Dag Hammarskjold Tower
Joseph's 1981 condo job became a case study in how not to design a privately owned public plaza.

Dag Hammarskjold Tower rising above East 47th Street, photographed in 2008.
Current view · 2008 · Photo: Americasroof · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Why this project matters
- Project identity
- Verified
- Kelly connection
- Family source
- Masonry scope
- Strong
Rita’s list

Transcription: Dag Hammarskjold Tower — 1981
Recorded by Rita Bartscherer · Bartscherer family record
KM-157
2 of two
“Dag Hammarskjold Tower — 1981”
The tower's own safety plan lists 1981 as its construction year; it ultimately rose 43 stories with more than 230 apartments.
It connects Joseph's construction record to a broader New York debate about zoning bonuses, privately owned public space and whether development actually creates good urban places.
What Kelly did here
Family source
Strong
Likely installation of brick wall/panel masonry and CMU interior/shaft walls. The tower facade used preassembled brick panels, making masonry a visually significant part of the building.
This scope is recorded as strong, not documented. It is a disciplined reading of the building and the trade practice of the period, not a contract-level record of Kelly’s work.
The construction team
- 01Architect
Gruzen & Partners; Philip Birnbaum & Associates (development/layout role)
What happened to it
Still standing / condominium
Dag Hammarskjold Tower remains an active condominium at 240 East 47th Street.
Sources
2 citedOpen →
- 01skyscrapercenter.com
10024
- 02
- Americasroof · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · 2008
Dag Hammarskjold Tower rising above East 47th Street, photographed in 2008.
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