The Shape of Reality: Architectural Gems of NYC
Ah, New York City. There truly is nowhere else quite like it, where the fashion, business, cultural, and music worlds all collide in one incredible landmark. Empire City is no stranger to famous landmarks. From the Empire State Building to One World Trade Center, these iconic skyscrapers are recognized all over the world. However, “The City That Never Sleeps” is home to many brilliant pieces of art, sculpted from marble and metal, that haven’t had their chance to shine in the spotlight. Here are 10 incredible works of architecture from all 5 boroughs, without the price of admission.
Manhattan:
The American Radiator Building: 40 West 40th Street
Built by architects John Howell and Raymond Hood in 1924, The American Radiator Building is a 338ft-tall early skyscraper in the striking Gothic Art Deco style. The structure stands out instantly, due to its unique façade of black brick with gold ornamentation, especially when compared to the dull beige exteriors of its surrounding neighbors. Originally built as an office building for The American Radiator Company (now American Standard), the building was sold in 1988 and now houses the luxury Bryant Park Hotel and Theater. This Art Deco Stunner has been the subject of numerous paintings and photographs, including Georgia O’Keefe’s 1927 painting Radiator Building – Night, New York (Gerry).
Hearst Tower: 300 West 57th Street
While the six-story base of Hearst Tower was constructed in 1928, construction on the remainder of the structure was placed on permanent hiatus due to the outbreak of the Great Depression. Plans to resume fell to the wayside and for nearly 80 years, and it looked as if it would never be built. However, Hearst Tower was finally completed in 2006 and the 40-story building opened to the public. What makes Hearst Tower unique is its distinguishable triangular framing pattern and wide base, which gives the appearance of a rock crystal forming upwards. The skyscraper is also the first high-rise office building to be considered a “green” project, since its design permits it to consume roughly 25% less energy than the NYC limit. The more you know! (Gerry)
Brooklyn:
The Montauk Club: 25 8th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn
While the Montauk Club exists in over 66 locations and several countries, the landmark clubhouse was built and designed in the Venetian Gothic style by Francis H. Kimball in 1889. His inspiration for the building’s exterior came from that of the Palazzo Santa Sofia (Ca' d'Oro) on Venice's Grand Canal. The clubhouse is built from brownstone and brick and is ornamented with representations of the Montauk tribe of Native Americans the club is named after, which can be found on the top of the building, over the main entrance, and on the frieze between the third and fourth floors. Of the hundreds of gentlemen's and upper crust society clubs existing in Brooklyn at the time, the Montauk Club is the only one still in operation today. Former presidents including JFK, William McKinley, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower and Grover Cleveland all once counted themselves proud members of the Montauk Club (NYC Architecture).
Boys High School: 832 Marcy Avenue, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
This extravagant Romanesque Revival building, often considered one of Brooklyn’s finest examples of architecture, was constructed in 1891 by James W. Naughton and C.B.J. Snyder. The richly decorated terracotta exterior, round corner tower, and soaring campanile help the structure stand out in the midst of an ordinary Brooklyn suburb. A member of the National Register of Historic Places as of February 25, 1982, the building has been used as exterior filming locations for TV shows like The Knick and count highly influential science fiction writer Isaac Asimov and composer Aaron Copeland as former alumni (NYC Architecture).
Queens:
The Museum of the Moving Image: 35th Avenue at 36th Street, Astoria, Queens
The Museum of the Moving Image is a media museum focused on art, history, technique and technology of film, television, and digital media. It is devoted to collecting, preserving, and providing access to moving-image related artifacts. Museum exhibits include significant audio/visual components designed to promote an understanding of the history of the industry and an understanding of how it has evolved. Built in the ultra-modern style and opened on September 10, 1988, MotMI is located in the former home of the historic Astoria Studios. Permanent exhibits include “The Jim Henson Exhibition,” honoring the life and ingenuity of Jim Henson and his creations, and "Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick's Space Odyssey" (Museum of the Moving Image).
