New York Architecture Images- Midtown Mobil Building |
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architect |
Harrison, Abramovitz |
location |
150, E42nd Street (full block between Lexington and 3rd Avenues) |
date |
1955 |
style |
International Style II |
construction |
45-storey building
has a simple slab form, rising to the height of 174.5 m, set back from the
street by lower-floor extensions. Although originally planned as brick-clad, the facade material was changed to aluminium and eventually to stainless steel in 7,000 panels with a three-dimensional treatment that gives the facade a "rusticated" effect, similarly to the same architects' Alcoa Building in Pittsburgh two years earlier, or the later Tishman Building in NYC. In addition to its aesthetic role and the developers' aspiration for a long-lasting facade treatment, the patterning has also a practical function: it prevents the facade plating from bending. The building is set on a three-storey base clad in blue glass, with retail spaces and through-building arcades. The lobby is vaulted, reflecting the arched entrances, and has white marble and terrazzo decor. |
type |
Office Building |
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images |
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notes |
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