American Standard (Radiator)

[ddny]

Architect: Raymond Hood

Year: 1924

Style: Art Deco

Description: The American Radiator Building overlooks Bryant Park. It was the first skyscraper to be designated an official New York City landmark. *See below for more details

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The gargoyles that line the building:
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[Gulcrapek]

Building reminds me of Joern

But the gargoyles are depressing

[Stern]

Joern?, Ghoul Im sure alot of people have no-idea what your talking about.

I love this building, as does Joern but I also dont know anyone who wouldnt. The radiator being the coolest of Art Deco vivid contrasts, hovering and towering. It has further perks, the gargoyles, the crown, gothic and jazzy. None of which as cool as the buildings glow, the gold light, like a spark at the top, ignited from the coal below. This is even visible at day, but magical at night.

[Jessica]

I love the pics that have the moon and ESB in them!! :) *Great shots!

[NYC kid]

wow. great shots. This building is very different. Ya dont see buildings with that kind of color often. Its very different. And stylish.

[Rich Battista]

this is a classic that always will be

[Fabb]

It was obviously influenced by the Chicago Tribune competition and Saarinen's design.
The irony is that it was completed first. NY was faster than Chicago !

[ddny]

I didn't know that Hood also designed the Tribune Tower, which explains the similarity in form with the American Standard building.

[NYatKNIGHT]

So it's a hotel now? The Bryant Park. I wonder how good it is - the views must be spectacular.



Here's a postcard of the Tribune Tower

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/20th/chitrib1.jpg

[Fabb]

I didn't know it had been converted into a hotel.
When did that happen ?
I might use it some day...

[Zoe]

It was converted within the last two years. *It is a very nice, very upscale hotel that caters to the fashion world. *Like other boutique hotels in the city they actively pursue celebrities to stay at the property. *Best time to stop by the hotel is when there is a fashion show going on in Bryant Park.

[Fabb]

OK, I'll have to become a celebrity first.
I wonder if many others NY hotels have a theme like fashion, entertainment, I don't know... cuisine...

[dbhstockton]

The black brick was intended as a neat advertising gimmick, to evoke the furnaces made by the namesake company. *The gilding was restored when it became a hotel a couple of years ago.

Hood is one of my favorite skyscraper architects. *He was one of the first to consieve of them asthetically as singular shafts apart from the street wall, unlike designs by his predescessors who built skyscrapers either as a big slab (Flat-Iron, Equitable) or big-slab-with-tower popping out of it (Woolworth, Singer).

If anyone's interested, he's also the architect of Daily News Building and the McGraw-Hill building, both on 42nd street. *And he was one of the principal architects of Rockefeller Center. *

[dbhstockton]

Hood was also a pioneer in the use of lighting on skyscrapers.

Just sharing.

[chris]

Oh, that shot in Brant Park where you have the Republic Bank building (now HSBC building) on the left, American Standard in the middle and ESB on the right with the moon above... great stuff. Republic Bank is on eo f my favorites. Speaking of, I'm going to put some pics up on the favorites page right now.