Ratner Considers Prefab Tower for Atlantic Yards
The Times reports that Forest City Ratner is considering modular construction for its first, 34-story high-rise at Atlantic Yards. The story says that though the move would cut costs, a prefabricated tower “is untested at that height” and the move would likely piss off construction workers, who were among the mega-project’s most vocal supporters. Although…
The Times reports that Forest City Ratner is considering modular construction for its first, 34-story high-rise at Atlantic Yards. The story says that though the move would cut costs, a prefabricated tower “is untested at that height” and the move would likely piss off construction workers, who were among the mega-project’s most vocal supporters. Although the the developer has its architecture firm SHoP working on designs for both a traditional and modular building, another consideration is whether a prefab structure of this height would actually result in much of a cost savings, according to the story: “Whether taller modular buildings can be built to withstand intense wind shear and seismic forces, while retaining cost savings, is another question, because the higher a structure is built, the more bracing it would require.” The article says developer Bruce Ratner has been “captivated” by the video above, which shows a modular hotel rising in China in just a few days.
Prefabricated Tower May Rise at Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards [NY Times]
“Um, maybe because it’s been open and running for the last 10 years they’ve had to work around an active train terminal? They’ve never closed that station down have they?”
what has actually been DONE??!! i just see a whole bunch of scaffolding going up and down and well fed guys wearing orange vests looking really bored.
and yeah – fulton terminal – basically digging a few tunnels connecting the 4/5 with the trains over near WTC. 1 billion dollars.
All the Atlantic Terminal LIRR and subway station improvements have been complete for over a year, not counting the new entrance being built for the arena.
tybur6, what is so terrible about it from a usability point of view?
It seems like they did a good job, considering the limitations of working around a 100 year old train station and subway complex.
By the way, John Roebling death wasn’t really caused by bridge construction. His death was related to refusing normal treatment for his foot injury, instead just continually pouring water on his wound. He died of tetanus almost a month after his foot got squished by a docking ferry.
“errr – that atlantic terminal has been under construction since i’ve been in NYC (10 years)”
Um, maybe because it’s been open and running for the last 10 years they’ve had to work around an active train terminal? They’ve never closed that station down have they?
“Also, The Brooklyn Bridge took 13 years to complete. Which subway station is taking that long?”
The Fulton Street Transit Center will take 9 years and 1.4 billion dollars (assuming the current schedule and budget is accurate) and is not adding any new platforms or train capacity.
Ha DH! I forgot about those absurdities! Atlantic Terminal station is done, basically, right? I mean, it’s a terrible design from a usability point-of-view, but it’s still done.
John Roebling was killed after getting his foot crushed by a ferry while standing on a dock and then refusing medical treatment, but yes, construction was much more dangerous back then.
I would guess that using more pre-fab components would be safer because more time is spent in the controlled environment of a factory rather than outside a hundred or more feet in the air.
It’s called hyperbole… but a subway station rehab is still a MULTI-YEAR project. The comparison is still pretty valid.
“Also, The Brooklyn Bridge took 13 years to complete. Which subway station is taking that long?”
errr – that atlantic terminal has been under construction since i’ve been in NYC (10 years)
also – fulton terminal, when finished, will be longer than 13 years.