Time Lapse: One World Trade Center

Starting with site preparation in 2004.

CHINA: 15-Story Hotel Goes Up In Six Days

NYC: Construction Crane Collapses Onto NGLTF's Office Building

On Saturday a 250-foot construction crane collapsed onto the downtown Manhattan office tower that houses the headquarters of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. There were no injuries.

A giant crane toppled onto the top of a 25- story building in lower Manhattan Saturday night, sending waves of bricks and stone plummeting to the sidewalk, authorities and witnesses said. No one was hurt during the harrowing mishap on Maiden Lane, just three blocks from Wall Street. But the falling debris sent passersby scampering out of the way, prompted the evacuation of nearby buildings and disrupted traffic, authorities said. "All of a sudden I heard these tremendous bangs, like thunder," said Richard Spatafora, a nurse who lives in the area. "I looked up and stuff was pouring down out of the sky. Big, big chunks of the side of the building. ... I jumped under an awning to save myself."

Ironically, the building is also home to the NYC Department of Investigation, which has been looking into two other collapses of construction cranes in Manhattan. Nine people were killed in those incidents in 2008. Earlier this month a city inspector was arrested for selling fake OSHA safety certifications. The city has suspended the license of the crane operator responsible for Saturday's collapse.

Burj Dubai Opens Today

More than twice as tall as the Empire State, the Burj Dubai officially opens today in a heavy cloak of security.

Dubai is set to open the world's tallest building Monday as the city seeks to revitalize its economy after a debt crisis in 2009 that forced the once-hot financial center to turn to neighboring Abu Dhabi for help. The government hopes the unveiling of the 160-plus-story structure, Burj Dubai, will pierce the cloud that has lingered over Dubai since mid-December, when it received a second $10 billon bailout loan from Abu Dhabi, after unpaid bills prompted some creditors to abandon Dubai. Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, after navigating the worst crisis in his four years as ruler of Dubai, will lead a day of celebrations for the unveiling of the residential, hotel and office building that on a clear day has views across the Persian Gulf to Iran. About 90 percent of units have been sold in Burj Dubai, which will welcome the first occupants of the Giorgio Armani residences in February and will open the world's first Armani Hotel in March.

The sway at the top of the building in said to be more than five feet.

Demolition Fail

(Via - Towleroad)

Again!

I cannot believe this. ANOTHER construction crane has collapsed on the Upper East Side, killing at least two people.

Two people died in a crane collapse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan Friday morning, according to the city's fire department, reports WCBS-2 in New York.

The construction crane smashed into a high-rise apartment building before crashing more than a dozen stories onto the street below. The Fire Department said it has pulled people out of the wreckage at East 91st Street and First Avenue. Their conditions were not immediately known.

The top floor of a nearby high-rise apartment building had been damaged. Firefighters and rescue workers were continuing to search through the wreckage. "This is totally mind blowing," Manhattan borough President Scott Stringer told WCBS-2. "It looks like a bomb exploded in Manhattan. It's just a total tragedy." The accident happened 2½ months after a crane collapsed, killing seven people about two miles south.

What the fuck is going on in this town? First Avenue is covered with debris and rescue vehicles. After the March disaster, the city buildings commissioner resigned in disgrace and an inspector was arrested for falsifying inspection documents. Clearly, nothing has changed.

Curse Of The Upper East Side Strikes Again

Good grief. It's raining men again on the UES.

A man fell to his death at a construction site on the Upper East Side on Monday. The incident happened at 67th Street and 1st Avenue at a building called The Laurel. Police said they responded to the fall at around 10:32 a.m. The 24-year-old man fell from the 23rd floor to the 14th floor balcony, police said.

The medical examiner's office was determining the cause of death. Police said they are continuing to investigate what led to the fall. A preliminary investigation revealed that the construction site had 38 violations, including 36 "Grade A" violations, which are the most hazardous, according to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. Stringer called the finding an "outrage." Construction workers laid flowers at the site.

How can a building with 38 Grade A violations still have workers on it? This happened over on Dr. Jeff's block and he reports that someone in his office saw the body fly past their window.

Literally FUBAR

Gotham nightclub FUBAR was destroyed in a construction disaster on Manhattan's East Side this afternoon, just about a mile from my apartment. A 15-story construction crane collapsed, destroying an entire five-story apartment building and FUBAR. At least three people were killed. Something is seriously wrong with construction oversight in this town, this shit is happening every week. More photos.