Dramatic video from inside the former Pfizer headquarters tower in Midtown Manhattan shows large I-beams buckling, and officials are warning of a possible collapse.The 33-story high-rise at 235 East 42nd Street is undergoing a major office-to-residential conversion, one of the largest projects of its kind in the New York City metro area.WATCH: New York City's biggest office-to-residential conversion just hit an unexpected obstacle.
Buckling columns and falling bricks forced an evacuation at the former Pfizer headquarters. pic.twitter.com/anXDOmBSfw
— The Real Deal (@trdny) July 7, 2026Local media outlet Pix 11 cited the FDNY, which said floors 21 through 26 have caved in, and major cracks and sagging floors were seen throughout the tower.Video shows two columns buckled inside a Midtown building under construction. Dozens were evacuated and multiple streets were closed at the height of rush hour. See the full story : https://t.co/lgH632z6TN pic.twitter.com/7eYIZtJNPI
— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) July 7, 2026A union member working on the site told local media that workers allegedly failed to add sufficient steel support columns to handle the additional load from a new structure being built atop the original building."What happened here is that this building was renovated. They were going to add another 16 stories to it. But at that point you need to add more steel. And obviously they did not add the right amount of steel - so the north side of the building is crumbling. The I-beams are bending like cigarettes," the union member said
