New York’s Top 10 : New York Skyscrapers

Empire State Building

The
Empire State Building (1930–31) is the tallest structure in New York.
For 28 years its dominance was eclipsed by the World Trade Center, which
was destroyed in the September 2001 terrorist attack. With an
86th-floor observatory, the building receives some 3.5 million visitors
each year .

G.E. Building

Soaring 70 stories into the sky, this dramatic skyscraper ,
designed by Raymond Hood and erected between 1931 and 1933, has shallow
setbacks that recede into the distance. Part of the greatness of Hood’s
design is the contrast between the building’s height and surrounding
Rockefeller Center.

• 30 Rockefeller Plaza, between 50th & 51st Sts

• Closed to public

Chrysler Building

The
gleaming, stainless steel, tiered spire of the Chrysler Building adds
grace to the city skyline. William Van Alen fashioned this Art Deco
classic in 1928–30 as a tribute to the automobile. The building has a
decorative frieze of stylized hubcaps and silver gargoyles, much like
the winged radiator caps of a Chrysler automobile .

Flatiron Building

This
21-story, triangular-shaped building has intrigued New Yorkers since it
was built by Daniel Burnham in 1902; the shape was so unusual that
people took bets on whether it would topple. The secret of this
successful design was in the steel frame support, which was used instead
of traditional heavy stone walls: a precursor of skyscrapers to come .

Woolworth Building

Architect
Cass Gilbert was responsible for this flamboyant 1913 Neo-Gothic
building, the tallest in the world for two decades after it was
completed. The rich terracotta ornamentation accentuates the structure’s
steel frame, which soars to a crown 60 stories above Broadway. The
small lobby boasts one of the most luxurious marble interiors in
Manhattan.

• 233 Broadway, between Park Pl & Barclay St

• Free

Lever House

Gordon
Bunshaft’s 24-story Lever House, completed in 1952, was revolutionary;
it was New York’s first skyscraper built in the form of a soaring glass
and steel vertical slab. It began the eventual transformation of Park
Avenue into an avenue of glass towers.

• 390 Park Ave, between 53rd and 54th Sts

• Open during office hours

Seagram Building

The
first New York building by Mies van der Rohe is this landmark “glass
box” with slender bands of bronze amid walls of smoked glass rising from
the horizontal open plaza. The materials in the glass-walled lobby by
Philip Johnson help blur the division between indoor and outdoor space.
The Four Seasons Restaurant, offering American cuisine, lies within.

• 375 Park Ave, between 52nd & 53rd Sts

• Open during office hours

Citigroup Center

The
59-story Citigroup Center, built in 1978, was New York’s first
Postmodern skyscraper. The rakish, triangular top never served its
original purpose as a solar panel, but it did make the building
instantly recognizable. An open base on four tall columns and a
reflective aluminum-and-glass exterior give the building an airy quality
despite its huge size.

• 153 East 53rd St at Lexington Ave

• Closed to public

World Financial Center

Cesar
Pelli’s Postmodern complex, comprising four tall towers around a
glorious palm-filled Winter Garden, gave the city an elegant business
center when it was completed in 1985. In addition, there are public
spaces for concerts and special events and an outdoor plaza on the water
complete with boat marina and Statue of Liberty views .

World Wide Plaza

The
copper roof and crown of frosted glass atop a 48-story tower by
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill bring some traditional romance to a 1989
Postmodern building. There is a wraparound arcade that acts as another
entrance. The building of the World Wide Plaza complex, which includes
two apartment buildings, a theater, and a large open plaza, transformed a
decaying neighborhood.

• Between 8th & 9th Aves and 49th & 50th Sts