The Hearst Corporation did add onto the building and in 2006 the present Hearst Tower was completed adding 40 floors on top of the original 6 floors. One of the most interesting features of this building is the glass and steel diagrid design (think the New Years Eve Ball) that is a modern approach to building design that is a stark contrast to the original six floors. According to Foster and Partners, the design firm that worked on this building, the diagrid form “uses 20% less steel than a conventionally framed structure”.

This building was the first to receive LEED Gold for Core & Shell in New York City when it was completed in 2006. At the time the Hearst Tower received its certification the building was still being occupied and since then has been upgraded to LEED Platinum in 2012. The Hearst Tower also took environmentalism seriously when it comes to the sourcing of the building products that where utilized, most notably 85% of the steel in the building is recycled. According to Foster and Partners the Hearst Building’s “heating and air-conditioning equipment utilizes outside air for cooling and ventilation for nine months of the year, and it consumes 25 per cent less energy than an equivalent office building”.