Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial acres of 22 acres (89,000 m 2 ) between 48th and 51st Streets, facing Fifth Avenue, in New York City. Commissioned by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan. The 14 original Art Deco buildings span the area between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, split by a large sunken field and a private road called Rockefeller Plaza. Five International Style buildings, built later, are located on the west side of Sixth Avenue and at the head of Rockefeller Plaza.
In 1928, the current site owner, Columbia University, leased land to John D. Rockefeller Jr., who was the main man behind the construction of the complex. Originally conceived as a site for the new Metropolitan Opera building, Rockefeller Center currently appears after Met is unable to move into the proposed new building. Various plans were discussed before being now approved in 1932. The Rockefeller Center construction began in 1931, and the first building opened in 1933. The core of the complex was completed in 1939.
Rockefeller Center has two parts: the original center and the international style buildings. The original center has several sections: Radio City, for RCA related radio companies such as Music Hall and 30 Rockefeller Plaza; International Complex, for foreign tenants; and the rest of the original complex, which originally hosted print media and Eastern Air Lines. While 600 Fifth Avenue is located in the southeast corner of the complex and contains architectures similar to the original compound, built by personal interests in 1950 and only acquired by the center in 1963.
Described as one of the greatest projects of the Great Depression era, the Rockefeller Center was declared a New York City landmark in 1985 and the National Historic Landmark in 1987. It is noted for the large amount of present art in almost all of its Art Deco buildings. , as well as the Radio City section and its ice skating arena. The complex is also famous for the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
Video Rockefeller Center
History
Context
The site's first personal owner was a doctor David Hosack, who bought twenty acres of rural land from New York City in 1801 for $ 5,000 and opened the country's first botanical garden, Elgin Botanical Garden, on the site. The gardens operated until 1811, and in 1823, ended in the ownership of Columbia University. Columbia moved its main campus north to Morningside Heights at the turn of the century.
In 1926, the Metropolitan Opera began searching for a location to build a new opera house to replace the existing buildings on 39th Street and Broadway. In 1928, Benjamin Wistar Morris and designer Joseph Urban were hired to make a blueprint for the house. However, the new building is too expensive for Met to fund itself, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. eventually giving his support to the project (John D. Rockefeller Sr., his father, not involved). Rockefeller employs Todd, Robertson and Todd as design consultants to determine their worth. John R. Todd then submitted a plan for Met. Columbia leased the plot to Rockefeller for 87 years at a cost of $ 3 million per year. The initial cost of acquiring space, flattening some existing buildings, and building new buildings is estimated at $ 250 million. Rent initially excludes strips along Sixth Avenue on the west side of the plot, as well as other properties on Fifth Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets.
Rockefeller organized an architectural enterprise "symposium" to find plans for the complex, but did not produce any meaningful plans. He ends up renting Corbett, Harrison & amp; MacMurray; Hood, Godley & amp; Fouilhoux; and Reinhard & amp; Hofmeister, for designing buildings. They work under the umbrella of "Related Architects" so that no building can be attributed to a particular company. The main coach and "managing agency" for the big project are John R. Todd, one of Todd's founders, Robertson and Todd. The chief architect and leader of Associated Architects is Raymond Hood, a student of the Art Deco architecture movement. Other architects include Harvey Wiley Corbett and Wallace Harrison. L. Andrew Reinhard and Henry Hofmeister had been hired by John Todd as "leased architect", who designed the floor plan for the complex.
Metropolitan Square Corporation (a precursor to Rockefeller Center Inc.) was formed in December 1928 to oversee development. However, Metropolitan Opera wants to survive for a more lucrative lease for worrying about the profitability of the site. After the stock market crash of 1929, the Metropolitan Opera could not move anymore, and on December 6, 1929, plans for the new opera house were completely abandoned. To make a profit on the site as quickly as possible, Rockefeller devised a new plan within a month to make the site profitable. The developers held talks with Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and its subsidiaries, National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO), to build a mass media entertainment complex on the site. In May, RCA and its affiliates have made deals with Rockefeller Center managers to lease space and develop parts of the complex.
Todd released the new plan "G-3" in January 1930. Two months later, an "H plan" was released with facilities for "television, music, radio, pictures and talking games", as well as four cinemas. Under the Rockefeller plan, the demolition of the existing site structure will begin in the fall, and the complex will be completed in 1933. Another plan was announced in March 1931, but the proposal received most of the negative feedback from the public. An oval-shaped building with a roof garden, included in the original plan, was replaced with four small retail buildings and 41-storey towers, comprising the current International Complex. The updated plan also includes a roof garden and a hidden central plaza. The International Complex is finally occupied by UK, French and Italian tenants, leading to its current name. The complex design was heavily influenced by the 1916 Zoning Resolution, which necessitated a setback to all high street side exterior walls of New York City buildings to enhance the sunlight for city streets.
During initial planning, development is often referred to as "Radio City", "City of Rockefeller", or "Metropolitan Square" (after Metropolitan Square Corporation). Ivy Lee, Rockefeller's publicity adviser, suggested changing the name to "Rockefeller Center". John Rockefeller Jr. originally did not want the Rockefeller family name associated with a commercial project, but was persuaded on the grounds that the name would attract more tenants. The name was officially changed in December 1931. Over time, the term "Radio City" moved from depicting the whole complex only to the western part of the compound, and in 1937, only Radio City Music Hall contained the name "Radio City".
Construction
For the project, 228 buildings on the site were flattened and about 4,000 tenants were relocated. The demolition of the property began in 1930. All rental buildings were purchased in August 1931, although there were several tenants on the western and southeast sides of the plots who refused to leave their property, and the Rockefeller Center was built around these buildings.. Excavation of the Avenue side The six complexes began in July 1931, and the construction in the first buildings - Music Hall and Theater Center - began in September and November, respectively. Plans for the complex include primarily Indiana Limestone on the facade of fourteen planned buildings, and builders ordered 14,000,000 cubic feet (400,000 m 3 ) of limestone in December 1931, the largest such sequence in time.
