NYC Facades

Upper stories

Molding detail

I like the subtelty of this building; the molding decorations done in brick, and the motif with the waves (in the cornice and in the bolding at the bottom of the second image). The whole thing is just unpresumptuous. I’m not sure of the style, though.

Do they have enough communications equipment attached?

This was taken from Madison Square. I have been told that during the race for height with The Chrysler building, the Empire State was not expected to have a needle. Can you imagine it without the needle? (I am actually told there is such an imitator in Houston, Texas.) It would be truly awful; basically a towering, art deco warehouse. As it is, the top looks like the bridge of a ship.

EDIT: As the comment below says, the Houston building is the former Transco Tower, now known as the Williams Tower. It bears some resemblance to the Empire State Building, but definitely has an other-wordly aspect due to its futuristic glass facade. I quite like it, actually.

Upper detail

Lower detail

As many of the buildings on 23rd street near 7th avenue demonstrate, one need not go out of their way to find interesting buildings. (See also: Amsterdam Avenue).

Upper stories with friezes

Detail - is the eagle on the right looking down?

Detail

This was hard to get a shot of, since it’s in the middle of the street. I used the GIMP to try to improve the view in the second to pictures (cropped from the first), however they just look a little funny.

This building is next to the famous Chelsea Hotel, which is so well-known I had no interest in looking at it. On the other hand, the Carteret (named after the English aristocratic family) looked like a palace, with sentries of eagles and knights, and large ornamental patterns. The air conditioners sticking out the window ruin the effect, of course.

I’m quite sure the central tower is actually disguising the water tower.

Upper stories

Arches, pilasters and capitals

Upper stories detail with mullions

The bottom of this building is so bland in comparison with the top floors (visible in the first picture), it is almost like another world.

Decorative parapet

This building caught my eye well before I was looking carefully. It’s like a castle, don’t you think?

Quoins, hood molding

Capstone, ornament and molding

I am very fond of this type of architecture. The ornamented, rustified quoins (the horizontal bricks at corners, here around the windows) just really get me; the consistency of style between the window horizontals and verticals (on the right) and the scaling on the left that matches that on the right.

Full frontal view

Dormer Windows

Western Union insignia

Lower floor detail

Although it has great features, the curb appeal of this building is only so-so; it is big, red, and imposing from street level. But when you stand back, it’s actually not such a menace. I didn’t notice so many details on it when I originally went past it, however looking at the pictures now I can see quite a few.

Look also at this condo redevelopment page for the “history” and some other “images”.