These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Citigroup eyes suburban offices so workers can spread out, Nightingale partnership closes on $175M purchase of 111 Wall, Extell scores $700M refi for three Manhattan buildings, DeKalb Market Hall creator bringing new food hall to Midtown, Banks see uptick in mortgages, but remain wary ahead of potential Fed interest rate cut, NYC is on the hunt for an Amazon replacement in Queens, Richman Group lands $189M for massive East Harlem project, Citigroup downsizing will leave big void at One Court Square. He helped design the supporting skeleton of the Citicorp building, at 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue. Local Wonders | Who Builds Big? The 59-story Midtown East building’s chief structural engineer, William LeMessurier, had initially designed a structure with nine-story stilts at the midpoint of each side. At 900 feet, it is one of the tallest buildings in the world. LeMessurier informed Stubbins of his discovery, and Stubbins agreed to fly with him to New York the next morning to meet with Citicorp. Iconic: The stilts of the Citigroup (then Citicorp) Center are visible in this 1978 picture along with directions for St. Peter's Church (left) ... William LeMessurier. It also had a chevron bracing structure and a 400-ton tuned mass damper that would prevent the tower from collapsing. Other Names: Citicorp. The story, which was first reported in 1995 by the New Yorker, was noted today in a Slate article about great design flaws through history. Engineer(s): William LeMessurier and Associates. Mr. LeMessurier (which he pronounced Luh-MEASURE) was an expert on the structure of high-rise buildings. While Mr. LeMessurier was overseeing the Citicorp repairs, a newspaper reporter tried to reach him, having heard something was wrong with the building. William J. LeMessurier, a structural engineer who became a hero to other structural engineers when he detected and repaired a potentially catastrophic flaw in the Citicorp building in Manhattan, died on June 14 in Casco, Me. “He reviewed the calculations over and over again. Besides his daughter Irene, of New Ipswich, N.H., Mr. LeMessurier is survived by his wife of 54 years, the former Dorothy Judd; another daughter, Claire, of Westminster West, Vt.; a son, Peter, of Boulder, Colo.; and seven grandchildren. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This design allowed the northwest corner of the building to cantilever 72 feet over the new church. On August 2, 1978, LeMessurier and Stubbins attempted to meet with Citicorp’s chairman Walter Wriston. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. LeMessurier’s idea permitted each corner of the building to cantilever out 72 feet, which allowed Stubbins to delicately nestle the new church building into the northwest corner of the property while maintaining the use of the entire lot for Citicorp. in 1947. Doublewide cubicle? Mr. LeMessurier was first alerted to the problem by someone he regarded as a nettlesome engineering student in June 1978. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. We are having some technical difficulties. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. He was the youngest of four children of William James LeMessurier Sr., who owned a dry-cleaning business, and the former Bertha Sherman, a homemaker. William J. LeMessurier, a structural engineer who became a hero to other structural engineers when he detected and repaired a potentially catastrophic flaw in the Citicorp … LeMessurier tried to take comfort from another element of Citicorp's advanced design: the building's tuned mass damper. Later the Red Cross estimated that 200,000 people could die if the structure, which weighs 25,000 tons, collapsed. The 30-page document outlining the structural mistakes in the Citicorp building was called "Project SERENE." Instead of being vulnerable to a potentially lethal problem from a hurricane of the strength that shows up every 16 years, the building is now believed to be able to withstand a storm of the sort that might occur once in 700 years. This landmark skyscraper was the world’s 9th tallest upon completion, employing several structural innovations: four mid-side trussed columns at the base support the tower, which cantilevers over the city block below; loads are directed to the main columns by 15-story super braces; the world’s first tuned mass damper controls building motion under wind loads. He had considered the stresses of head-on winds but had not calculated those from other angles. But the more he thought about the problem, the more it concerned him. Round-up of top news and topics for each of the following cities: Editorially-curated headlines and news to know for the following areas: The numbers behind office leases, retail, sales and financing. He then coordinated an evacuation plan as Hurricane Ella approached the city. A design flaw in the 1970s almost led to the demise of Citicorp Center, now known as Citigroup Center, at 601 Lexington Avenue. The building’s repairs, which were kept secret from the public, did not become fully known until an article in The New Yorker in 1995. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. He studied architecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and received a master’s from M.I.T. His innovative use and placement of those giant columns created a design marvel, but those very elements could have been the basis for a catastrophe of monumental proportions. This landmark skyscraper was the world’s 9th tallest upon completion, employing several structural innovations: four mid-side trussed columns at the base support the tower, which cantilevers over the city block below; loads are directed to the main columns by 15-story super braces; the world’s first tuned mass damper controls building motion under wind loads. Tells about designer William J. LeMessurier, who was structural consultant to the architect High Stubbins, Jr. From the time of the CitiCorp building retrofit in 1978 to his death, LeMessurier used his experience with the CitiCorp building to educate others on engineering ethics. Mr. LeMessurier hesitated but returned the call late that afternoon. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. The 59-story Midtown East building’s chief structural engineer, William LeMessurier, had initially designed a structure with nine-story stilts at the midpoint of each side. | Bridges | Domes | Skyscrapers | Dams | Tunnels By clicking Subscribe you agree to our Privacy Policy. The engineer said he had only considered perpendicular winds, and realized in retrospect that a storm could cause a blackout. Citicorp Center was the first skyscraper in the United States to contain a. William LeMessurier passed away in 2007. He stresses the importance of admitting mistakes and correcting them. In return for getting a license and being regarded with respect, you’re supposed to be self-sacrificing and look beyond the interests of yourself and your client to society as a whole. Mr. LeMessurier majored in mathematics at Harvard and earned a B.A. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. He later learned of an aggravating problem: Unknown to him, the Citicorp building’s braces had been joined with bolted joints, a cheaper method but one accepted in the industry, instead of with the far stronger welded joints. Please Allow Javascript and reload this page. LeMessurier was the structural engineer behind the uniquely designed Citicorp Centre Tower, which at its completion in 1977 carried the title of seventh tallest building in the world. In 1978, after the building was completed and occupied, Mr. LeMessurier discovered that it had a flaw: If hurricane-force winds — 70 miles an hour or more — hit it at a 45-degree angle, the building could weaken and possibly topple. Other Names: Citicorp. LeMessurier and architect Hugh Stubbins ended up taking the advice of the student, revealed years later to be Diane Hartley.

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