Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Chrysler Building
Right
View of the World Financial Center from the yacht harbor
New York Skyscrapers
Empire State
Building
The Empire State Building
(1930-31)
is the
tallest
structure in New York.
For 27 years its domi-
nance was eclipsed by
the World Trade Center,
but the latter was des-
troyed in September
2001 during a terrorist
attack on the city. With
an 86th-floor observatory, the
building receives some 3.5 million
visitors each year
(see pp8-9)
.
Flatiron Building
This 21-story, triangular-
shaped building has intrigued
New Yorkers since it was built
by Daniel Burnham in 1902;
the shape was so unusual that
people took bets on whether
it would topple. The secret
was in the steel frame support,
which was used instead of
traditional heavy stone walls:
a precursor of skyscrapers to
come
(see p112)
.
Woolworth Building
Architect Cass Gilbert was
responsible for this flamboyant
Gothic building of 1913, the
tallest building in the world
for two decades after it was
completed. The rich terra-cotta
ornamentation accentuates
the structure's steel frame,
which soars to a crown 55
stories above Broadway. The
small lobby boasts one of the
most luxurious marble interiors
in Manhattan.
d
233 Broadway,
between Park Pl & Barclay St
•
Map Q4
•
Free
G.E. Building
Soaring 70 stories into the
sky, this dramatic skyscraper
(see p13)
, designed by Raymond
Hood in 1931-3, has shallow set-
backs that recede into the dist-
ance. Part of the greatness of
Hood's design is the contrast
between the building's height
and surrounding Rockefeller
Center.
d
30 Rockefeller Plaza,
between 50th & 51st sts
•
Map J3
•
Closed to public
Chrysler Building
The gleaming, stainless
steel, tiered spire of the Chrysler
Building adds grace to the city
skyline. William Van Alen fashion-
ed this Art Deco classic in
1928-30 as a whimsical tribute
to the automobile. The building
has a decorative frieze of
stylized hubcaps and silver
gargoyles, much like the
winged radiator caps of a
Chrysler car
(see p123)
.
Lever House
Gordon Bunshaft's 24-story
Lever House, completed in
1952, was revolutionary; it was
New York's first skyscraper built
in the form of a soaring glass
and steel vertical slab. It began
the eventual transformation of
Park Avenue into an avenue of
glass towers.
d
390 Park Avenue,
between 53rd and 54th Street
•
Map J4
•
Open during office hours
44