The RKO Building was the first structure to be completed, in September 1932, followed by the Music Hall in December 1932 and the Royal House of England in April 1933. The opening of the RCA Building was postponed from May 1 to mid-May due to the controversy over Man at the Crossroads , paintings in the lobby of the building, which were then covered up and removed. A new road through the complex, Rockefeller Plaza, was built gradually between 1933 and 1937. The famous Christmas tree in the central plaza complex was established for the first time in December 1933, and the Prometheus statue of this complex was built in May 1934. In July 1934, the complex has leased 80% of the space available in six already opened buildings.
Working on two internationally-themed and larger, 38-storey, 512-foot (156Ã, m) international building buildings, starting in September 1934. One of the two small buildings has been leased for Italian use. The last small building will be rented by the Germans, but Rockefeller put this aside in 1934 after realizing the National Socialist extremism of the country's government. Empty office sites downsized and become "Northern International Buildings", chartered by various international tenants. In April 1935, the developers opened the International Building and its wings.
The underground pedestrian mall and the road system between 48th and 51st Streets are completed in early May. In 1936, the ice skating rink replaced the unprofitable retail space in the lower squares, beneath the ground.
The 36-story Time & amp; The Life Building, named anchor tenant Time Inc., completed in November 1936, replacing an empty plot in the southern block that had been used for parking vehicles. Eleven buildings were completed in 1937 with a total cost of more than $ 100 million. A building for the Associated Press in the empty lot of the northern block, which had been reserved for the Metropolitan Opera house, closed in June 1938 and was occupied by December of that year. Attendance Associated Press and Time Inc. expanded the scope of the Rockefeller Center from a radio-communication complex into a radio and print media center. The Guild, a newsreel theater, opened in 1938 along the curve of a truck road under the Associated Press Building. After Nelson Rockefeller became president of Rockefeller Center in 1938, he dismissed John Todd as a complex manager and appointed Hugh Robertson in his place. The Rockefellers began occupying the 56th floor of the RCA Building, although the offices would then extend to the 54th and 55th floors as well.
A proposed 16-storey building in the center of the southernmost block was offered to the Dutch government in 1938. The Dutch government did not enter into agreements due to World War II, although it moved to a temporary office in the International Building. Instead, Eastern Air Lines signed a lease for a 16-storey building in June 1940. Excavations began in October 1938, and the building was closed in April 1939. At the same time, Rockefeller Center Inc. wants to develop the western part of the southern plot, partly occupied by the Central Theater. The US Rubber Company agreed to occupy the plot. and the excavation of the US Rubber Company Building site began in May 1939. John Rockefeller installed the final shoot of the ceremonial building on November 1, 1939, marking the completion of the original compound. However, although the last rivets have been moved, the East Air Line Building was not completed until October 1940.
The construction of this project employs between 40,000 and 60,000 people. This complex is the largest private building project ever undertaken today. Architectural historian Carol Herselle Krinsky describes the center as "the only major permanent private construction project planned and implemented between the beginning of the Depression and the end of the Second World War". According to writer Daniel Okrent, Rockefeller Center is so vast it says that "You can do whatever you want except sleep (no hotels), pray (no church), or pay rent to" John Rockefeller Jr. In the fall of 1939, the complex has 26,000 tenants and 125,000 visitors each day. That year, 1.3 million people went on tour to the Rockefeller Center or visited the RCA Building observation deck, while 6 million people visited the underground shopping center, and 7 million saw the show at Rockefeller Center.
World War II era
Even before the US officially entered World War II in 1941, Rockefeller Center was influenced by war. The Dutch government has been set to take one fifth of the space at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, but can not do so because of World War II. Seven of the eight travel agents of the complex had to move elsewhere because of the war, and William Rhodes Davis, a renter who transferred oil to Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, was denied a contract extension in 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Rockefeller Center Inc. terminate all lease agreements with tenants of Germany, Italy and Japan as their respective countries consist of axis powers, which are opposed by the United States. Art in the Palazzo d'Italia was lowered because they were viewed as fascists, and the Pelangi Room was closed to the public from 1943 to 1950. Instructions for blackouts and sandbags to extinguish the fire were placed throughout the complex. During the war, the RCA 3603 Building became the prime location of US operations of the British Intelligence's British Security Co-ordination, hosted by William Stephenson. It also serves as the office of Allen Dulles, who will then head the Central Intelligence Agency.
Rockefeller Center only became profitable after the last building in the original complex was completed. The complex had incurred a debt of $ 26 million in 1935, which had risen to $ 39 million in 1940. However, the complex was already 87% leased in 1940, and the following year, Rockefeller Center was almost completely leased, generating profits for first in its history. In 1944, the complex of leases in the complex reached 5,290,000 square feet (491,000 m 2 ), with 99.7% of the rented space. Because the complex was almost completely rented out, Rockefeller Center managers continued to wait for the list of prospective tenants, and as a result of waiting lists, the complex office space became more desirable by these tenants. Two years later, there are 400 companies that want to rent space at Rockefeller Center, and the complex manager determines that they will need to add 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m 2 ) space to the homes of all prospective tenants. Rockefeller Center is also popular among visitors: for example, the track to enter one of five daily shows of the Music Hall stretches from Sixth Avenue and 50th Street to Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, a distance of four blocks.
Given the number of possible tenants, John Rockefeller Jr. transferring ownership of the complex to his sons. The father collected a $ 57.5 million loan paid by Rockefeller Center Inc. to him, then distributed it to his sons in the form of tax relief. Rockefeller Center eventually became the "biggest repository" of a family's wealth. In 1950, Rockefeller Center Inc. paid the last installment of the $ 65 million mortgage paid to the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Three years later, the complex earns $ 5 million annually in profits, excluding tax breaks.
Expansion
Rockefeller Center Inc. has begun work on plans to expand the complex during World War II, although the outbreak of war has halted almost all civil construction projects. In 1943, complex managers bought land and buildings on three street corners near the complex. Rockefeller Center launched an expansion plan to the southwest and north in 1944.
Esso (now Exxon) is one of the tenants who want to expand, and the company hinted that it would build its own office tower if the Rockefeller Center manager did not build the building for them. They were given ground at the northern end of Rockefeller Plaza. In February 1947, the Esso Building under construction, at the northern end of the existing property, became part of Rockefeller Center after ownership of the building was transferred from Haswin Corporation to Rockefeller Center, Inc. The building ends next month.. Hugh Robertson resigned as manager the following year, and he was replaced by Gustav Eyssell.
