277 Fifth Avenue

Replacing a number of low-rise buildings, including a two-story Art Moderne taxpayer, 277 Fifth Avenue is from the offices of Rafael Vinoly, the Uruguayan architect whose designs include the controversial 20 Fenchurch Street in London (dubbed the Walkie-Talkie by hostile critics) and the Sol Lewitt-like skyscraper apartment house at 432 Park Avenue.  277 Fifth at… Continue reading

141-147 Fifth Avenue

When last we passed this way, the extravagant Beaux Arts building at 141-147 Fifth Avenue was clad in netting for a restoration. Constructed in two parts, the original 1896 design stood mid-block and was the work of Robert Maynicke, an architect whose output on the Ladies Mile tended to be less extravagant.  The answer to… Continue reading

314-316 Fifth Avenue

The former site of one of the most ornate commercial buildings on Fifth Avenue, the Kaskel Building at 316 Fifth Avenue, 314-316 Fifth Avenue is now an empty lot cleared for a proposed condo tower. 

The Demarest Building at 335-339 Fifth Under Threat

One of the best commercial buildings of its scale and period, the 1889 Demarest Building at 335-339 Fifth Avenue is under threat of demolition by developers who propose to replace the Demarest with a high-rise of potentially 20-25 stories.  While the site would appear to support a structure at this scale – its neighbor directly… Continue reading

Return to Every Building on Fifth

As the global pandemic forces New Yorkers to stay indoors, we’re restarting Every Building on Fifth to remind us of the great streetscapes waiting for our return. We’ll be looking at changes made up and down the Avenue – buildings renovated, restored, erected and demolished.  We’ll also be casting a wider net, looking at architecture… Continue reading