20 Most Famous Buildings in New York

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20 Most Famous Buildings in New York

New York City is the epitome of modern day buildings. It boasts with skyscrapers of various shapes serving various functions. This is well expected considering the large number of architectural firms that have been set up in New York over the years.

These magnificent structures were built to showcase the wealth and splendor of Americans. The buildings are religious places of worship as well as business complex and residentials. They span a huge area and tower greatly into the skys. This article ventures into the 20 Most Famous Buildings in New York. Enjoy!

1. Chrysler Building

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The Chrysler Building is skyscraper located on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The building is an example of an Art Deco. It is the tallest brick building in the world. Chrysler Building building is 319m in height.

Note that this was the world’s tallest brick building for 11 months after it was done being constructed. The building was designed by architect William Van Alen. The construction was done between 1928 and 1930. Chrysler Building has a unique and beautiful design. It is considered an enigma in the architectural world.

2. Flatiron Building

The Flatiron Building was previously known as the Fuller Building. Flatiron is landmarked building located at 175 Fifth Avenue. It is constructed using steel and is 22-story building.

Among New York’s first skyscrapers to be constructed, Flatiron Building is triangular in shape. It was the first steel-skeleton structure whose construction was made visible to the public. The building is reinforced to ensure that the slender building withstands wind. It was designed by the Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. The Flatiron Building was developed as the headquarters of construction firm Fuller Company

3. New York Public Library

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If you are a lover of all things books and libraries then New York Public Library will pique your interest. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark, a National Register of Historic Places site, and a New York City designated landmark in the 1960s.

The library was designed by Carrère and Hastings Architects who used the Beaux-Arts architectural style. This Main Branch became popular after its opening . It received around 4 million visitors annually by the 1920s. The Main Branch has been featured in many television shows and films.

4. Woolworth Building

The Woolworth Building is a  skyscraper located in Tribeca, Manhattan. It was designed by architect Cass Gilbert. Woolworth Building was the tallest building in the world from 1913 to 1930.

It is built using the gothic architectural style hence why the building was referred to as a ‘commercial cathedral’. The Woolworth Building has been a National Historic Landmark since 1966. It became a New York City designated landmark in 1983. The Woolworth Building is named after its chief investor Frank Winfield Woolworth.

5. St. Patrick’s Cathedral

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St. Patrick’s Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood. It was designed by James Renwick Jr. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America.

The cathedral was constructed to cater for the growing Archdiocese of New York. It also replaced St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. The cathedral is a designated landmark in New York City. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cathedral has a capacity of 2400.

6. Apollo Theater

The Apollo Theater is a music hall. It is located in Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan. Apollo Theater is a frequent venue for African-American performers. It is the home of Showtime at the Apollo. Showtime is a television variety show that showcased new talent from 1987 to 2008.

The theater has a capacity of 1,506. It was opened in 1913 as Hurtig & Seamon’s Music Hall. Apollo Theater was designed by George Keister in the neo-Classical architectural style. After a year, modifications were done on Apollo Theater to accommodate  movies. It was thereby renamed the Apollo Theater.

7. One World Trade Center

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One World Trade Center is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex. It is located in Lower Manhattan, New York City. One World Trade Center was designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

It is the tallest building in the United States and the seventh-tallest in the world. The original World Trade Center was a large complex of seven buildings. It was unfortunately destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The tower has a three-story. It stands at 386.5 meters. From One World Trade Center, one gets a very beautiful view of New York City.

8. Seagram Building

The Seagram Building is a skyscraper located at 375 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The building was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe with minor assistance from Philip Johnson, Ely Jacques Kahn, and Robert Allan Jacobs. The tower stands at 157 meters tall with 38 stories.

After it was opened, Seagram Building was praised for its architecture. The New York Times describes it as one of “New York’s most copied buildings”. It has in fact inspired the designs of many structures around the world. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Seagram Building’s exterior, lobby, and The Four Seasons Restaurant as official city landmarks in 1989. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

9. One Times Square

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One Times Square is a 25-story skyscraper located on Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan. It was designed by Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz who used the neo-Gothic style. Originally, the tower was built as the headquarters of The New York Times.

One Times Square has advertising billboards on its façade added in the 1990s. This is it’s most prominent feature. Due to the large amount of revenue generated, One Times Square is one of the most valuable advertising locations in the world.

10. MetLife Building

The MetLife Building in New York is located at 200 Park Avenue. It was previously known as the Pan Am Building. MetLife Building is a magnificent skyscraper that dons the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.

