Located adjacent to Central Park, 250 West 55th St. stands 660 feet tall and is comprised of over 850,000 square feet of office space with ground level retail. Occupancy comfort under wind loads was a particular design concern for this project. Wind tunnel tests showed the accelerations were higher than initially predicted. Several solutions were investigated, but an innovative damped outrigger design proved to mitigate the wind effects while also ensuring a lightweight efficient structure. An estimated 1,000 tons of steel was saved using the damped outrigger compared with conventional damping solutions. To meet the high level of cycles imposed by wind loading, Taylor Devices developed custom high-capacity metal bellows dampers with an infinite lifespan. In addition to the innovative structural system the building was design with energy efficient windows, above average MEP/Infrastructure systems, and achieved a LEED CS Gold rating.