Some tenants, such as Sinclair Oil Corporation, indicated that they wanted to leave the complex after their lease ended in 1962-1963 because the original building complex did not have air conditioning, while the newer office buildings did. Since Columbia University still owns the land under the complex, they are assigned to install air conditioning in buildings. The new building will add emphasis to any north-south view of the center, since the existing complex building only forms the west-east axis. Another problem befalls key tenants Rockefeller Center, NBC and RCA, which are approached by other developers with more leasable space promise, a rare commodity in the complex completely leased. These problems were temporarily disregarded by the start of the Korean War in 1950. In 1951, Columbia had agreed to replace Rockefeller Center, Inc., for the installation of air conditioners, while NBC and RCA were granted permission to use the Central Theater for extra broadcast space.
In 1949, in the presence of a shrinking congregation, the Church of St. Nicholas rented the church building to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, which then leased three adjacent plots from Rockefeller Center to build the proposed 28 floors. The trial spread to other churches, and the old church building on Fifth Avenue and 48th Street was later destroyed. Construction began at 600 Fifth Avenue in 1950, and the tower was completed in 1952. The building is named after Sinclair Oil Company, which rented eight floors. As a result of Sinclair's relocation to 600 Fifth Avenue, as well as the relocation of Esso to 75 Rockefeller Plaza, NBC and RCA can be extended to the space that Sinclair and Esso used to occupy in the original compound, and they moved from the Theater Center shortly after the Sinclair Oil Company moved into its own tower. In the summer of 1953, Columbia bought all the land along Sixth Avenue owned by Underel Corporation, at a cost of $ 5.5 million. Rockefeller Center rented the land back to Columbia until 1973 for $ 200,000 a year. This allows Columbia to install air conditioners, passing fees to the remaining tenant in return for the lease extension.
Small Center theaters are considered excessive for Radio City Music Hall, and in recent years, has been used as a broadcasting space for NBC and RCA. After NBC and RCA expanded to the floor area previously occupied by Sinclair, the US Rubber Company indicated that they wanted to expand its office building into space taken by underutilized theaters. In October 1953, it was announced that the theater would be destroyed. It was destroyed in 1954.
Time-Life also wants to grow, because the space at 1 Rockefeller Plaza also becomes inadequate. In August 1953, Rockefeller Center, Inc., bought a piece of land on the west side of Sixth Avenue between 50 and 51st Streets. In 1956, two years after the demolition of the Central Theater, officials announced the construction of a new tower, the Life-Time Building, on the plot. The 500-foot (150 m) building, $ 7 million will include connections to the existing hall system and to the Roxy Theater directly to the west. Time Inc. and Rockefeller Center formed a joint venture, Rock-Time Inc., which will divide tower lease revenue between Time Inc. and Rockefeller Center. Construction at the Time-Life Building steel plant began in April 1958, and its structure expired in November of that year. The building was officially opened in December 1959.
Around 1960, Rockefeller Center, Uris Buildings Corporation, and Webb and Knapp formed another joint venture, Rock-Uris Corp. Initially, the venture wanted to build a hotel to the west of the 75 Rockefeller Center, but in the end, the glass and concrete 43-story office building was built on this site. In 1961, the building was named after Sperry Corporation, which rented eight floors in the building of the future. Hotel, New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center, was built two blocks north in 1963.
600 Fifth Avenue was sold to Rockefeller Center managers in 1963, thus formally part of the Rockefeller Center. That same year, officials from Esso (later renamed Exxon) proposed a new building for the complex because the company had exceeded the space in occupied buildings. The Rockefeller Center manager hired Harrison & amp; Abramovitz to design three new towers on the west side of Sixth Avenue, with one tower in each block between 47th and 50th Streets. The Exxon Building, at 1251 Avenue of the Americas between 49th and 50th Streets, was officially announced in August 1967. Three months later, officials also announced plans for the McGraw-Hill tower housing, located one block south of 1221 Avenue of the Americas. Plans for the tower anchored by Celanese, which will be located at 1211 Avenue of the Americas between 47th and 48th Streets, will not be open until 1970. The Exxon Building opened in 1971, followed by the McGraw-Hill Building in 1973 and the Celanese Building. in 1974. By the time all three new buildings were opened, Rockefeller Center contained 7% of Manhattan's 250,000,000 square feet (23,000,000 m 2 ) of open office space.
Next year
600 Fifth Avenue and 75 Rockefeller Plaza received renovations in the early 1970s. Unlike in other complexes, where various components are renovated one by one to avoid disturbing tenants, both structures are renovated at once because most of the space is empty. Rockefeller Center Inc. renewed their rent in the complex in 1973.
Throughout the 1960s, Music Hall succeeded regardless of the status of the city's economy, business, or entertainment sector as a whole. However, in the early 1970s, the proliferation of foreign closed films has reduced attendance at Music Hall. The first round of staff and player performances began in 1972. In January 1978, the Music Hall owed, and the annual attendance of the hall dropped to 1.5 million visitors, down from 5 million in 1968. Officials stated that it could not remain open. after April. A grassroots campaign formed the Showpeople Committee to Save Radio City Music Hall, and after weeks of lobbying, the interior was made a city landmark in March, followed by the National Register of Historic Places in May. The hall will close on April 12, but five days before the planned closing date, the Empire State Development Corporation chose to create a nonprofit subsidiary to rent Music Hall.
The 1982 New York Times report stated that the Rockefeller Center had been popular with tenants from the start, almost completely hired for most of the first half century of its existence. A big exception was in the 1970s, when it was only 85% rented. However, Rockefeller Center is not as popular as an entertainment complex, which has been used for commercial purposes especially throughout its history. The New York City Landmark Conservation Commission extended the status of the Music Hall landmark to the exterior of all original building complexes in 1985. In its approval of the complex status, the commission wrote, "Rockefeller Center ranks among the grandest architectural projects ever undertaken in the United States." The buildings became the National Historic Landmark two years later. The US Department of State wrote in its report that the center was "one of the most successful urban planning projects in American architectural history".
