| New York Life Building | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
 As seen from the observation deck at the Empire State Building
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| Location: | 51 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Coordinates: | 40°44′34″N 73°59′08″W / 40.74278°N 73.98556°WCoordinates: 40°44′34″N 73°59′08″W / 40.74278°N 73.98556°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1928 |
| Architect: | Cass Gilbert[1] |
| Architectural style(s): | Gothic Revival[2] |
| Added to NRHP: | June 2, 1978[3] |
| Designated NHL: | June 2, 1978 [4] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 78001876 |
The New York Life Insurance Building, New York, located at 51 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, is the headquarters of the New York Life Insurance Company. Designed in 1926 by Cass Gilbert, the massive building rises forty stories to its pyramidal gilded roof and occupies the full block between 26th and 27th Streets, Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, a rarity in New York. The building stands 615 feet (187 m) tall and contains 40 floors.[5]
From 1837–1889, the site was occupied by the Union Depot of the New York and Harlem and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroads, a concert garden, and P.T. Barnums Hippodrome.[6] Until 1925, the site housed the first two Madison Square Gardens, the second one designed by architect Stanford White.
The New York Life Insurance Company still holds its headquarters in the building. They have leased extra office space through Cushman and Wakefield since 2004.[7]
The New York Life Insurance Building was completed in 1928 and combines streamlined Gothic details and distinctly Moderne massing. It has been designated an official New York City landmark by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. The building's exterior is sometimes seen in the ABC television series Ugly Betty as the "headquarters" of fictional Meade Publications.
New York Life Insurance Company Building is the last significant Cass Gilbert skyscraper in Manhattan. He also designed the landmark Woolworth Building. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972.[4][8][9]
See also
References
- ^ White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot; AIA Guide to New York City, 4th Edition; New York Chapter, American Institute of Architects; Crown Publishers/Random House. 2000. ISBN 0-8129-31069-8; ISBN 0-8129-3107-6. p.200.
- ^ NHL Writeup (PDF)
- ^ New York County listings at the National Register of Historic Places
- ^ a b "New York Life Building". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. 2007-09-16. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1775&ResourceType=Building.
- ^ "New York Life Building". Emporis.com. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=newyorklifebuilding-newyorkcity-ny-usa. Retrieved 2008-07-12.
- ^ Dolkart, Andrew S. & Postal, Matthew A.; Guide to New York City Landmarks, 3rd Edition; New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004. ISBN 0-471-36900-4; p. 75.
- ^ Sana Siwolop "COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE: REGIONAL MARKET -- Midtown South; Big Spaces Are Opening Up In Madison Square Park Area" The New York Times. March 24, 2004.
- ^ "[http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/78001876.pdf "New York Life Building", February 1977, by George R. Adams PDF (553 KB) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination]". National Park Service. 1977-02. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/78001876.pdf "New York Life Building", February 1977, by George R. Adams PDF (553 KB).
- ^ "[http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/78001876.pdf New York Life Building--Accompanying 5 photos, exterior and interior, from 1976, by George R. Adams. PDF (1.20 MB) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination]". National Park Service. 1977-02. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/78001876.pdf New York Life Building--Accompanying 5 photos, exterior and interior, from 1976, by George R. Adams. PDF (1.20 MB).
- The WPA Guide to New York City 1939, reprinted 1982 ISBN 0-394-71215-3
External links
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