The building was originally the Gulf and Western Building, designed by Thomas E. Stanley and built in 1969 or 1970. The tower was designed for office use, and was built in isolation, away from other high-rise buildings. Because of this, the building would slightly sway during strong winds, a minor inconvenience that did not exist for buildings built close to each other. In 1994, businessman and real estate developerDonald Trump became involved with the building, announcing plans to convert it into a hotel that would include condominium units. Because of zoning laws, only approximately 200 units could be used as condominiums, while the lower portion of the tower up to the 17th floor would be used for hotel rooms. Paramount Communications was the tenant of the office building at the time, with its lease set to expire in April 1995, at which point Trump could begin renovations on the building. Trump planned to have trusses and columns installed throughout the building to make the tower rigid and stable, in order to remove the impact of strong winds. The reconstruction process was expected to take two years, at a cost of $230 million. Renovations began in June 1995. In April 1996, Trump said that he would move into the building's penthouse. Trump also said the address of the building, located near Central Park, would be changed from 7 Columbus Circle to 1 Central Park West; Trump International was advertised as having "the most important new address in the world." Between 1995 and 1997, the building was stripped to its skeleton. The building's new appearance was designed by Philip Johnson and Costas Kondylis. Although the building stands at 44 stories, Trump had referred to it as being 52 stories. Trump explained that newer apartment buildings commonly had lower ceilings compared to office buildings, and stated that the 583-foot building was approximately as tall as a 60-floor building; the New York Times wrote, "Seen this way, measuring the converted tower at 52 floors was an act of altitudinal restraint." A 30-foot-wide silver globe of the Earth was installed in front of the building during its conversion. The globe was to include the words "Trump International" in lettering that would measure three feet high, although city officials objected to the idea. The outside of the building is used as the setting of the 2011 comedy crime filmTower Heist. Since the election of Trump as U.S. president, the hotel has sometimes been the site of protests against his administration. In June 2019, several condo owners demanded that the property be renamed One Central Park West because the Trump name was diminishing the value of the building.
Ownership and management
The 168 hotel units on the lower 17 floors are owned by the G.E. Pension Trust and by Galbreath & Company; the 156 condos on floors 18 to 44 are private residences. The Trump Organization owns one of the condiminiums, the parking garage, the restaurant space, the room-service kitchens, and the bathrooms in the lobby. Building and hotel are managed by the Trump Organization. The building's board of directors is composed of six residential owners, two hotel owners, and the president of the Trump Organization.
