq and Condé Nast had disagreed over the proposed LED sign since the beginning of 1999, leading the two companies to seek an arbitration proceeding. Condé Nast claimed that the sign would block the windows of its art department and that it protruded too far from the facade. In response, Nasdaq said the sign was within the terms of its own lease and that, in any case, Condé Nast's graphic-arts department did not need natural light.<ref name="nyt19990521" /> An arbitrator ruled in favor of Nasdaq in August 1999,<ref name="nyt19990804" /> and the Nasdaq MarketSite sign started illuminating that December.<ref name="cnn19991228" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Stern (2006) p. 718" /> By the end of 1999, Durst was looking to refinance the building to replace the construction loan from the Bank of New York.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2000s

The building's fourth-floor cafe opened in April 2000<ref name="nyt20000817" /> and was renovated two years afterward.<ref name="nyt20020822" /> Meanwhile, the signs atop the building remained unused through early 2000.<ref name="nyt20000123" /> Teligent was the first company to pay $500,000 a year for the signs, but it went bankrupt a year after the signs were installed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By late 2001, Nasdaq was contemplating relocating its offices (which had been damaged in the September 11 attacks) to 4 Times Square, where only Template:Cvt of office space was vacant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several radio stations had also been forced to move to 4 Times Square after the attacks, prompting the addition of an FM antenna for WNYC in March 2002.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Duane Reade pharmacy chain leased the remaining ground-floor space and part of the basement in mid-2002.<ref name="nyt20020728" />

After the September 11 attacks, Durst was unable to refinance 4 Times Square because his insurer had dropped terrorism coverage from its policy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p333540643">Template:Cite news</ref> A judge issued a restraining order preventing mortgage holder Cigna from declaring the building in default until April 2002. The restraining order was extended to May; a few minutes before the extension was set to expire, it was extended again to September.<ref name="p333540643" /> In the meantime, a New York state judge ruled that Cigna could force Durst to carry terror insurance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p216614138">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The lack of insurance led Moody's Investors Service to reduce the credit rating of the loan on 4 Times Square.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the passage of a terror-insurance law in November 2002, Durst said he was amenable to buy a cheaper terror-insurance policy.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Cigna and Durst had reached a settlement by late 2003, when the credit rating of the property loan was upgraded after Durst obtained terror insurance.<ref name="p216614138" />

Meanwhile, in November 2002, Durst announced that he would construct a Template:Cvt antenna mast atop 4 Times Square as a backup facility for radio stations that had broadcast from the World Trade Center. The original antenna mast was designed for four stations but was serving eight stations, while the new antenna mast would be designed to serve 18 stations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The old mast was disassembled and the new mast was constructed starting in March 2003.<ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" /> Univision signed an agreement to build an antenna on the building.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During construction, a temporary one-bay antenna was mounted atop 4 Times Square.<ref name="Fybush" /> The work, costing $25 million, included adding structural reinforcements. The new mast was finished on October 2, 2003, with the first broadcast occurring on October 30 of the same year.<ref name="Electrical Contractor Magazine 2017" />

During the mid-2000s, Durst spent $300,000 to install repeaters and antennas that could operate the core mechanical systems in case of an emergency.<ref name="nyt20060601">Template:Cite news</ref> The equipment was completed in 2006.<ref name="nyt20060601" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By then, the signs atop the building were not being used by any advertiser and contained the number "4".<ref name="nyt20060405" /> In the late 2000s, Durst developed the Bank of America Tower on the eastern side of the block, obscuring views from 4 Times Square's eastern facade.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2010s to present

File:Condé Nast Building 001.jpg

As seen from ground level

The ESPN Zone restaurant closed in June 2010 following the 2008 financial crisis.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Around that time, Condé Nast signed a lease to relocate to the new One World Trade Center when that building was completed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The retail space remained vacant for over two years and, following a failed negotiation with Express, Inc.,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> H&M agreed to lease the majority of the retail space in late 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> H&M announced in August 2013 that it would install panels with its logo atop the building,<ref name="CBS New York – Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic And The Best of NY 2013" /><ref name="wsj20130812" /> and the H&M store opened that November.<ref name="WWD 2013">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Condé Nast moved to One World Trade Center between November 2014 and January 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After the relocation, preservationists expressed concern that the Condé Nast cafeteria would be destroyed, since Skadden Arps had its own cafeteria.<ref name="Bonanos 2015">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In early 2015, the Durst Organization indicated it would preserve the cafeteria but would have to find a tenant for it.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Bonanos 2015" />

Among the later tenants was Nasdaq, which in February 2018 moved its global headquarters to the building and extended the MarketSite lease.<ref name="co20180207" /><ref name="Commercial Property Executive 2018" /> Nasdaq planned to expand MarketSite over the following three years;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the expansion included a 10th-story event space with a Template:Cvt terrace that would be able to accommodate 400 people.<ref name="U.S. 2018">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the late 2010s, the Durst Organization renovated the building's main entrance and lobby for $140 million.<ref name="U.S. 2018" /> In addition, the fourth-floor dining room was renovated for $35 million;<ref name="Ro 2017" /> after the renovation was completed in 2018,<ref name="Guerre 2018">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Hilburg 2018">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the dining room was opened to all of the building's tenants.<ref name="nyt-2023-01-23">Template:Cite news</ref> The Durst Organization also installed beehives on the building's roof to create honey for the dining room.<ref name="nyt-2023-01-23" /> After the renovation, 4 Times Square had Template:Cvt of amenity space.<ref name="Fazzare 2018" />

