Inspectors have said the building is safe for the residents inside and for passers-by. Yet recent reports filed with the city have shown chunks of missing concrete on some of its highest floors, and new cracks are appearing in its load-bearing facade.
Amid a tangle of litigation involving the developers, engineers, residents and a small army of contractors, a likely explanation for some of the building’s issues is emerging: its lauded, all-white concrete facade, insisted on by its superstar team of architects and developers.
More than a decade after the city’s skyline was reshaped in a race to build the tallest trophy home, the tower at 432 Park could represent the limits of new skyscraper technology and the frothy condo market that encouraged it.
The New York Times reviewed thousands of pages of court documents, public records and private correspondence between the buildings’ residents and planners. They reveal that for years, several key members of the team of developers, engineers and architects behind 432 Park had expressed concerns about its white exterior, even before the concrete was poured.
Concrete typically gets its gray tint from iron oxides in cement; altering the components can affect its strength, color and performance. Builders of 432 Park were presented with a major challenge: how to come up with a concrete mixture that met their exacting aesthetic. Companies involved with the job called it one of the most difficult concrete projects ever executed.