Unstable Manhattan Building Had More Damaged Columns Than Previously Known
New York Times
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New York Times
Original Source
Documents obtained by The New York Times reveal that eight additional steel columns in a former Pfizer building in Manhattan lacked required reinforcement plates, beyond six columns previously discovered defective. The structural deficiencies were identified through public documents reviewed by independent engineers after the building became dangerously unstable last month.
Unstable Manhattan Building Had More Damaged Columns Than Previously Known - The New York Times
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More Columns Lacked Support in Troubled N.Y.C. Building, Documents Show
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/nyregion/nyc-manhattan-building-collapse-pfizer-columns-steel.html
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More Columns Lacked Support in Troubled N.Y.C. Building, Documents Show
Drawings obtained by The New York Times and reviewed by engineers show insufficient reinforcements on eight more steel columns than previously known at a Manhattan building.
Listen · 5:52 min
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!People in safety vests work on a floor of a building under construction.
*More columns at the former Pfizer building had missing or insufficient reinforcement plates than was previously known.
Credit...
Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times*
By
James Glanz and Simon Ducroquet
Aug. 28, 2026
See more of our coverage in your search results. Encuentra más de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de búsqueda. Add The New York Times on Google Agrega The New York Times en Google
The Midtown Manhattan high rise that became dangerously unstable last month had more columns that were missing reinforcements than was previously known, according to documents obtained by The New York Times, and reviewed by independent engineers.
The city temporarily shut down the area around the building, the former headquarters of Pfizer on East 42nd Street, because of two columns that buckled on the 21st floor as the structure was being converted to apartments.
But a review of public documents obtained by The Times through a records request to the New York City Department of Buildings shows that steel plates were missing or inadequate on eight more columns that were supposed to be strengthened to support floors being added above.
In the documents, the insufficient reinforcements were referred to as “missing/partial length,” which could include missing plates intended to strengthen steel columns, or smaller plates — called “stiffener plates” — to ensure structural continuity through floors. Plates that were shorter than designed could also have been mistakenly put up.
Drawings show addition
of entire new floors here
33rd floor
New drawings
show that an
additional eight
columns
across
three higher floors
did not have
sufficient
reinforcement or
needed repair.
Buckled
columns at
21st floor
Six columns
across three
floors were
previously found
to be missing
required
reinforcement
plates.
East 43rd St.
The New York Times
Diagram is illustrative.
Source: Plans submitted to Department of Buildings (NYC).
Repair work to those eight additional columns, according to the drawings, has now been done. Those columns are scattered on the 33rd, 34th and 35th floors. Daniel Linzell, a structural engineer and dean of engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said that the notation in the drawings was clear. In those eight spots, he said, “it is implying that either the entire plate was missing or the plate is not as long as was intended.”
James Glanz
is a Times international and investigative reporter covering major disasters, conflict and deadly failures of technology.
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More Columns Lacked Support in Troubled N.Y.C. Building, Documents Show
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/nyregion/nyc-manhattan-building-collapse-pfizer-columns-steel.html
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More Columns Lacked Support in Troubled N.Y.C. Building, Documents Show
Drawings obtained by The New York Times and reviewed by engineers show insufficient reinforcements on eight more steel columns than previously known at a Manhattan building.
Listen · 5:52 min
*
*
*
!People in safety vests work on a floor of a building under construction.
*More columns at the former Pfizer building had missing or insufficient reinforcement plates than was previously known.
Credit...
Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times*
By
James Glanz and Simon Ducroquet
Aug. 28, 2026
See more of our coverage in your search results. Encuentra más de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de búsqueda. Add The New York Times on Google Agrega The New York Times en Google
The Midtown Manhattan high rise that became dangerously unstable last month had more columns that were missing reinforcements than was previously known, according to documents obtained by The New York Times, and reviewed by independent engineers.
The city temporarily shut down the area around the building, the former headquarters of Pfizer on East 42nd Street, because of two columns that buckled on the 21st floor as the structure was being converted to apartments.
But a review of public documents obtained by The Times through a records request to the New York City Department of Buildings shows that steel plates were missing or inadequate on eight more columns that were supposed to be strengthened to support floors being added above.
In the documents, the insufficient reinforcements were referred to as “missing/partial length,” which could include missing plates intended to strengthen steel columns, or smaller plates — called “stiffener plates” — to ensure structural continuity through floors. Plates that were shorter than designed could also have been mistakenly put up.
Drawings show addition
of entire new floors here
33rd floor
New drawings
show that an
additional eight
columns
across
three higher floors
did not have
sufficient
reinforcement or
needed repair.
Buckled
columns at
21st floor
Six columns
across three
floors were
previously found
to be missing
required
reinforcement
plates.
East 43rd St.
The New York Times
Diagram is illustrative.
Source: Plans submitted to Department of Buildings (NYC).
Repair work to those eight additional columns, according to the drawings, has now been done. Those columns are scattered on the 33rd, 34th and 35th floors. Daniel Linzell, a structural engineer and dean of engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said that the notation in the drawings was clear. In those eight spots, he said, “it is implying that either the entire plate was missing or the plate is not as long as was intended.”
James Glanz
is a Times international and investigative reporter covering major disasters, conflict and deadly failures of technology.
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