It was designed in the International style by Richard Roth, Walter Gropius, and Pietro Belluschi. The building’s construction ended in 1962. It is 246 m tall with 59 stories. As of November 2022, the MetLife Building was one of the 100 tallest buildings in the United States.

11. Hearst Tower

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The Hearst Tower is located at the southwest corner of 57th Street and Eighth Avenue. It is the world headquarters of Hearst. The building houses many  of its publications and communications companies.

The  Hearst Tower was designed by architect Joseph Urban and the architecture firm of George B. Post & Sons. The Hearst Magazine Building was designed in an early form of the Art Deco style.

12. Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a magnificent complex that has 19 commercial buildings. The complex covers 22 acres in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is named after John D. Rockefeller, Jr. who was a wealthy philanthropist and business guru. John Rockefeller financed the project after leasing the land from Columbia University.

It stands as one of New York City’s most iconic attractions. Rockefeller Center is the location where the famous Christmas tree stands each Christmas. The Saturday Night Live and the Today show are filmed here. And lastly, Rockefeller Center has skating grounds surrounded by hundreds of international flags.

13. Radio City Music Hall

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Radio City Music Hall is located at 1260 Avenue inside Rockefeller Center. It serves as an entertainment venue and theater. Radio City Music Hall was designed by Edward Durell Stone and Donald Deskey in the Art Deco style.

It was opened to the public on December 27, 1932. The opening was an exquisite show that featured Ray Bolger, Ronnie Mansfield, Doc Rockwell, Martha Graham, The Mirthquakers, The Tuskegee Choir and Patricia Bowman. Radio City Music Hall was designated a New York City Landmark in May 1978.

14. 432 Park Avenue Condominiums

432 Park Avenue is a residential skyscraper located at 57th Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It stands at 1,396 feet. The tower was developed by CIM Group and Harry B. Macklowe.

Further, it was designed by Rafael Viñoly using the contemporary architectural style. After the construction of 432 Park Avenue ended, it was the third-tallest building in the United States. In fact it was the tallest residential building in the world. As of 2022, it is the third-tallest residential building in the world.

15. Brooklyn Museum

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The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City. The museum is the second largest museum in New York City. It has an art collection of around 1.5 million pieces. Brooklyn Museum was designed by Daniel Chester French who utilized the Beaux-Arts architectural style.

It was founded in 1898 as a division of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. The collection seeks to express the heritage of cultures. The museum is well known for its wide collections of Egyptian and African art, paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts

16. General Grant National Memorial

The General Grant National Memorial is also informally known as Grant’s Tomb. It is the resting place of Ulysses S. Grant the 18th president of the United States and his wife Julia Grant.

The building serves as a classical domed mausoleum. It is located at Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is an example of neoclassical architecture designed by John H. Duncan. Upon Grant’s death in 1885, his widow brought forth his wish to be buried in New York. The mausoleum is an exceptional architectural icon that can be seen visible the Hudson River.

17. 40 Wall Street

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40 Wall Street also goes by the name Trump Building. It is skyscraper on Wall Street in the Financial District of Manhattan. It stands at 283 meters. It was built between 1929 and 1930 as the headquarters of the Manhattan Company.

40 Wall Street was designed by H. Craig Severance together with Yasuo Matsui and Shreve & Lamb. The structure is an example of neo-Gothic architecture. It was designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1995. It was later added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

18. New York Times Building

The New York Times Building is a 52-story skyscraper that stands at 318.8  meters. This classic building was designed by Renzo Piano and Fox & Fowle architects.

It was developed by the New York Times Company, Forest City Ratner, and ING Real Estate. The Times Center and lobby overlook a garden at the center of the podium. While the garden is visible from the lobby, it is remains hidden from the public. The garden is surrounded by a wall of glass.

19. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

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The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum which is frequently known as The Guggenheim, is an art museum. It is located at 1071 Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is home to an expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art.

Further, the museum hosts special exhibitions all through the year. The museum was established by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1939. The museum adopted its current name in 1952. This was three years after the death of its founder Solomon R. Guggenheim. The museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

20. The Dakota

The Dakota is also known as the Dakota Apartments located at 1 West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It was constructed using the Renaissance Revival style between 1880 and 1884.

The Dakota was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh for Edward Cabot Clark, a businessman. In fact, this was one of the first large developments on the Upper West Side. The building is a National Historic Landmark and has been designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.