David Durst, developer, artist and youngest son of family patriarch Joseph Durst, died Friday in Rye, N.Y. He was 90.
Durst spent 30 years at the Durst Organization, along with his brothers Seymour and Royal. David focused on construction and engineering at the firm, and was one of the first developers to commission a sculpture at one of his office towers, “Windward,” in front of 655 Third Avenue, created by Jan Peter Stern.
He oversaw the development of eight skyscrapers in the city, from the 30-story 655 Third Avenue in 1958 to the 26-story building at 114 West 48th Street, completed in 1989, which he built along with his son Jody, the Durst Organization’s current president, the New York Times reported.
Durst was also an artist in his own right, creating large, whimsical wood and steel sculptures he exhibited at the Gallery in Hastings-on-Hudson and at the Katonah Gallery.
He’s survived by his second wife Carola, his daughters, Laurel Strong and Robin Durst, his sons Josh, Kristoffer and Jody, and his nine grandchildren. [NYT] – Ariel Stulberg