On Manhattan’s Billionaires’ Row sits an absolutely remarkable, shining 102-story skyscraper at 432 Park Ave. The residential building was completed in 2015 and currently ranks as the fifth-tallest building in New York City and 30th in the world.
Its residents may be paying anywhere between $10.5 million for a two-bedroom unit and $55 million for a six-bedroom. These same residents are currently facing the reality that the building they call home is crumbling apart.
The 1396-foot Park Avenue building between 56th and 57th Street, designed by Rafael Viñoly, has now had two lawsuits filed by its condominium board against its real estate developer, CIM Group, and the architects and engineers involved in the project. The board alleges false reporting and neglect of structural problems with the building, which have led to impairments in their units.
These suits were filed with the state of New York in late April, following the building’s passing the Department of Buildings’ safety pass, with repairs. They are asking for more than $165 million in damages.
When asked, some residents of the building who have spoken publicly on the matter have not complained. One even alleges that the negative press was meant solely to devalue their home. On the other hand, expert opinions on the structural integrity of the building differ. There is even an email circulating from 2012 where Rafael Viñoly Architects director Jim Herr warned that the building was becoming more than it was meant to be and that lawsuits were to come if they continued. Other experts, both current and past, view the building as having too much focus and pressure on its concrete facade, which would require an estimated over $160 million to efficiently repair.
It seems to me that there has been an, albeit livable, yet gross inconsideration for safety and practicality for the sake of grandeur: shocking in NYC, I know. A concern that doesn’t leave my mind is the falling concrete … that’s a lawsuit and a half for when a chunk of concrete falls onto a pedestrian’s head and strikes them dead from 1060-feet in the air! As the daughter of someone who owns a structural engineering company, these kinds of concerns are not totally out of the ordinary for me, and it seems to say that there was some seriously misguided and faulty thinking behind the concepts for the 432 Park Ave building. It frequently comes up just in life, putting form over function, and that rule exists for a reason. I have the privilege of being able to professionally discuss this over family dinner; this is some of what Titan Engineers (qualifications hyperlinked) CEO Nicholas Wong had to say:
“When you venture into super-tall design, the rules change. The higher you go, the more the variables multiply: dynamic wind effects, lateral sway, resonance, thermal movement, concrete creep and shrinkage, and even occupant comfort. These aren’t standard building concerns—they’re amplified, interdependent, and unforgiving at this scale. That’s why the right consultants, with deep experience in super-tall design, are absolutely critical. The wrong team, or even the right team ignored, can lead to failures that are costly and difficult to correct.”
“Take, for example, the building’s mass-tuned damper system,” Wong continued. “Its purpose is to counteract sway and improve stability, but reports suggest it’s been repaired multiple times. If that’s true, it raises serious questions about its initial design, calibration, or integration with the structural system. When your primary sway mitigation system isn’t performing reliably, the entire comfort and safety experience of the building is compromised.”
“The facade cracking, the dampener issues, and the reported sway discomfort are not isolated failures; they’re interconnected symptoms of design decisions made without full respect for the science. It’s similar in spirit to the case of the Las Vegas tower that famously melted cars on the street because its reflective surface wasn’t modeled for concentrated solar reflection,” he said. Remarkably, this “Death Ray Hotel” is also a work of renowned architect Rafael Viñoly. Another Viñoly work, named the “Walkie Talkie” skyscraper in London, has also been known to “melt cars.” “These are not ’typical’ checks,” Wong said. “But when you build something special or unprecedented, those checks become essential. Responsibility must follow innovation.”
“In short, 432 Park Avenue demonstrates that super-tall construction isn’t just about height: it’s about humility. You can’t treat a 1,400-foot concrete structure like a scaled-up midrise,” he said. “Every assumption needs to be challenged, every system modeled, every mix design validated. When that rigor slips—whether due to cost, schedule or aesthetics—the building will reveal it in time, and the price tag for repair will easily run into nine figures.”
Overall, there seems to be no need or reason for alarm. It will take work to upkeep, and maybe some cost and cut to its beauty, but regarding safety there is little concern. It is a classic case of putting form over function; ego and greed taking over discussions by the professionals who should be putting their customers and the public first. Once that is resolved, so is this discussion
Caitlin Wong, FCRH ’27 is a psychology and English Major from Union, N.J.
