Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 89, no. 2291]: February 10, 1912

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ago RECORD AND GUIDE February 10, 1912 LAST WORD IN FIRE PROTECTION. As Exemplified in an Office Buiiding Planned for 42d Street. Towering ahove its neghbors, there will rise in Times Square beloi'e another year comes an investment monument to the builder ot a great business enterprise ot the South. Asa G. Candler, of Atlanta, Georgia, has entered the field of real estate investment in New York, and will build in 42d street a great office and loft huilding which will be one of the distinctive landmarks of ■New York, and which will, it is contem¬ plated, become the home of many of tho leading Southern firms having headquar¬ ters in the city. Believing that this district is one of Now York's great centers of business ac- tivitv, and as a result of a wide experi¬ ence in the erection of successful build¬ ings in various parts of the country, Mr, Candler, with a singleness of purpose and full faith in his project, has determined to build a twenty-four story offlce and loft structure, forming a tower in 42d street 78x100 ft., and having a sixteen story ex¬ tension through to 41st street, where ship¬ ping facilities will be amply provided. The exterior will be of marble and terra cotta. All four sides of the main building will be treated alike with terra cotta ashlar and ornament carried to the roof, which will be of tile surmounted by a steel staff about 350 feet from the ground. Th© main structure will thus form a massive tower worthy to take its place by that near neighbor which gives name to the district, the Times Building. .'(- fire a greater measure of safety for its occupants than any similar structure yet erected in New York. The open loft floors of the 41st Street extension wil! bo divided from the simi¬ lar space in the 42d Street section by means of a fireproof partition containing self-clu.sing metal doors. In case of flre in the contents ot any open floor or loft the flame and smoke M'ill be confined to Ihat part of the floor in which it origi¬ nated, and ample time will be given the occupants to escape by means of stair¬ ways and elevators from which all smoke and flame arc completely cut off. In addition, another unusual device is employed. For the entire height of the main building a lire tower will be con- strticted, consisting of ah iron stairway enclosed in masonry walls and having no connection with the .interior fioors ex¬ cept by means of a balcony, in the open air, with doors entering the fire tower at each floor level well away trom the walls of the building. These devices will give the most ad¬ vanced type of flre protection yet pro- \-ided for a loft and oflice structure and will carry out the best recommendation of experts who have investigated the sub¬ ject anew, in consequence of recent dis¬ astrous fires in New York City, The sprinkler installation will cover all oflices, corridors and stair halls as well as loft spaces. Among other special fea¬ tures will he the use of plate glass as a continuous face from top to bottom of the three central bays on the 42d Street front, as well as for all windows in the side and rear walls. The plans include a complete power plant for light, heat and power. It is Intended to divide the show room and offlce floors fo meet the requirements of tenants. The contract for construction has been awarded to the Cauldwell-Wingate Com¬ panv which has already commenced to dem"olish. The building when completed will be in the hands of O D. & H. V. Dike .which firm has represented Mr. Candler in the consummation of the pres¬ ent project. NEW BUiLDING RULES. t12<1 Sli-&;l. \vm;iu.--i-. Shape i Breaily, Arc-h,';. CANDLER BUII-DING. The architects, Messrs. "Willauer, Shape & Bready, have used iarge scale archi¬ tectural motifs or units for the exterior, treated in a style wbicb is an adaptation of the Spanish Renaissance. The pur¬ pose of the design is to attain the maxi- bium of glass and lighting surface on all sides so essential to Ioft floors combined with the dignity and impressivcncss ex¬ pected of an office building, which latter the building in reality is, so far as the upper floors are concerned. The future may see it wholly devoted to offices as Times Square becomes more and more the actual center of New York, therefore express provision is made in the plans for such development. "Within the lower floors will be lofts of a gross area of 10,000 sq. ft. Above, several floors will be divided into show¬ rooms and large office spaces, while the upper eight flooi-s will be arranged for offlces and suites. It is in the feature of flre protection that the Candler Building will express the last word. The building will be not only of tbe most advanced flreproof con¬ struction but will also provide, m case of Where stairs lead to yard, proper exits must be provided leading to street with¬ out re-entering the building, except through flreproof passage. Kvery exit must be Indicated by a red iiglit placed on the Inside and by a sign with tlic word "EXIT" painted thereon in legible letters not less than eight Inches lilgh. 6. No cinematograph or other appa¬ ratus for projecting moving pictures shall 1)0 set up for use or used In any building, place or puhlic assembly or entertain¬ ment, unless such apparatus shall be en¬ closed in a fireproof booth built in con¬ formity with the requirements of Chapter 756, Laws of 1911. IN^OTE.