MoMA PS1: 22 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens
MoMA PS1 is one of the largest art institutions in the United States dedicated solely to contemporary art. The initial building was opened in 1976, as the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in a deserted Romanesque Revival public school building. This building, which was built in 1892, served as the first school in the Long Island City area until low attendance resulted in its closure in 1963. The affiliation to the Museum of Modern Art began in January of 2000 and continues to this day. An October 1997 renovation to the building featured the addition of a 41,000 square foot modernist extension which allows for the huge, revolving outdoor sculpture exhibit (MoMA).
Staten Island:
The Ambassador Arms: 30 Daniel Low Terrace, Saint George, Staten Island
The striking Art Deco façade, with its lavish gold and blue terracotta motifs, of the Ambassador Arms apartment building was designed by architect Lucien Pisciotta in 1932. Due to the building’s historical significance and great beauty, the outside and lobby of the building have been able to avoid any severe or extreme changes in the nine decades since its construction was completed. The Ambassador Arms has also seen its share of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood: classic movie star Paul Newman and The West Wing’s own Martin Sheen both lived here, and Sheen's son Emilio Estevez, of The Breakfast Club fame, was born in the building (Scherer).
Temple Row at Snug Harbor Cultural Center: 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island
Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens features a dazzling array of wonders, architectural and otherwise, including a Chinese tea garden and mini castle. However, it is the 1833-1880 built Classical Greek Revival Temple Row that really makes the place shine. What was originally a home for retired merchant sailors, Temple Row, now houses the Staten Island cultural center and museums. These soaring structures have been regarded by some as "the most ambitious moment of the classic revival in the United States" and the "most extraordinary" suite of Greek temple-style buildings in the United States (Scherer).
The Bronx:
Bronx County Courthouse: 851 Grand Concourse, The Bronx
One of the best examples of Art Moderne architecture in New York City, the Bronx County Courthouse stands nine stories tall and was constructed between 1931 and 1934. It is famous for its frieze-style sculptures on multiple sides of the façade. Those on the 161st Street side were created by noted sculptor George Holburn Snowden. Those facing the Walton Avenue side were created by noted sculptor Joseph Kiselewski.
The Fish House: 1150 Grand Concourse, The Bronx
While the actual building has no official name, it has been christened with the affectionate title, The Fish Building, decades ago due to the vibrant and detailed aquatic murals on the façade. Noted architect Horace Ginsbern, who also had a hand in designing other Pre-War structural gems in the borough, designed the building in the geometric and colorful Art Deco style in 1937. While the façade certainly is impressive, the lobby with its red, green, and gold terrazzo floor, Rene and CP Graves murals, stained glass windows, and ornamented walls and elevator doors are what truly give the building its artistic edge.
Thank you all for joining me on the architectural adventure across the magical and inspiring world of New York City, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Xoxo,
Matea
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Sources:
Gerry, Mariam. “New York City's Most Underrated Architectural Icons.” Blog, 24 Jan. 2020, www.exp1.com/blog/new-york-citys-most-underrated-architectural-icons/.
MoMa, N. “About Us: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, 2021, www.moma.org/about/ .
Museum of the Moving Image, A. “About.” Museum of the Moving Image, 2020, www.movingimage.us/about/.
NYC Architecture. Top Ten Brooklyn Architecture, 2015, nyc-architecture.com/TEN/TEN-Brooklyn.
Saraniero, Nicole, et al. “8 Architectural Gems along the Bronx's Grand Concourse: County Courthouse, Post Office, Loew's Paradise Theater, Poe Cottage.” Untapped New York, 17 Feb. 2021, untappedcities.com/2013/10/16/8-architectural-gems-along-the-bronx-grand-concourse-county-courthouse-post-office-loews-paradise-theater-poe-cottage/?displayall=true/.
Scherer, Jenna. “Staten Island's Coolest Architectural Gems, Mapped.” Curbed NY, Curbed NY, 3 May 2017, ny.curbed.com/maps/staten-island-architecture-art-deco-frank-lloyd-wright/.