1. T O P 5 A R T D E C O S K Y S C R A P E R S I N N Y C M A R
K C O H E N
2. W E L C O M E T O N E W Y O R K C I T Y ! osition back to
America and applied them to modern mater
3. B A R C L A Y - V E S E Y B U I L D I N G ( V E R I Z O N B
U I L D I N G ) One of the earliest of the art deco skyscrapers,
the Barclay-Vesey Building was completed in 1923 and designed by
Ralph Walker of McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin. It has dramatic
setbacks and buttresses crowned with complex sculptural reliefs
carved in limestone. The designs contain vegetal patterns,
mythological figures and a recurring motif of bells, the symbol of
the New York Telephone Company, which commissioned the skyscraper.
Because of its proximity to the World Trade Center, the
Barclay-Vesey Building was damaged during the September 11th
attacks, but restoration work is underway.
4. G E N E R A L E L E C T R I C B U I L D I N G Arguably one
of the most beautiful skyscrapers in New York, the General Electric
Building originally the RCA Victor Buildingwas designed by Cross
& Cross and completed in 1931. The exterior is faced in a
beautiful rose-toned granite meant to complement the adjacent St.
Bartholomew's Church, and is carved with a zig- zag pattern that
invokes electricity. But by far the best architectural feature of
the building is the top, which is decorated in Gothic
flamboyant-style spires, stone filigree and lightening bolts meant
to symbolize radio waves and electricity. At night, the crown of
the building is lit up so that it looks like a torch.
5. G E B U I L D I N G The GE Building is situated within
Rockefeller Plaza, itself a monument to the art deco style. While
Rockefeller Center was designed by Associated Architects, the 1933
GE Building was designed by Raymond Hood, who was inspired by
Gothic architecture to create a long, slim building with an austere
exterior. In the lobby, there is a mural by Jose Maria Sert called
"American Progress," which replaced a more politically
controversial mural by artists Diego Rivera and Ben Shahn.
6. C H R Y S L E R B U I L D I N G Designed by William Van
Alen, the Chrysler Building was the tallest building in the world
for a brief period between its completion in 1930 and the
completion of the Empire State Building in 1931. The lobby is
decorated with multicolored marbles, onyx and amber arranged in
Egyptian motifs, with a mural on the ceiling painted by Edward
Trumbull titled "Transport and Human Endeavor." The exterior design
also references automobiles, with metal hubcaps, aluminum
gargoyles, radiator caps, hood ornaments and car fenders. The top
of the building is covered in a stainless steel design meant to
imitate a crown.
7. E M P I R E S T A T E B U I L D I N G O N E O F T H E M O S
T F A M O U S B U I L D I N G S I N T H E W O R L D , T H E E M P I
R E S T A T E B U I L D I N G W A S D E S I G N E D B Y T H E F I R
M O F S H R E V E , L A M B & H A R M O N . T H E B U I L D I N
G W A S C O M P L E T E D I N 1 9 3 1 A N D B I L L E D A S T H E E
I G H T H W O N D E R O F T H E W O R L D O N I T S O P E N I N G .
T H E F A C A D E I S M O R E C L A S S I C T H A N M O S T A R T D
E C O S T R U C T U R E S , W I T H S M O O T H S T A I N L E S S S
T E E L A N D V E R T I C A L L I N E S .