Park Row Building
| Park Row Building | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | New York City, USA |
| Height | |
| Roof | 391 ft (119 m) |
The Park Row Building is a skyscraper built in 1899 in the Financial District in the New York City borough of Manhattan, across from New York City Hall. At 391 ft (119.2m) tall it was the tallest office building in the world from 1899 until 1908, when it was surpassed by the Singer Building. In 1901, an announced building project by Aetna, to be located at 33rd Street and Broadway, would have overtaken Park Row as the tallest office building at 455 feet high, but it was never built. The building is 29 stories tall, with 26 full floors and two, three-story cupolas. It has a frontage of 103 ft on Park Row, 23 on Ann Street and 48 feet on Theater Alley. The base of the building covers a land area of approximately 15,000 square. The building contains about 8,000 tons of steel and 12,000 tons of other material, chiefly brick and terra cotta [1]. The foundation of the Park Row Building was made of 3,900 Georgia spruce piles driven into wet sand and topped by granite blocks. The total cost to build this early skyscraper was $2,400,000 [2].
Once completed, the building offered 950 separate offices, each with a capacity of about 4 people. A rough estimate of 25,000 people were thought to have passed through the building each work-day. Upon completion, approximately 4,000 people a day worked there.[3]
The architect was Robert Henderson Robertson[4], a pioneer in steel skyscraper design.
Initial Reviews
The overall public was impressed with the structure, many in awe its height and mammoth proportions. As one of the earliest of the 'modern skyscrapers', it towered at least 15 to 20 stories over most of its neighbors. With essentially no comparable structures against which to measure to measure the buildings strengths and weaknesses, the criticism from the architectural community was quite harsh. The New York Times quoted a critic, who in 1898 wrote in The Real Estate Record and Guide, "New York is the only city in which such a monster would be allowed to rear itself," and called the blank side walls "absolutely inexpressive and vacuous." In a 1908 article in The New York Times, a French architect, Augustin-Adolphe Rey wrote that "one side of it is an entirely bare wall -- what difference does it make how the other sides are treated?" Critic Jean Schopfer, in a 1900 article published by the magazine Architectural Review and titled American Architecture from a Foreign Point of View, simply called the building "detestable."
Such unfavorable reviews were merely a reflection of the day. Over the past century New York has become a vertical-city of of skyscrapers which helps cast the Park Row Building in a 'new light.'
Recent developments
- In 1999, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Park Row Building a landmark.
- In 2000, plans were developed for a gut renovation of the entire structure. It included converting all floors above the 11th into 210 rental apartments, at a cost of over $30 million. All floors below the 11th were to remain commercial. The most unusual apartments would be the pair made out of the two three-story cupolas.
- By 2002 initial renovations and residential conversions were completed.
- Currently, Floors 2 through 8 are partially occupied J&R Music World, Inc. Residential units currently occupy the floors 11 to 26, with new units being constructed on floor 9 and 10. Apartments range in size from 500 square foot studios to 2,000+ square foot lofts and 2 bedrooms. Apartmets offer an array of desired views including: the Brooklyn Bridge (east), city hall/ city hall park (north/west), St. Pauls churh and the financial center (west/south) and the NY harbor/ brooklyn (south/east). Each floor has its own laundry room with washer/dryer units. The two 3 story turrets (floors 28, 29 30) are not up to current building and fire-codes and are unsuitable for use.
- The 27th floor is set to become an expanded health-club facility for residents.
Image Gallery
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Park Row Building - illustrated postcard -
Park Row Building - Tower -
Early image of Park Row Building -
Building overlooking City Hall Park -
Building as seen from City Hall Park -
Front of building -
'Calyphs' on front of building
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Turrets
References
- ^ Scientific American, December 24, 1898
- ^ Scientific American, December 24, 1898
- ^ Streetscapes/The Park Row Building, 15 Park Row; An 1899 'Monster' That Reigned High Over the City. The New York Times , March 12, 2000
- ^ Robert H. Robertson Dead, The New York Times, June 5, 1919
See also
External links
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