Just to make certain that poor old 287 Broadway doesn't come tumbling down, big steel beams have been pushed up against the tilt of her leaning brick wall. Where before there was a cross-hatch of simplicity holding her up, now there's a jumbled mix of metal and wood, their textures and colors giving us a contrast of old and new, pliable and strong. It's all an effort to make certain that the cast iron beauty doesn't collapse into the lot next door, which has been cleared by a rambunctious gang from Chicago in preparation for yet another glass-covered condo.
That empty lot beside 287 Broadway sits just to the north of another historic gem, namely 273 Broadway, also known as the Broadway Chambers Building. This colorful and strong 18-story tower went up in 1899-1900. It was the first structure built in NYC by architect Cass Gilbert, whose later buildings include the Woolworth Building and the Customs House at the foot of Broadway. The new 20-story condo planned by SLCE for the lot next door is said to be 208' tall, which means it will rise neck-and-neck against the 225' Gilbert building. Considering what has already happened just to the north one could ask: Is that what is called adding insult to injury?
· No End in Sight for Leaning Tower of Broadway [Curbed]
· Creative Construction at Reade and Broadway [Curbed]
· Building Collapse Betting Pool: 287 Broadway Evacuated [Curbed]
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