The Downside to Life in a Supertall Tower
The Rafael Viñoly-designed 432 Park Avenue supertall tower, one of the wealthiest addresses in the world, faces some significant design problems, and other luxury high-rises may share its fate.
The nearly 1,400-foot tower at 432 Park Avenue, briefly the tallest residential building in the world, was the pinnacle of New York’s luxury condo boom half a decade ago, fueled largely by foreign buyers seeking discretion and big returns.
Six years later, residents of the exclusive tower are now at odds with the developers, and each other, making clear that even multimillion-dollar price tags do not guarantee problem-free living. The claims include millions of dollars of water damage from plumbing and mechanical issues; frequent elevator malfunctions; and walls that creak like the galley of a ship — all of which may be connected to the building’s main selling point: its immense height, according to homeowners, engineers and documents obtained by The New York Times...
The New York Times. The Downside to Life in a Supertall Tower: Leaks, Creaks, Breaks