Gensler renovation of former Pfizer HQ halted after column failure, evacuation

The former Pfizer World Headquarters building at East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan was evacuated this morning after two columns on the 21st floor buckled into sideways V shapes, raising concerns of a potential collapse. The steel beam the columns supported began to fail, causing upper floors to sag, according to the FDNY. Gensler is the architect of the office-to-residential conversion, which will install 1,600 apartments. Development partners are MetroLoft and David Werner. Subcontractors CCM and Windstruct were on site. No injuries were reported, and the Department of Buildings confirmed no debris fell. A MetroLoft spokesperson said only a small section of one of the two buildings is affected and the entire building is not at risk of collapse. NYPD evacuated neighboring buildings, including the Westin Hotel and NYU Langone. Engineers used FDNY drones to survey the structure. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said materials will arrive to shore up the building. The renovation had already replaced all 2,000 windows and swapped the metallic exterior for a lighter facade. The building is scheduled to open to residents in 2027.