Columbia University did not make enough money from the Rockefeller Center rental in the 1970s, due to a series of negotiations with Rockefeller Center Inc. (now Rockefeller Group) has effectively reduced annual lease payments to $ 11 million. The university fund has shrunk so much that in 1972, their expenditures were paid for by their endowments. In 1983, Columbia University began looking to sell land under the Rockefeller Center. Two years later, Columbia agreed to sell the land to the Rockefeller Group for $ 400 million. The Rockefeller Group soon set out to modernize many complex aspects. The Rainbow Room was closed for a $ 20 million restoration and expansion that brought the floor of the restaurant to 4,500 square feet (420 m 2 ), and reopened in December 1987. The RCA Building observation deck was then closed due to Space expansion The rainbow removes the only entrance to the elevators of the observatory bank. In mid 1988, the RCA Building was renamed to GE Building.
Mitsubishi Estate, the real estate company of the Mitsubishi Group, purchased Rockefeller Group in 1989. Seven years later, in July 1996, the entire complex was purchased by a consortium of owners including Goldman Sachs (which owns 50 percent ownership), Gianni Agnelli, Stavros Niarchos, and David Rockefeller, who organized the consortium. Before the sale was completed, the consortium sold 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m 2 ) space at 30 Rockefeller Plaza to NBC, which had rented that space in the tower from the start. Tishman Speyer, led by Jerry Speyer, a close friend of David Rockefeller, and the Lester Crown family in Chicago, bought 14 original buildings and land in 2000 for $ 1.85 billion. Due to the decline of the newsreel theater industry, the Guild closed in late 1999 after Tishman Speyer decided not to renew the lease. Tishman Speyer also decided to renovate the complex retail space and underground concourse.
The Rainbow Room was closed in 2009 in preparation for extensive renovations that began in 2011. The restaurant reopened in October 2014.
The Rockefellers moved from their offices in the GE Building in 2014 due to rising rental rates. They settled in a cheaper office on 49th Street, near their old headquarters. The following year, in July 2015, the GE Building was renamed after Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal.
Maps Rockefeller Center
Building
The current complex is a combination of two building complexes and a stand-alone building: the original 14 Art Deco office building from the 1930s, a building on 51st Street built in 1947, and a set of four international-style towers built along the west side of Avenue of the Americas during the 1960s and 1970s. The center spans 22 acres (8.9 ha) in total, with approximately 17,000,000 square feet (1,600,000 m 2 ) in office space.
Famous buildings
The landmark building consists of 12 acres (49,000 m 2 ) in Midtown, limited by Fifth and Sixth Avenues between 48th and 51st Streets. Built as a cohesive unit, these buildings have been owned by Tishman-Speyer since 2000. The buildings are spread along six blocks, with three blocks facing each street. These six blocks are three standard blocks. One of the landmark buildings' features is the Indiana limestone facade that is owned by all 14 structures, as determined in the original plan. All structures are designed by Associated Architects, with Raymond Hood as principal architects, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Radio City
The east side of Sixth Avenue, officially known as Avenue of the Americas, contains most of the buildings built specifically for the proposed radio complex. These buildings, consisting of "Radio City", are 1270 Avenue of the Americas, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 1250 Avenue of the Americas, and Radio City Music Hall. The idea for an integrated media complex somewhere came in 1920, when Owen D. Young, chairman of RCA General Electric's parent company, suggested that RCA incorporate its different offices into one location. RCA's next move to Rockefeller Center transformed the Rockefeller Center character from the entertainment complex into a mass media production center.
The west half of the southern block of the complex along Sixth Avenue, between 48th and 49th Streets, containing the former US Rubber Company Building (now Simon & Schuster Building) at 1230 Avenue of the Americas. The last structure in the original compound to be built, was concluded in November 1939. The 23-story building contains two 7-wing floors on the north and south sides. It was renamed after Uniroyal in 1967, and again after Simon & amp; Schuster in 1976. 1230 Avenue of the Americas expanded eastward in 1954 after the adjacent Theater Center was destroyed. The 19-story annex, designed by Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz, has a glass facade at the two lowest stories - reflecting the design of the American Airlines Building on Sixth Avenue - and the limestone facade over the second story. It parallels the axis of the East Air Building Building on the east side of the block, and its north and south elevations contain five setbacks. The outside is also an abstract relief made by Naum Gabo.
The Theater Center, at 1236 Sixth Avenue, is the only structure in the original Rockefeller Center to be unloaded. Originally "Roxy Theater", it was renamed after William Fox sued Roxy for naming rights to nearby Roxy Theater. The 3,700-seat Center Theater has a short mass (general shape) in place due to the high restrictions at the time, which prohibited construction over the theater auditorium. Due to the duplication of the larger Radio City Music Hall activities, it was considered uneconomical almost from its opening, the stage of the theater enlarged for the musical in 1936, and four years later, 380 seats were removed to allow the ice rink for spectactulars skating. It shows movies, musicals, ice-skating competitions, and television for 21 years of existence. Since the Theater Center held the same kind of entertainment as the bigger and more luxurious Radio City Music Hall, it was considered excessive in the 1950s. In 1954, he was replaced by the expansion of 1230 Avenue of the Americas.
The block immediately to the north, on Sixth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, occupied by 30 Rockefeller Plaza and its western attachment at 1250 Sixth Avenue. The 70-storey building, 872 feet (266 m) tallies the entire complex, and is located on the east side of the block. Opened in 1933 as RCA Building, the building was renamed many times, first to the GE Building in 1988, after General Electric bought RCA, and then to Comcast Building in 2014 after the purchase of NBC by Comcast. 30 Rockefeller Plaza was built as a single structure that occupies the entire block between Sixth Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza, and its design was influenced by John Todd's desire for the building to use its air rights to its full potential. It has three main segments: a towering 66-storey tower from the east of the base with the famous Rainbow Room restaurant on the 65th floor, and, before, the Rockefeller family's office; a windowless segment in the center of the base that houses NBC Studios; and a shorter 16-story tower on the western side of the base at 1250 Avenue of the Americas. As complex icons, 30 Rockefeller Plaza's architectural influences the complex design of the rest, with a limestone facade and a Gothic-inspired four-point spandrels.
