74 Fifth Avenue

A 1910 work by the firm of Maynicke & Franke, 74 Fifth Avenue is a capable design by the architects who also produced 55 Fifth Avenue and the studio houses at 12-26 East 8th Street. Decorative details suggest a take on Secessionist motifs. The building has been converted to residential use.

70 Fifth Avenue

An early skyscraper by Charles Alonzo Rich, formerly of the prolific residential architectural firm of Lamb & Rich, 70 Fifth Avenue was built for publisher George A. Plimpton as the Educational Building in 1912.  Home to numerous distinguished charity and social work organizations, its tenant roster once included the NAACP. Only three bays wide on… Continue reading

Just Off Fifth: Rizzoli Bookstore Threatened

Located at 31 West 57th Street, the Rizzoli Bookstore has been called one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. Originally the offices and showroom of the Sohmer Piano Company, the circa 1905 store preserves extraordinary interior details, including vaulted plaster ceilings. Additions by architects Hardy, Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, who restored and renovated the… Continue reading

60-62 Fifth Avenue, the Forbes Building

Built in 1925, the former Forbes Building at 60-62 Fifth Avenue was designed by Carrère and Hastings, the renowned Beaux Arts firm whose best known building on the avenue is undoubtedly the New York Public Library; at 60-62 Fifth they worked in conjunction with the firm of Shreve and Lamb, two partners who later went… Continue reading

55 Fifth Avenue

Built as the Hotel Grovesnor, 55 Fifth Avenue currently houses a mix of office space and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law for Yeshiva University.  Designed by the firm of Maynicke and Franke and completed in 1910, it is the tallest commercial building south of 14th Street at 19 floors.  A classic steel skeleton… Continue reading