As the new year begins, I had to look back over last year and there were some highlights and high points! Standing on top of 1WTC – the tallest building in the western hemisphere – on the 108th deck – looking out at Manhattan, nearly 13 years after 9/11 was a thrill. It is intense. Up that high, you see the curvature of the Earth. On a clear day, visibility is 50 miles. Up there, in the middle of the 3 rings that encircle the base of the spire, I was sort of looking down at the helicopters whizzing up the Hudson River. On that hot Summer day I was in an ozone layer. I am so grateful to Five Star Electric for giving me this assignment to document over 20 New York City construction sites.
I visited almost every new construction site in NYC last Summer. And they are all spectacular: One World Trade Center, The Occulus at the new Fulton Street subway station, One Madison Park – where I did some night photography, One North 4th jutting into the East River in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, 99 Church Street – now known as 30 Park Place, 70 Pine Street, One57, The Baccarat Hotel, Hudson Yards, The Racino – The Resorts World Casino in Queens at Aqueduct Raceway, Mother Clara Hale bus facility with a green roof and several others. So many people need to thanked for taking such care with me and giving me the access I needed.
Downtown Manhattan photographed from the roof of One Madison Park. Front cover Special Advertising Section of Engineering News Record Aug 25 Sept 1 2014
Downtown Manhattan photographed from the roof of One Madison Park.Back cover of the issue. Taken from the roof of One Madison Park
With Willy and Peter my climbing guides to the top of the Occulus at Fulton Street.
The spectacular view from deck 108 1WTC.
Photographed from the outdoor decks on top of One World Trade Center.
Peter Amabile, Jr. a Five Star Electric project executive in charge of the WTC work.
At the base of The Spire where many folks have signed their name.
“I was here”. My name signed to the base of The Spire on top of 1WTC..
The Spire on top of One World Trade Center.
Detailed drawings like the one above become intricate abstractions of conduit like the photo below.
An abstraction of conduit. The observation deck, One World Trade Center.
This is the concourse to the PATH train in One World Trade Center.
This is a super support before it was covered in concrete. These are what support the whole building, including the subway!
1WTC with the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in the foreground.
As seen from the top of the Occulus, 30 Park Place, formerly known as, 99 Church Street, will be condos and a Four Seasons Hotel.
Thank you Ken Benfante, General Superintendent, Five Star Electric Corp.
I had 30 seconds to prove myself Peter Silvera, laborer General Foreman (pictured on the left) with Vinny Giovanniello, General Foreman, Five Star Electric Corp. He was like “who are you!” Thank you Vinny!
So many ladders to climb. One after another, after another. Everything had to be strapped to my body at all times.
Aerial view of Hudson Yards July 2014 taken from 10 Hudson Yards.
Thank you Chris Cote! The foremen at Hudson Yards.
One Madison Park. Situated at the foot of Madison Avenue on 23rd Street.
My foreman at One Madison Park, Buzz. Thank you Buzz for hoisting my super heavy camera bag up 3 roof levels and enduring a 4 hour night shoot in a steady updraft causing a shaking camera & flying bugs during really long exposures. We got some really great shots!
Dusk descends over the Manhattan skyline. The view from the top of One Madison.
Downtown Manhattan at night photographed from One Madison. Those are helicopters in the sky.
Looking North towards the Empire State Building from One Madison.
Midtown Manhattan with the Empire State Building, photographed from the top of One Madison.
The Racino. Resorts World NYC Casino during the day.
The Racino. Resorts World NYC Casino at night.
This 60 foot tall chandelier greets you as you enter the Racino.
After the magazine was published, thirty photographs from this assignment were selected, printed, matted and framed. They are now hanging in the corporate office of Five Star Electric.
It was a huge job to matte and frame everything and I could not of done it with out the help of Jack. We did it in one 12 hour marathon. Thank you Jack!
Jack Meersand, “Jack-of-all-trades,” Equipment Manager-Project Manager, and me, holding a partially framed photo of the lobby of One Madison Park.
I made a cell phone video, under one minute of the finished pieces. Click on the photo to watch it. You will be taken to YouTube.