Radio City Music Hall at 1260 Avenue of the Americas, occupying the southwestern part of the block between 50 and 51 streets. The only theater is left in the complex, it's similar in style to the Theater Center, but on a larger scale. Construction began in December 1931, and the hall opened in December 1932. The 121 foot (37 m) Music Room accommodates 6,000 people, and since its opening has seen more than 300 million visitors. Located in an alcove adjacent to 1270 Avenue of the Americas nearby, Music Hall is placed under a seventh floor setback.
Another building on the block between 50 and 51 Streets is 1270 Avenue of the Americas, a 31-story structure with a setback on the sixth floor. Originally RKO Building, built on the Music Hall and shared many of the same exterior architectural details. Construction of the building began in 1931, and the building was completed in September 1932. Henry Hofmeister designed the building, as well as several other office buildings in the city built on the theater. The entrance design of the building, which blends with other buildings in the Radio City section, is characterized by three sculptural reliefs made by Robert Garrison for each of the three shadows of the building, which marks the muses of Contemporary Thinking, Morning and Evening. In 1990, Robert Kushner made three bronze statues of the winged spirit for the lobby. The RKO Building served as a headquarters for the company's film production which was named in the 1930s, and was renamed to American Metal Climax Company (AMAX), its new owner, in the early 1960s.
International complex
The International Complex is located entirely along Fifth Avenue, with high International Buildings overshadowing four smaller state-themed buildings with retail outlets. Three buildings - tall towers and two southern retail buildings - were planned after the aborted oval retail cancellations were designed in 1931, while two retail buildings in the north were added later. The low rectangular structure that replaces the oval building is seen as a more suitable design for that path. The current international theme is decided because of the lack of American tenants willing to rent there; ultimately, the buildings were occupied by British, French and Italian interests, although Italian interests were ultimately the only foreign renters hired for the long term.
The four retail buildings have identical lime facades, rooftop gardens, and ground floor displays, but differ in decorated artwork. Contemporary ads for shopping on Fifth Avenue are mentioned near the complex for Saks Fifth Avenue and St. Patrick's Cathedral. When viewed from Fifth Avenue, this building provides the foreground for the higher 30 Rockefeller Plaza building behind them. The Channel Gardens separates the British Empire Building and La Maison Francaise.
The southernmost part of the four retail buildings is La Maison Francaise (literally "French House") at 610 Fifth Avenue, which opened in October 1933. It is a stand-alone six-story building with limestone facade with a six-story setback, as well as a portion of 1 / 2 -story penthouse in the west half of the seventh story and a garden on the east side of the seventh floor roof. Immediately across from Channel Gardens to the north of La Maison Francaise is its twin, the Royal House of England at 620 Fifth Avenue, which opened in April 1933. It is also a stand-alone building, with exactly the same mass. as La Maison Francaise , down to setbacks, roof gardens, and half a penthouse.
The 512-foot (156 m) International Building has 630 Fifth Avenue address to the east, or 45 Rockefeller Plaza to the west. The tower stands 41 stories high, including a mechanical floor. One of the two skyscrapers opened in Manhattan in 1935, was recorded for a brief duration of 136 days of construction, as well as the quality of the construction, the overall design, and the materials used. The building, located halfway between the block between Rockefeller Plaza and Fifth Avenue, contains a central plaza to the east, facing the entrance of Fifth Avenue, which contains the famous Atlas statue. The Palazzo d'Italia and the Northern International Building serve as a six-story retail wing from the International Building. The Palazzo d'Italia is located at 626 Fifth Avenue, on the south side of the square, while the International Building North is located at 636 Fifth Avenue, north of the square.
Other buildings
The 36-story tower at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, on the eastern side of the square between 48th and 49th Streets, is the original Time & amp; Life Building which opened in April 1937. Time Inc. itself did not move into the building for a year after completion. In 1960, the building was renamed General Dynamics after Time Inc. moved to 1271 Avenue of the Americas, the new Life-Time Building located three blocks away. The tower was renamed to a street address after General Dynamics moved to St. Louis. Louis in 1971.
600 Fifth Avenue is located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 48th Street. This 28-floor tower was also known as Sinclair Oil Building and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company Building. The L-shaped trace surrounds another building at the corner of 49th Street and Fifth Avenue, so that up to 200 feet (61 m) on 48th Street, 100 feet (30 m) on Fifth Avenue, but only 63 feet (19 m) midblock at 49th Street. Carson and Lundin designed 600 Fifth Avenue, along with 666 Fifth Avenue three blocks north, to complete the Rockefeller complex between the two towers. 600 Fifth Avenue contains a limestone facade, consistent with the one in the original compound, and a seven-story setback on the Fifth Avenue side and its roof garden above its decline. The building contains the main lobby on 48th Street, the service entrance to the same street, and a connection to 1 Rockefeller Plaza at its western end. Unlike other buildings in the complex, the 600 Fifth Avenue ground level contains only one common entrance to maximize the ground floor retail space, originally chartered by Swiss and Pan Am Airlines interests.
10 Rockefeller Plaza is located opposite 1 Rockefeller, on the west side of the square. The name of the plan was Holland House, but the Dutch government did not sign it, so it became the East Air Line Building. 10 Rockefeller was built as a 16-story slab, basically a miniature version of 1 Rockefeller. The six-story Rockefeller parking garage was the first at Rockefeller Center. Leading modern tenants include the Today Show studio, and since 2005, the New York Nintendo store.
50 Rockefeller Plaza, formerly the Associated Press Press House, is located on the west side of Rockefeller Plaza between 50 and 51st Streets. It was built in the spring of 1938. The only building in the Center built at the outer limits of its lot-line, the 15-story building takes its shape from the needs of the Associated Press for a single, undivided newsroom, much like the large space that can hold - ie, a 200-by-187-foot blocky structure (61 by 57 m) without a setback.
