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
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
545 Fifth Avenue
545 Fifth Avenue, the former Hotel Lorraine, was designed by the architectural firm of Jeremiah O’Rourke & Sons. The handsome details are offset by a gracefully curved corner; the lower floors are currently undergoing the butchering endemic to this stretch of Fifth. Better known for his churches and public buildings, O’Rourke’s most celebrated edifice is… Continue reading
511 Fifth Avenue, the Postal Life Insurance Building
511 Fifth Avenue, the Postal Life Insurance Building, consists of a structure designed by the great bank architects York & Sawyer and a (flawlessly maintained) interior renovated in 1962 by Luss, Kaplan & Associates. The renovation retained much of the York & Sawyer design while bringing aboard a sense of jet age sophistication. Not until the… Continue reading
The New York Public Library, Main Branch
A major work of the American Beaux Arts and the largest marble building in the US at the time of its completion, the Main Branch of the New York Public Library was built in 1898 through 1911 to designs by Carrere & Hastings, with the sculptor Frederick MacMonnies overseeing the sculptural program. The imposing façade,… Continue reading