Metropolitan Tower

overview

Built as the Straus Building in 1924, the 30-story structure features limestone and brick masonry façades, two basements and a distinctive “beehive” ornamental lantern at the apex. Now known as the Metropolitan Tower, it has been transformed into a residential building with 243 units, including penthouses, two-story townhomes and seven levels of parking, including two below grade. 

Our work on the project began in 2001 and has encompassed a wide scope of services. We provided structural design and construction administration services for the conversion of the historic tower and adjacent Karpen Building into luxury residences and have continued to work for the Metropolitan Tower Condominium Association, including completing a critical façade examination in 2008 and ongoing façade examinations in the years since, as recently as 2024. In each report, limited, isolated façade repairs were recommended and completed.  

 Highlights 

• The conversion of the landmark building required the removal of the third level and basement floors and construction of two new floors to accommodate the townhomes and parking functions.
• The eight-story Karpen Building, built in 1885, underwent a partial demolition and full renovation. As structural and architectural drawings were not available for the existing structure, we performed investigations, invasive exploration and material testing to determine the gravity system, lateral system, material strengths, structural member sizes and other information required to fully evaluate the building. The structure required a new lateral system on the west side, as the west wall was removed during demolition. A new system ties the two existing structures together to meet wind load resistance criteria.
• In 2014, the owner retained us to perform an ongoing façade examination, prepare construction documents for limited façade repairs at the north and west elevations, perform construction administration services in conjunction with the limited repair project and develop a two-year phased façade repair program. The limited façade repairs included isolated limestone repairs, sealant replacement, mortar joint pointing and application of a vapor-permeable coating at the west elevation of the parking garage.
• From 2015 to 2017, our team performed professional services for a comprehensive façade repair and maintenance program at all elevations of the building. Repairs included limestone repairs, brick masonry repairs, crack repair, coating application at cast iron spandrels and terra-cotta capital units and stabilization of limestone dentil units and shelf angles.
• Cracked limestone lintels were originally noted in 2018 and routed and sealed, but by 2022 the condition had worsened and the stones were replaced in 2024. At this time, we also repaired and painted coated iron window frames at lower levels on the east and north elevations.
• In 2022, we replaced brick and steel shelf angles on the west alley façade.