Building later
Buildings that are added further separately are owned by many owners. The first building to be built is 75 Rockefeller Plaza, at 51st Street at the northern end of the complex, built in 1947. The building contains a low base that parallels the rooftops of a low-rise building in 51st and 52nd Street, as well as high plates towering from the base, parallel in the north-south direction. Originally built privately, but ownership was transferred to Rockefeller Center in February 1947. The 33-story building, 400 feet (120 m) was originally called the Esso House. It was the headquarters of the New Jersey Standard Petroleum Company (later Exxon) until the early 1970s. The Esso building was later renamed after Time Warner. It is now owned by Mohamed Al Fayed and managed by RXR Realty.
Four other buildings were built as part of a project on the west side of Sixth Avenue between 47th and 51st Streets. Founded from 1958 to 1974, they were all built by the same company, Harrison, Abramovitz & amp; Harris. The $ 300 million project is part of efforts to acquire big companies like Celanese Corporation, McGraw-Hill, Exxon, and Time Inc. to invest in the center. The new project adds a combined 6,100,000 square feet (570,000m 2 ) space to the existing center when completed, and appeals to potential tenants because of this. The following buildings are part of the more recent Sixth Avenue expansion:
- 1211 Avenue of the Americas, a former Celanese Building, located between 47 and 48 Streets. The 592-foot (180 m) tower was opened in 1974. Now the News Corp Building, owned by affiliates of Beacon Capital Partners, and rentals managed by Cushman & amp; Wakefield.
- 1221 Avenue of the Americas, formerly of McGraw-Hill Building, is located between 48th and 49th Streets. The 674-foot (205 m) building was opened in 1973 and is owned by Rockefeller Group.
- 1251 Avenue of the Americas, Exxon Building, located between 49th and 50th Streets. The 750-foot building was built from 1967 to 1971. The company's headquarters moved into Exxon's structure in 1972, with joint ownership with the Rockefeller Center manager, and held holdings of stock there until 1986, when Mitsui & The company bought the building. Exxon moved its headquarters to Texas in 1989, clearing up all the space at 1251 Avenue of the Americas.
- 1271 Avenue of the Americas, former Time & amp; Life Building, located between 50 and 51 Streets. The 587-foot (179 m) building was completed in 1958 The construction of the Time-Life's Building steel building began in April 1958, and is owned by Rockefeller Group.
Other architectural elements
Under Plaza
In front of 30 Rock is the Lower Plaza, located in the center of the complex and below ground level. The central plaza is part of the plans for the canceled Metropolitan Opera House. Although the opera house was canceled in 1929, the square was maintained in the next plan. Initially, the square will lie on the ground with a promenade called Channel Gardens, which leads west from Fifth Avenue to the square. In March 1931 revision of the complex blueprint, the central plaza was upgraded and concave. The sunken plaza was originally supposed to be oval, but the square was then transformed into a rectangular shape. The sunken rectangular plaza, planted with bushes, gives a sense of privacy and enclosure when it is built original.
The main entrance of the plaza is via Channel Gardens, a 60 foot (18 m) pedestrian area, 200 feet (61 m) planted walking west from Fifth Avenue between the Imperial House of England and La Maison Francaise. The steep pedestrian area was originally equipped with six narrow pools in the center of space, each surrounded by a hedgerow. The pools overhead with a fountain head designed by Rene Chambellan, each representing different attributes: leadership, will, mind, imagination, energy, and vigilance. Chambellan also designed a fountain cover with various bronze portraits of sea creatures such as turtles and crabs. During the winter, the Channel Gardens fountain is switched off and adorned by the angelic statue of Valerie Clarebout. The twelve statues, each measuring 8 feet (2.4 m) tall, have been placed in the garden every winter since 1954. At the western end of the promenade are plaques commemorating the original Elgin Garden, as well as the bronze monumental plaque for John D. Rockefeller Jr (see below). From there, the flight from the stairs descends to the arena, then splits into two distinct staircases leading north and south.
The western end of the plaza contains masterpieces of Paul Manship in 1933, Prometheus (see also Ã,§ Prometheus). The statue stands in a 60-by-16-foot fountain basin (18.3 by 4.9 m) in front of a gray rectangular wall. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is placed on statues from November to January each year; usually installed and turned on a week after Thanksgiving, and removed a week after New Year's Day. The first tree was founded in 1934, and when the successive trees received a more luxurious decoration, this tradition became known throughout the world.
Most of the outside of the plaza is occupied by an ice rink. Installed in 1936, it replaced the unfavorable retail space built as part of the original center. Originally intended as a "temporary measure", the arena became a tourist attraction soon after it opened, becoming one of the world's most famous skating rinks in the following years. In 1939, a 120-by-60 foot permanent rim (37 times 18 m) was installed, requiring the replacement of the central staircase of Channel Gardens. Its popularity inspired the construction of the skating rink at the former Central Theater, and for a short time, there were also proposals to turn the ice plaza down into the roller skating arena during the spring.
The north, south and east side of the plaza is surrounded by a footpath a few steps below the road surface, with stairs on the western end as well as on Channel Gardens in the entrance square. About 200 flagpoles surround the perimeter of the square on the ground, mounted periodically along the road and Rockefeller Plaza. Poles were installed in 1942 and originally intended for a while. The flags then become permanent installations, compatible with the nearest International Complex. The poles initially featured the flags of UN member states, although in later years they also carried the flags of US states and territories, or decorative and seasonal motifs. Initially, there were 26 flags for each member of the United Nations, but as more countries became UN members, additional lines of poles were added on the north and south plaza. During national and state holidays, every pole carries a United States flag. The flag straps are secured with keys to prevent people from damaging the flag.
In July 1962, two years after the death of John Rockefeller Jr., central management placed placards in the plaza, listing ten principles that he believed. The creed was first expressed in 1941. Rockefeller's beliefs include "the highest value of the individual and in his right to life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness" (first principle) and "truth and justice are the foundations for an eternal social order." "(The sixth principle).
Architect I. M. Pei praised Rockefeller Center's low square as "perhaps the most successful open space in the United States, perhaps in the world", because of its success in attracting visitors. The Plaza also inspires similar developments around the world.
