Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Random Buildings of New York: Today 141 Fifth Avenue


This Condo retrofit has been covered by scaffolding or tarps, off and on for years.  It is finally completed, free of covers totally and beautiful.  It was hard to find details on the history of this building.  This is basically all I could find.
In contrast to the sleek modernist towers rising throughout the city, the building, on Fifth Avenue between 20th and 21st streets, features a domed roof and elaborate terracotta decoration. Built in 1896 by Robert Maynicke as the Merchant Bank of New York building, its white brick, banded columns and distinctive domed roof cupola are representative of the beaux-arts architecture popular in New York City around the turn of the last century.
However, I did find that after it was converted in 2010 to Condos, the outside was updated later.  Then, when the leases on the ground floor expired, the owners had to redo the lower 2 floors.  It is all competed now and look at the detail and the overall.  Great.
I love the different columns and windows!

These are the types of details and decorations that we no longer use, even though we appreciate them.