Time Warner Center is a twin-tower building developed by
AREA Property Partners (formerly known as
Apollo Real Estate Advisors) and
The Related Companies in New York City. Its design, by
David Childs and Mustafa Kemal Abadan of
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, consists of two 750 ft (229 m) twin towers bridged by a multi-story
atrium containing upscale retail shops. Construction began in November 2000, following the demolition of the
New York Coliseum, and a topping-out ceremony was held on February 27, 2003. The property had the highest-listed market value in New York City, $1.1 billion, in 2006. Originally constructed as the
AOL Time Warner Center, the building encircles the western side of
Columbus Circle and straddles the border between
Midtown and the
Upper West Side. The total floor area of is divided between offices (notably the offices of
Time Warner Inc. and an R&D Center for
VMware), residential condominiums, and the
Mandarin Oriental, New York hotel.
The Shops at Columbus Circle is an upscale shopping mall located in a curving arcade at the base of the building, with a large
Whole Foods Market grocery store in the basement.