Rockefeller Plaza
Rockefeller Plaza is a pedestrian walkway through the complex, parallel to the Fifth and Sixth Avenues. This road is also part of the initial plan for Metropolitan Opera, and Benjamin Morris was originally intended for the road to stretch from 42nd to 59th Streets. Only the 720-foot (220 m) section between 48th and 51st Streets was built, and the road was open in its entirety in 1937. The street was named "Rockefeller Plaza" in 1933, despite the potential confusion with Lower Plaza, as it is believed that "Plaza" in the street name will emphasize "spatial unity" with Lower Plaza and Channel Gardens. The original intent of road construction was to improve the Fifth Avenue shopping district, to the east, but this never happened, and Rockefeller Plaza now primarily serves as a pedestrian lane that links all the separate Rockefeller Center components.
As with crosstown streets numbers in Manhattan, Rockefeller Plaza is 30 feet (9.1 m) wide with curbs on both sides of the asphalt surface. However, the sidewalk is wider than in ordinary streets. In addition, Rockefeller Plaza is supported by a multi-level steel frame beneath it, which houses underground malls, storage rooms, and a complex shipping and loading center. Thus, it contains a waterproofing layer of 14.5 inches (37 cm). Surface Rockefeller Plaza outside Radio City Music Hall, between 50 and 51 Street, contains a small bronze circle for theater visitors to stand while waiting to enter the hall. Until the 1980s, the plaza contained placards that affirmed Columbia University's ownership of Rockefeller Center, but this was removed by selling the 1985 complex to Rockefeller Group. Because Rockefeller Plaza is technically a privately owned public place, the plaza is closed for part of a day each year.
Roof garden
Rockefeller Center's rooftop gardens are designed by Ralph Hancock and Raymond Hood. They appear because both Hood and Todd believe that the garden on the roof will enhance the beauty of the complex; In particular, Hood compares the existence of a roof garden with plants around the house. Initially, the gardens were supposed to be interconnected through a bridge between the roofs of each building. However, after Hood's death in 1935, the garden plan collapsed, as most of the complex's final buildings were built without supplies for the garden. The 15th floor Roof of the Associated Press Building, as well as the isolated location of the International Building and the high cost of these gardens, make this system unfeasible. In the end, the park is installed at 10 Rockefeller Plaza; 30 Rockefeller Plaza; four internationally-themed retail buildings; Central Theater; and Radio City Music Hall. The gardens began running a deficit of $ 45,000 per year in 1937 due to various expenses as well as a lack of interest among tourists.
The largest and grandest park is the 0.75 hectare Park of Nations ("Taman Bangsa-Bangsa"), which is installed on the roof of the eleventh floor at 30 Rockefeller Plaza and opened in April 1935. The construction effort involves 3,000 short tons (2,700 tons) of land ; 100 ton short (89 ton) stones from as far as England; 100,000 bricks; 2,000 trees and bushes; 4,000 small plants; and 20,000 bulbs for flowers. They were originally comprised of thirteen state-specific gardens whose layouts were inspired by gardens in each country they represented. Each of the nation's theme parks is separated by obstacles. There is an "International Park", a stone park, in the middle of a thirteen-themed theme park, featuring a meandering stream and 2,000 varieties of plants. The Garden of the Nations also contains a children's garden, a modern-style garden, and patches of shrubs-and-vegetables. Upon opening, Taman Bangsa attracted many visitors due to the collection of exotic flora, and it became the most popular park in Rockefeller Center. In its heyday, the Center imposes an entrance fee for Taman Negara Nations. However, all nation-themed parks were finally removed, and the stone gardens were left to dry up, replaced by stretches of flowers that were no longer open to the public.
The gardens of the International complex are fared better. Hancock developed the Royal House of England and La Maison Francaise park, while A.M. van den Hoek designed the garden on two other buildings. The English and French gardens both contain grass and a swimming pool surrounded by hedges, while two other gardens on top of the International Building wing include ivy grass surrounded by hedges. The Italian Garden also contains a stone path and two plaques from the Roman Forum, while the International Building North park has a paved path with stairs. The roof garden of the International Building wing was restored in 1986 for $ 48,000 each, followed by gardens in British and French buildings, restored the following year.
Underground concourse
A series of pedestrian lanes full of shops and restaurants lies underground from 47 to 51 Roads between the Fifth and Seventh Avenues. The pedestrian tunnel system was part of an updated 1931 plan for the center, and an official proposal for the system was filed in 1933. It should consist of systems spanning 0.75 miles (1.21 km), all air-conditioned and lined with shops. Meanwhile, a pair of four-lane highways should be located beneath a pedestrian mall, with ramps sending to a central loading area of ​​320 by 180 feet (98 by 55 m) underground 34 feet (10 m) underground. The later plans also include the mobilizer of people.
In the end, the mover of the people was not built, but the 25-room mall opened in May 1935. The owner of the complex, Tishman Speyer, renovated the concourse in 1999 in an effort to make underground retail space more visible and attract more high-end tenants. Ornaments and original bronze lamps are replaced, air conditioning installed, two hallways destroyed, and retail space on the ground floor and underground are renovated as part of renovation.
The concourse is the top level of the four complex basement levels, as well as the only basement level open to the public. The lower three levels are the home for storage space and complex delivery centers, the latter being accessed by a shipping path on 50th Street. Access is through the lobby steps in six landmark buildings, through the restaurants surrounding the skating rink on the sidelines, and through the elevator to the north and south of the ice rink. There is also a connection to the 47th-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center station in New York City, serving B , D , F , and Train M . By 2018, the largest retailer in the concourse is Banana Republic.
Pre-existing buildings
The two small buildings border on the north and south corner of 30 Rockefeller Plaza pavilions. These buildings exist as a result of two tenants who refuse to sell their rights to Rockefeller during construction. The John F. Maxwell grocery store will only sell his property on Sixth Avenue and 50th Street if he receives $ 1 million instead. However, Rockefeller's assistant, Charles O. Heydt mistakenly said that Maxwell would never sell, and Maxwell himself said that he had never been approached by Rockefeller. As a result, Rockefeller Center did not buy Maxwell's property until 1970. Maxwell's request turned to Daniel Hurley and Patrick Daly, the speakeasy owner who, since 1892, had rented a property on 49th Street. They will sell for $ 250 million, approximately the overall cost of the complex. They initially earned a lease extension until 1942, but eventually rented their property until 1975, and built it around the Maxwell and Hurley and Daly properties.