—In addition to the above re¬ quirements, in the Borough of Manhat¬ tan, dance halls, dancing academies, etc., wil be prohibited in frame buildings above Ihe first floor. RUDOLPH P. MILLER. Superintendent of Buildings. Dated, January Sth, 1912. For Dancing Academies and Concert Halls—Hollow Tile Building Blocks. The several Superintendents of Build¬ ings of the Citv of New York, in confer¬ ence, adopted this week important rules for the erection, convei'sion or alteration of dance halls and public dancing acad¬ emies for which licenses are required un¬ der Chapter 547, Laws of 1910, and also governing the construction, conversion or alteration of concert halls, music halls and other places of public enter¬ tainment not governed by the require¬ ments of Section 109 of the Building Code. These rules are the first to be framed and promulgated this year and in the IHanhattan Bureau of Buildings will he known as "Bulletin Number One, 191:^." Also promulgated this week were rules and regulations governing the use of hol¬ low tile building blocks, which can now be used for buildings not more than ihirtv-flve feet high within the bounds iif Greater New York, as well as for floors and partitions in flreproof construction. Thev will constitute one more rival for liuilding bricks in addition to marble, stone, concrete and terra cotta. New rules were also promulgated for top floor par¬ iitions in flreproof buildings, and for the use of lime in cement mortar. The four imllelins are as follws: Oiiuee Halls, Gouci-rt Halls, etc. Bulletin No. 1, 1S13.—The several Supei-- intendenls of Buildings ol" the C'Jy of New York, in conference, adopted the following rules governing the erection, conversion or alteration of dance halls and public dancing academies for wluch licenses arc required under Chapter a-li. Laws of 1910, and concert halls, music halls and other places of public entertain¬ ment not governed by the requirements ot Section 109 of the Building Code. 1.,Proper plans must be filed showing arrangements of seats, exits and stage tit any), also bearing capacity of floors (at least 90 lbs. per square foot), also state¬ ment of estimated number of persons to he accommodated. 2. No Dancing School or Academy or Dance Hall will be allowed above the sec¬ ond floor in any non-fireproof building, the ground floor being considered the first floor. 3. All rooms must be properly venti¬ lated. 4. Adequate toilet accommodations separate for sexes must be provided. 5. EXITS: The number and width of exits must conform with the requirements of Section lOS of the Building Code. All exit doors must open outward and in case of doors opening on outside bal¬ conies they must be hung to swing flat asrainst the walk No windows will be considered as exits. Outside balconies must be of iron or steel, at least four feet in width with stairs leading to ground. Toit Floor Parlltlua» Id Fireproof Buildings. Bulletin No. 2, 1912.—In flreproof build¬ ings where the roof beams are sloped, and there is a hung ceiling in the top story, the flreproof partitions, except those en¬ closing stair halls or elevators, in the top story need hot be carried higher than the hung ceiling. This applies to the top story of the building only, it Jieing under¬ stood that a so-called pent house, if used for other purposes than the enclosure of elevator machinery, tanks, or forming the bulkhead of stairs, is considered a story of the building. RUDOLPH P. MILLER. Superintendent of Buildings. Dated, January Sth, 1S12. Lime In Cement Hortar. Bulletin No, 3, 1912.—The use of lime putty or hydrated lime in cement mortar to the extent of not more than ten per cent, is permitted in any case where ce¬ ment mortar is required by a building permit or by the Building Code, unless the approved application or any amend¬ ment thereto calls for pure cement mor¬ tar, and provided that no lime of anv kind shall be used in cement mortar for foundations or foundation walls. RUDOLPH P. MILLER. Superintendent of Buildings. Dated, January 23rd, 1912. Rules nod Regulations Coverlns the Use of Hollow Tile Building Blocks. Bulletin No. 4, 1912.—Hollow tile build¬ ing blocks may be used for buildings not more than thirty-five feet in height un¬ der the following conditions: Hollow tile blocks shall be true and square and be of uniform shape and thickness when laid in courses. No such blocks shall be used until complete and satisfactory tests have been made by the manufacturer under the- di¬ rection of the Superintendent of Build¬ ings and until an approval for the use of -■iuch blocks has been obtained. No blocks shall be approved that do not develop a compressive strength of at least 2,000 pounds per square inch of net sec¬ tion. In no case shail the hollow spaces of any such blocks exceed 50 per cent. The thickness of walls or webs of such blocks shall not be less than one inch. The thickness of walls for any building where hoUow tile blocks are used shall not be less than is required by the Build¬ ing Code for brick walls. All such walls shall be laiil in Portland cement mortar. All outside walls below grade must be filled in solid with Portland cement con¬ crete. No wail composed of hollow tile blocks shall be loaded in excess of one hundred pounds per square Inch of the gross sec¬ tion of the wall; i. e., no deduction being made for hollow spaces in figuring the area. Where wood beams or girders rest on such walls suitable templates of either iron, continuous tile, or stone, shall be provided under tlieir ends, or the blocks undpj- tliem shall be solid. Hollow tile lintels spanning an opening over three feet six inches wide shall be reinforced with cement and steel bars. All wails of hollow tile blocks, and beams used in same, must be anchored in accordance with .Sections 41 and 60 of th? Building Code. No walls constructed of hollow terra cotta blocks sliail be broken to receive pipes. but must be recessed when moulded. Every block must have stamped there¬ on the name of the manufacturer or man¬ ufacturers' mark. RUDOLPH P. MILLER. Superintendent of Buildings. Dated, January 2ath, 1912. Mechanics and Traders Exchange. At the annual meeting of the Mechanics and Traders Exchange held January 25th. at 30 West 33d street, the following were elected as officers, trustees and repre¬ sentatives on the Board of Examiners of the Building Department: President, Francis N. Howland; vice president, Frank E. Conover; treasurer, Isaac A. Hopper; secretary, Charles E. Cheney; trustees, Alfonzo E. Pelham, Au¬ gustus Meyers, John J. Roberts, Edwin Outwatei", Lewis Harding, Prancis M. Weeks, Donald Taylor; representative on Board of Examiners, Bldg. Dept., Lewis Harding, William Crawford.