Skadden Arps itself planned to move out of Four Times Square by 2020, having signed a lease at One Manhattan West.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The building's two major tenants had occupied nearly all the office space, and their departure would leave the building almost vacant.<ref name="wsj20141117" /> In the five years after Condé Nast's departure, the Durst Organization secured tenants for the publisher's former space.<ref name="trd20190108">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> All of the old Condé Nast space had been leased by April 2019. Durst then refinanced the building with $900 million from JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo. The refinancing came after $650 million of commercial mortgage-backed securities, issued by UBS, had matured.<ref name="trd20190403">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Durst Organization also planned to market the building as 151 West 42nd Street.<ref name="trd20190403" /> By July 2022, the Durst Organization had leased out the last two vacant floors that Skadden Arps had occupied.<ref name="Young 202207" /><ref name=":0" />

Tenants

Most of the space at 4 Times Square was occupied by Condé Nast and Skadden Arps prior to 2015. Afterward, their former spaces have been occupied by a variety of companies:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• SS&C Technologies, a financial technology company, signed for Template:Cvt in January 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company added Template:Cvt in 2019, taking up all of floors 5, 6, and 7.<ref name="CO">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, a law firm, leased Template:Cvt on one full floor in September 2016.<ref name="co20160908" />
• ICAP, a financial securities company, leased Template:Cvt on floors 13 and 14 in September 2016.<ref name="co20160908">Template:Cite news</ref>
• RSM US, an accounting firm, signed a Template:Cvt lease to take the entirety of floors 10 and 11, as well as part of floor 12, in January 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• HedgeServ Corporation, a financial technology firm, signed for Template:Cvt on floor 8 in August 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• National Cable Communications signed for Template:Cvt on floor 11 and part of floor 12 in January 2019.<ref name="trd20190108" /><ref name="CO" /> It then expanded by Template:Cvt on the remainder of floor 12.<ref name="trd20190610">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Analysis Group, an economic consulting firm, leased Template:Cvt on floor 23 and part of floor 22 in January 2019.<ref name="trd20190108" /><ref name="CO" />
• BMO Capital Markets leased Template:Cvt on floors 9 and 29 in April 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Nasdaq leased Template:Cvt for its headquarters in February 2018,<ref name="co20180207">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Commercial Property Executive 2018">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> then expanded to Template:Cvt in May 2019 by leasing the entirety of floor 28.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

• Vevo, a video hosting service, leased Template:Cvt on floor 25 in June 2019.<ref name="trd20190610" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Vidaris, a consulting firm, leased Template:Cvt on floor 24 in July 2021.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Mitsubishi International, a conglomerate, leased Template:Cvt on floors 34 and 35 in July 2021.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Venable LLP, a law firm, leased Template:Cvt on floors 48 to 52, as well as on a concourse, in October 2021.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

• Varagon Capital Partners, an asset management firm, leased Template:Cvt in March 2022.<ref name="Young 202203">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Chicago Trading Company leased Template:Cvt in July 2022, occupying the last full-floor spaces available.<ref name="Young 202207">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Critical reception

File:Times Sq Sep 2021 19.jpg

Broadway facade viewed from 42nd Street

When construction of 4 Times Square began in 1996, Paul Goldberger wrote for The New York Times, "While the building is far from modest in size, [Fox & Fowle's design] is significantly improved from the original plans by Philip Johnson and John Burgee."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For the same newspaper, Herbert Muschamp wrote that the building "is not monstrously out of scale" with other contemporary developments.<ref name="nyt19960518" /><ref name="ZT p. 36" /> Muschamp said it looked like a custom design for Condé Nast, "whose stock in trade is the knowing mix of high style and popular culture".<ref name="nyt19960518" /> Karrie Jacobs of New York magazine also considered Fox & Fowle's design to be better than Johnson and Burgee's plan, adding that "It's the perfect building for a culture that consists of nothing but fragmented references to what has come before".<ref name="New York Magazine 1996" /> The building was pictured in the August 1998 issue of Vogue magazine, which was published as scheduled despite the fatal construction collapse the previous month.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

After the building was completed, Suzanne Stephens wrote that the decorative elements on the glass facades "seem unnecessary" from a purist point of view, though she added that decorative features in the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building were similarly criticized upon their respective completions.<ref name="Stephens pp. 91-92">Template:Harvnb</ref> Muschamp said of the different facades of the building: "it wants to be at once a background building and a foreground building, both star and chorus".<ref name="nyt19990926" /> Jacobs called the building "better as a piece of social commentary than as architecture" with its contrasting facades.<ref name="Jacobs 1999" /> 4 Times Square also received awards from the American Institute of Architects and AIA's New York state chapter.<ref name="Emporis" />

The Condé Nast cafeteria was largely praised, with Muschamp referring to the cafeteria as "an underwater hypostyle hall".<ref name="nyt20000423" /> Brent Richards wrote in the book New Glass Architecture that Gehry was able to create a "seemingly impossible fluidity" with the partitions,<ref name="nyt20150930" /> while Arcspace magazine said of the cafeteria, "Gehry's formalism has produced an informality that encourages chance encounters of the friendly, and even romantic, kind."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Nasdaq MarketSite facade on Broadway and 43rd Street was also critiqued; Jacobs described it as a "glowing 140-foot-high soda can".<ref name="New York Magazine 1996" /> Muschamp said the cylindrical facade would "make a dandy giant soda can, film spool, aerosol spray, or a current issue of House and Garden".<ref name="nyt19960518" />

See also

• List of buildings and structures on Broadway in Manhattan
• Buildings and architecture of New York City
• List of tallest buildings in New York City
• List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
• List of tallest freestanding steel structures

References

Sources

• Template:Cite magazine
• Template:Cite magazine
• Template:Cite magazine
• Template:Cite magazine
• Template:Cite New York 2000
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline
• Template:Official website