In the southeast corner of the complex, on Fifth Avenue between 48 and 49 Streets, there are also two pre-existing buildings. Robert Goelet has a lot of things on 2-6 West 49th Street and wants to expand it. St. John's Church Nicholas, located at 48th Street behind the Goelet estate, also refused to sell the property despite an offer of up to $ 7 million for the property. The church was destroyed in 1949 to pave the way for 600 Fifth Avenue.
Art
In November 1931, John Todd suggested the creation of a program to place the distinctive artworks in each building. Hartley Burr Alexander, a famous mythologist and professor of symbology, was assigned to plan the installation of complex art. Alexander submitted his plans for the artwork of the site in December 1932. As part of the proposal, the complex will have various statues, sculptures, murals, friezes, decorative fountains, and mosaics. In the expansion of Hood's park setback plan, Alexander's proposal also includes a roof garden above all buildings, which will create "Babylonian gardens" when viewed from above.
Initially, Alexander suggested "Homo Fabor, Man the Builder" as a complex overarching theme, representing satisfaction with one's work rather than wages. However, the theme was not well received by the architects, so Alexander proposed another theme, "New Frontiers"; this theme deals with social and scientific innovation and represents the challenges facing mankind "after the conquest of the physical world". Theoretically, this is considered a fitting theme, but Alexander has been so specific about the details of the necessary artwork that limits the creative license to every artist who will commission such work, so he is fired. It took several attempts to approve the current theme, "The March of Civilization", in which several pieces of art have been commissioned, including those proposed by Alexander.
The art that is currently in the Rockefeller Center is inspired by the art program of Professor Alexander. Lee Lawrie's sculptor contributed the largest amount of each fruit - twelve, including the Atlas statue facing Fifth Avenue and a striking wave of Wisdom above 30 Rockefeller Plaza's main entrance. Edward Trumbull coordinates the color of the work located within the building, and LÃÆ' Â © on-Victor Solon does the same job for the exterior. Isamu Noguchi's shiny stainless steel relief, News , above the 50th main entrance to Rockefeller Plaza (The Associated Press Press House), at commissioning, the world's largest metal relief. Other complex sculptors include Rene Chambellan, Leo Friedlander, Robert Garrison, Alfred Janniot, Carl Paul Jennewein, Gaston Lachaise, Leo Lentelli, Paul Manship, Giacomo ManzÃÆ'¹, Hildreth Meiere, and Attilio Piccirilli. Other artists include Carl Milles, Margaret Bourke-White, and Dean Cornwell. One of the more controversial centers of work is the Man at the Crossroads , created by Diego Rivera, initially assigned to 30 Rockefeller Plaza's lobby but destroyed before it can be completed.
Statue
Atlas
Assigned in 1936 and executed by Lee Lawrie and Rene Chambellan, the statue of Atlas is located on the page of the International Building. Facing east toward St. Anthony's Cathedral Patrick on Fifth Avenue. The statue depicts the Atlas of the titan, with exaggerated muscles, which support the celestial dome on his shoulders.
Prometheus
The highly recognizable Paul Manship bronze sculpture Prometheus , commissioned in 1934, lies at the western end of a drowning plaza. It is 18 feet (5.5 m) tall and weighs 8 tons short (7.1 tons long). The statue depicts the Greek legend of Titan Prometheus on his back, bringing fire to mankind. The statue is flanked by two smaller representations of Youth and Girls, who were transferred to the Palazzo d'Italia from 1939 to 1984 because the Manship deemed the representation not visually appealing. The model for Prometheus is Leonardo (Leon) Nole, and the inscription, paraphrased from Aeschylus, on the granite wall behind, reads: "Prometheus, the teacher in every art, carries a fire that has proven to be a means to attain a strong goal."
Man at Crossroads
In 1932, Mexican socialist Diego Rivera (whose sponsor was the Museum of Modern Art and whose patron then was Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.), was commissioned by their son Nelson to create a fresco color for a 1,071-foot square (99 m 2 ) in the lobby of the RCA Building then. This happened after Nelson could not get commissioning either Matisse or Picasso. Previously Rivera had painted a controversial fresco in Detroit titled Detroit Industry , commissioned by Abby and John's friend Edsel Ford, who later became guardian of the Museum of Modern Art.
As expected, his Man at the Crossroads is controversial, as it contains the May Day of Moscow scene and a clear portrait of Lenin, which is unclear in the early sketches. After Nelson issued a written warning to Rivera to replace the offending figure with an anonymous face, Rivera refused (after offering to offset Lenin with a portrait of Lincoln). As per Nelson's order, Rivera was paid for his duty and the mural was closed. Nine months later, after all attempts to rescue the fresco were explored - including moving it to the Abby Modern Art Museum - it was destroyed as a last resort. (Rivera will then recreate some of the work as the Man, Controller of the Universe , using photos taken by assistant, Lucienne Bloch.) Fresco Rivera at the Center is replaced with a larger mural by artist Catalan Josep Maria Sert , titled American Progress , which depicts the broad allegory scenes of men who built modern America. Contains figures Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrap around the west wall of 30 Great Lobby Rockefeller Plaza.
Critical review
In the early years, Rockefeller Center received very negative and pessimistic reviews from architectural critics. The most cynical opinion comes from renowned architectural expert Lewis Mumford, who strongly resents the "feeble, reckless, romantic chaos" of the March 1931 plan for Rockefeller Center which, according to his report, was exiled to New York. He blamed John Rockefeller Jr for "inability" to consider new types of problems in any form except the stereotype of the skyscraper. "Mumford's view of the complex was only slightly less negative when he reviewed the problem in December 1933: he said it could be" big , interesting, [and] romantic "at night, but that" mountain or ash pile of the same size. will do almost the same trick, if the lights are set up smartly. "Ralph Adams Cram, who embraces a more classic architectural style, also has a pessimistic view of the plan that was inaugurated in March 1931. He called the plan for Rockefeller Center" an apotheosis megalomania, an egoism y
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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