Here's a thread for a handsome little gem of a skyscraper I discovered on one of my visits to NYC, while I was taking a good long solo city trek. This skyscraper sits at Park Avenue and 57th street, and got a little bit of fame while 432 Park Avenue was under construction.
I was surprised to learn that this building was entirely the work of Emery Roth and sons, as most of their buildings of this time period were much simpler, built by penny pinching developers who didn't want to spend a lot of money on fancy facades. Emery Roth and sons were known for their skills at designing the so-called belly of a building- efficient floor plates and mechanical systems. Many of their clients wanted the floor space, and didn't care much for the building's facade- after all, you couldn't rent skyscraper skin! Thus the firm caught flak from critics, who called their buildings ugly. But the developer of 450 Park Avenue wanted something different for his building, and was willing to pay for it. Thus 450 Park Avenue ended up with a unique facade, making it one of the more distinctive "black buildings" in Manhattan.
(Although in some lights, the building looks more a deep reddish brown than truly black. Oddly enough, I've seen the same effect when my black-furred cats lay in the sun- their fur looks decidedly reddish brown)
And this building sold for a ridiculous sum of money not too long ago- $575 million!
I do wonder if they will ever do anything about the side of the building left looking rather rough after the Drake hotel came down, the poor thing looks rather scarred!
So without further ado, here's some pics I took of Park Avenue's handsome black beauty:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/312175...57646076348914
https://www.flickr.com/photos/312175...57637979676796
https://www.flickr.com/photos/312175...57637979676796
https://www.flickr.com/photos/312175...57637979676796
I love this one, 450 looks like it's protecting 432 Park
https://www.flickr.com/photos/312175...57648916725788
