554 Fifth Avenue & 556 Fifth Avenue

One of the most bizarre architectural remnants of Gilded Age New York, 556 Fifth Avenue was constructed in 1912 to designs by New York Public Library architects Carrere & Hastings for the prestigious Knoedler Gallery, one of city’s oldest such institutions. Acquired by the Philippines government after Knoedler moved further uptown, in 1974 the façade… Continue reading

555 Fifth Avenue

An intriguing building, 555 Fifth Avenue was originally designed in 1955 by Emery Roth & Sons and was a simple Mid-Century building similar to 529 Fifth Avenue.  Redesigned in 1993 by architect Der Scutt, the building was transformed, according to The New York Times, by “Caledonia gray flame-finished granite, mocha-colored semi-circular elements, sandstone aluminum panels… Continue reading

551 Fifth Avenue, The Fred F. French Building

One of the city’s best Art Deco buildings, the Fred F. French Building at 551 Fifth Avenue was completed in 1927 to designs by H. Douglas Ives and Sloan & Robertson.  The first setback skyscraper on Fifth Avenue and the tallest building on the street when completed, 551 Fifth Avenue did much to establish the… Continue reading

550 Fifth Avenue

Currently lurking under construction netting, 550 Fifth Avenue was built in 1910 for the Montross Gallery.  One of the city’s most distinguished such venues, the gallery showed such French and American artists as Cezanne, Matisse, Man Ray and Charles Sheeler; its handsome Beaux Arts home has since suffered mutilation at the lower two floors. We’ll… Continue reading

546 Fifth Avenue

Completed in 1990 for the Bank of Brazil, the mirrored 546 Fifth Avenue is a flashy and (almost immediately) dated affair that suggests the opening credits of Dallas rather than the Midtown blocks of Manhattan. A rather bizarre first floor commercial space features neo-classical wood paneling jarringly at odds with the exterior. Emery Roth &… Continue reading