956 Fifth Avenue

First completed in 1926 to designs by I.N. Phelps Stokes, whose own residence was at 953 Fifth Avenue, midway down the block, 956 Fifth Avenue was transformed into a 15-story high-rise after the zoning laws for this section of Fifth Avenue were successfully overturned to allow taller apartment buildings. The addition was managed by architect… Continue reading

103 Fifth Avenue, The Pierrepont Building

A highly refined and decorated design, the narrow Pierrepont Building at 103 Fifth Avenue is another design from the talented eclectic architect Louis Korn that demonstrates the influence of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition and the growing popularization of the French Beaux Arts style. The mode is handled in a sophisticated fashion, with a great… Continue reading

91-93 Fifth Avenue

Designed by the highly eclectic architect Louis Korn, whose 12 Fifth Avenue shows his ability to juggle details and scale, 91-93 Fifth Avenue is one of the most elaborately detailed buildings on this stretch of Fifth, from the three-story bay window to the caryatids – female sculptural figures that support a cornice, portico or other… Continue reading

The Annin Building, 85 Fifth Avenue

The cheerful-looking Annin Building at 85 Fifth Avenue is the work of Louis Korn, whom we first met with his energetically bizarre 12 Fifth Avenue. 85 Fifth is far more sedate in comparison, but still strikes an unexpected note through its use of colorful red brick, which, while common enough south of 14th Street, is a… Continue reading

12 Fifth Avenue

Constructed in 1903, 12 Fifth Avenue is an ornate forerunner of the so-called “sliver” apartment houses of the later 20th century.  As architectural historian Christopher Gray notes, the building “was erected well before the patterns were set for high-rise multiple dwellings” and architect Louis Korn took a highly eclectic approach, inflating details and scale in… Continue reading