Dive Brief:
- HTRF Ventures, a subsidiary of internet and media company InterActiveCorp (IAC) and owner of the company's iconic Manhattan headquarters, has filed a lawsuit against the façade contractor alleging that a faulty installation has resulted in sealant dripping from almost every window, according to The Real Deal.
- HTRF said that Connecticut-based Permasteelisa had an $18.2 million contract to hermetically seal and double-glaze the windows of the Frank Gehry-designed building but that the sealant is now failing, resulting in discoloration as well as melting, bubble and fog effects.
- Permasteelisa, according to HTRF, has ignored its request for repairs, which should cost approximately $500,000.
Dive Insight:
Coincidentally, near the IAC Building is another problem structure, architect Jean Nouvel's "vision machine" at 100 Eleventh Avenue. A resident of the high-rise filed a $20 million lawsuit last year claiming that building defects have allowed wind and water to make its way into the living units via gaps around the windows. The suit alleges that the wind is so severe that it has caused hydronic heating pipes to freeze and burst.
Gehry is a renowned architect and is responsible for the modern, industrial look of Facebook's offices in Menlo Park, CA, and Seattle. A planned expansion to the California campus will include two ground-up buildings totaling 962,000 square feet, a park, a hotel and pedestrian and bicycle bridges. Facebook's new Seattle offices also contain the Gehry features of exposed ductwork, unfinished plywood walls and concrete floors. That facility is open and will be able to accommodate up to 2,000 employees.
Gehry's plan for a Sunset Strip development in Hollywood, CA, recently won approval as well. Developers of the five-building mixed-use complex had to make some height concessions and include more public-friendly features, as well as provide additional infrastructure on nearby streets, in order to win the official green light.
