Top front of the building, from 57 Street
Wrought iron windowsill decoration
Street: 57th Street
Top cornice on the building
This is a little pipsqueak of a building flanked by much larger ones on 57 street with some great details (and apparently it dates to the 1890s). It makes me wonder – in particular on major thoroughfares, such as 57 street – why squat little buildings exist when much larger ones surround them. I am told it is partly a function of the way in which leasing works in New York; someone might lease the land for 100 years, which means improvements made at the end of the lease probably will not benefit the leaseholder, who is also the person who will build the building.
Address: Midtown; 220 West 57th Street
Style: gothic
Use: retail
Feedback: 0 CommentsAdded: February 15, 2009
The top of the corner.
2nd floor corner
West face column
The watertower, from the West.
The water tower, from the easet.
I was blown away by this building. It was understated, yet highly ornamented. Even the column in the gap between windows had a decorative framing. It also offered a number of strange features, such as:
- What is “corporation” on the water tower?
- Why is the water tower a different style altogether? (Yes, I made sure they’re the same building!)
- Why is the facade different on the Broadway side versus the 57th street side? That is, in the first picture, why are there two angular tops on Broadway, and only 1 on 57th street?
Is that even a water tower at all? Why would there be an air conditioner coming from the window, then?
