The Kensington Building, 73 Fifth Avenue

A lavishly decorated building, the L-shaped Kensington Building at 73 Fifth Avenue was developed as a showpiece for the Richman Realty & Construction Company by architect Samuel Sass in 1906.  Notable for its fireproof construction, the building was marketed specifically to businesses seeking a luxurious and visually striking address.  Early tenants included Milton Bradley Publishing… Continue reading

71 Fifth Avenue

71 Fifth Avenue is a sophisticated 1906 design by Charles Volz.  Its strong cubistic proportions are heightened by an abstract approach to decoration, with the ornament being reduced to crisp lines of delineation. Not much is known of Volz, but judging from this building, he had a sure grasp of the potential of the coming… Continue reading

The Ladies’ Mile: 14th Street to Madison Square

From 14th Street through 23rd Street and including the west side of the 24th Street block, Fifth Avenue passes through the Ladies’ Mile Historic District, so named for the historic department stores that dominate the area from Broadway to Sixth Avenue. Once the premiere shopping area for the well to do, these buildings have recently… Continue reading

Just Off Fifth: Landmark Preservation Commission Refuses Rizzoli’s Protected Status

We at Landmark Branding are disappointed that the Landmarks Preservation Commission has decided against protecting the Rizzoli Bookstore’s superb building on West 57th Street – despite the more than 15,000 signatures gathered on a petition to save the bookstore. Members of the Save Rizzoli Committee are not giving up yet, citing the upcoming expiration of… Continue reading

80 Fifth Avenue

80 Fifth Avenue’s lavishly detailed thirteen-story Classical shaft sits atop an arresting three-story base of interlocking bay windows. The uppermost floors are particularly noteworthy, incorporating giant two-story arches that gather pedimented windows into trios in the manner of the Chicago School of architecture as practiced by 19th Century architect Louis Sullivan and others. Unfortunately, the… Continue reading