“I started from nothing, my father was in the textile business, and I didn’t finish school.”
Such were the opening words of Harry Macklowe of Macklowe Properties, in a conversation with students of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. Macklowe’s stunning 89-floor 432 Park Avenue tower topped out in early October this year, making it the tallest residential tower in the western hemisphere. The rise of the tower emulates the enthusiasm he exudes for development, especially architecture with a uniquely artistic character.
“It is only the limitation of your energy and imagination that will hinder your goals and ambitions for what you want to do — your limits are entirely within yourself.”
The design of Macklowe’s most recent project certainly pays homage to that idea.
“The dimensions are intentional: every door is nine feet, every ceiling is 12.5 feet, the windows are 100 square feet — the integrity of the materials and design is honest throughout.” The building, which will open later in 2015, contains 104 condominium apartments, 70% of which have been sold as of early December this year. Macklowe chose Uruguayan Architect Rafael Viñoly, whose work extends through five continents, and who has been honored with an array of awards. Viñoly’s inspiration for the design of 432 Park Avenue stems from “the purest geometric form: the square,” owing to its dimensional consistency.
The tower may yet eclipse Macklowe’s previous feat: his vision and execution of the Apple Store in front of the General Motors Building. “I had conceived of the Apple Store before we had bought the GM Building, and with the help of Steve Jobs, we brought it to fruition,” said Macklowe, who approached Jobs in late 2003 and convinced him the store would be a success. That was before the store claimed 50,000 visitors a week during its first year, a retail marvel by any standard. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the project is how it became an instant icon of the New York City landscape. “People tend to think of iconic buildings in Manhattan as 50-to-60-story skyscrapers… The Apple Store is a 32-foot glass cube.”
Asked by a student what he’s learned throughout the years, Macklowe replied “as I’ve gotten more experienced, I have gotten far more confident in my having the concept, seeking the line, and seeing my ideas through… I have been extremely fortunate, 1) to be successful, 2) to make money, 3) to lose money, 4) to make money, 5) to lose it again, 6) to make it back,” he added, with an understanding chuckle. As with the business of real estate, Macklowe’s instinct to persevere against the odds is without question, and students were honored and eager to gain insight from a true visionary of the industry.
