[ethereal_reality]

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/3458/larkintowerproposal1925oj3.jpg
New York City 1926


interesting info:

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2082/larkin1925infowx8.jpg
The Book Tower in Detroit mentioned above was scaled back to a shorter height.

below is the original Book Tower proposal for Detroit.

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5266/booktowerinitialproposavh7.jpg
Only the shorter portion of the proposal was built (the tower on the right).
It stands abandoned in downtown Detroit.
It is still a great looking building.

[Ducov]

The Larkin tower was incredible, I just don't see how most of the top stories could be viable, it looked as if there floor plan was only slightly bigger than the room I'm in now, and considering you would need a portion of that for some sort of access shaft between the floors, even it were just a spiral staircase - what could they be used for?

And thanks for posting the book tower image, I found out about it years ago, but images of it are no where to be found now.

Can I just ask, you seem to have access to a lot of high quality photos from this era, I was just wondering do you collect them, or scan them from books?

[ethereal_reality]

Hey Ducov
I'm doing research for a book. I sift through thousands of photographs daily.

I find alot of them on ebay...often mislabeled or with no information at all.
I can go days without finding anything....then I'll find a treasure trove of obscure snapshots
hidden in a familly album or what not.

I'm glad you appreciate them.

[Ducov]

cool, what's the book going to be about?

[Patrick]

I'm a little so/so about the Larkin Tower, I mean its really all not that special, a real plain design. Although It wouldnt be a bad thing to see it built. I wonder what It would look like in modern day NYC.

Can someone post a thread including all the cancelled Detroit Towers, I remember seeing a few back then and being amazed, I want to see more!

[Lost Island]

The design isn't shapeless, but at the same time, so uninspired.

[Swede]

The massing of the set-backs are weird and the top few floors look kinda small. Other than that it's pretty nice. Would be fun to see a Manhattan skyline with all these unbuilt projects (that were realistic and not just architects visions) photoshopped in. My skills are woefully inadequat for that, sadly.

[canucklehead2]

Does anyone have a photo of the current site of the Book Tower? To me it would be really cool if one day they actually build the 81 floor second tower...

[ethereal_reality]

Here is the current Book Tower.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8508/bookbuildingdetroitin19uh3.jpg
photographer unknown

[NYguy]

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/3458/larkintowerproposal1925oj3.jpg
New York City 1926

Another one from history. I wonder how this would have affected the Chrysler and Empire State buildings.

[Aleks]

It would've made both seem more beautiful compared to this.

[ethereal_reality]

^^^
I agree actually...the Larkin Tower design is simply telescoping.
It's VERY boring.
The equivalent in Chicago is the Miglin-Beitler Tower proposal.

[Wrightguy0]

remember, this was pre art deco, so no decorations, cool, but a mistake for new york, I would have taken it to the thid tower segment then capped it in a way similar to 40 wall

[ramvid01]

Would be right where the Port Authority Bus terminal stands and the McGraw Hill Building.

[Jibba]

This one sort of awkwardly and unassuredly stumbles towards the sky. It wouls have been an impressive structure, especially given the time period, but I can't say that I'm terribly upset that this was never built.

[antinimby]

http://www.infocustech.com/skyscrapers/larkin%20tower.jpg

[Lecom]

Despite the sort of awkward massing, it has that classic, Gotham look to it. What a shame that it was scrapped.

[DecoJim]

I remember seeing the Larkin image in an old architecture book many years ago and being unimpressed even then when compared to the other New York skyscrapers that were actually built. There is little excuse for the banal design of the Larkin Tower. Art Deco was coming into vogue at that time - starting with the Exposition internationale des arts décoratif et industriels modernes held in Paris in 1925.

The mention of the 2nd Book Tower in the Larkin announcement is very interesting since it shows how close the Detroit project was to actuality.

By the way Detroit's Book tower is not abandoned. It has changed hands twice since 2005 and is now owned by KSI Capital Corp.; however, I imagine that vacancy rates are fairly high due to the maintenance problems with the elevators and electrical system. Plus the building facade has never been cleaned (at least while I have been alive).

[DecoJim]

Here is a link to a nigh-time photo of the Book Tower taken recently:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanm/96188921/in/photostream/
Photo by Flickr member Alan M.

There are lights on in the building - not a lot- but some.

[Lecom]

Wonder if it would've gotten an antenna in the 50's, with the small floors by the top outfitted with communications equipment.

[NDPhilly]

not nearly as much architecture as the chrysler and the empire st.

[RandySavage]

What it may have looked like had it been built:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/3233389478_64102335e2_o.jpg



Base photo taken by RFCGraphics: WWW.RFCGRAPHICS.COM, http://www.pbase.com/rfcd100

[ethereal_reality]

^^^RandySavage, that's coooooool.

[RandySavage]

^Thanks,

Here is one I did using an RFCGraphics base photo that shows what Larkin, ESB and MetLifeNorth may have looked like:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/3234080729_8bdc002f98_b.jpg

[Patrick]

After seeing those picture I'm relived both weren't built, it would have ruined the ESB's prominence around midtown!

[ethereal_reality]

^^^The Met Life North Tower has always been my favorite proposal.
It's great to see them both in that pano....you did a good job RandySavage.

[JDRCRASH]

While i'm glad Metlife North was shot down, Larkin would have blended in well.

[Dylan Leblanc]

Found another proposal by John Larkin for a supertall tower.

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/01/31/realestate/31scapes2.html

The text at the top of the tower reads "122nd FL, 1700 FT"

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/01/31/realestate/31scapes2/popup.jpg??

[kickser]

^Thanks,

Here is one I did using an RFCGraphics base photo that shows what Larkin, ESB and MetLifeNorth may have looked like:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/3234080729_8bdc002f98_b.jpg

can you or anybody else repost that pic please? It doesnt show anymore.

[Dylan Leblanc]

hmm yeah that was a photoshoped skyline with several unbuilt NYC towers in it

[MolsonExport]

Found another proposal by John Larkin for a supertall tower.

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/01/31/realestate/31scapes2.html

The text at the top of the tower reads "122nd FL, 1700 FT"

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/01/31/realestate/31scapes2/popup.jpg??

I hate the massive base, and huge setback of the bulk of the structure from the street.

[scalziand]

Found another proposal by John Larkin for a supertall tower.

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/01/31/realestate/31scapes2.html

The text at the top of the tower reads "122nd FL, 1700 FT"

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/01/31/realestate/31scapes2/popup.jpg??

Just to clarify, that tower is actually the World Trade Building (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=178037), not the Larkin Tower.

[TowerInternet]

That and the Metlife North building (below), would've dominated the skyline. They would've made the ESB look like a small house.
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5667/onlythebottombwwasbuiltcf4.jpg
Picture from this website

AND
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/3458/larkintowerproposal1925oj3.jpg
This picture is also from this website

[DURKEY427]

Whats at the site of this building now?

[jd3189]

:previous: A part of the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

[-Filipe-]

this building would have looked great

[DURKEY427]

Ok thanks its a shame this got cancelled

[brooklynbandit]

looks like a mix of The Chrysler and Empire State building

[THE BIG APPLE]

^ Not really, but closer to ESB than Chrysler. It would've affected both projects highly. Who knows if we'd even have Chrysler or ESB if this was built. This would've forced both projects to go higher of be scrapped.