New York for mythomaniacs: 10 iconic buildings with a lot of history
A true New York classic, a symbol, the first skyscraper and the object of disputes between its owners for five years. Today the Flatiron, with its twenty-two floors and 86.9 m high, is scheduled to go up for auction. Built in 1902, the building at 175 Fifth Avenue was designed by architect Daniel Hudson Burnham.
FOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCKIt stands in the place of the Twin Towers, which fell in an unthinkable terrorist act in 2001. The skyscraper, opened in 2014, has a 381-meter-high observation deck open to the public. At its feet is also the overwhelming 9/11 Memorial.
Opened in 1913, this grand station is one of the most visited destinations in New York City and for good reason: it’s packed with sights, history, architecture, restaurants and shops, all under one (and magnificent) roof that represents the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Not to be missed is the multi-million dollar clock in the center, but also the famous oyster bar, open for over 100 years.
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim opened its doors on October 21, 1959, six months after the architect passed away at the age of 91. Its prodigious curves, its location in front of Central Park and, of course, its extremely valuable and pioneering collection of contemporary art make this museum one of the most charismatic in the world.
The iconic headquarters of the American television network NBC has been standing since 1933, although the Art Deco-style skyscraper is famous for presiding over the Rockefeller Center. In winter, this square offers one of the best-known images of the city: the huge Christmas tree and the ice skating rink.
Thomas Heatherwick designed this fascinating spiral staircase to nowhere. This is The Vessel, the icon of Hudson Yards, one of the last great real estate ambitions in New York. Made up of 154 intricately interconnected flights of stairs (nearly 2,500 steps), it has become little more than a sculpture, as climbing is no longer permitted.
John Lennon was assassinated at the front door of this building facing Central Park where the former Beatle lived until 1980. He was not the only famous neighbor. Lauren Bacall, Leonard Bernstein and Mia Farrow, among others, also resided in this late 19th-century German Renaissance-style building.
Opened in 1930, it holds the record for being the first building to reach more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) in height. Many skyscrapers have since eclipsed its 77 floors, but few have that brilliant patina that epitomizes the power of New York, in addition to that wonderful art deco crown that breaks the sky of Manhattan.
One of the unquestionable jewels of the city due to its incredible reading rooms and the collections it preserves (from literary treasures to Charles Dickens’ letter openers or locks of hair from Charlotte Brontë, Mary Shelley and Walt Whitman…). Built in 1911 on Fifth Avenue, the public library was the largest marble building ever built in the United States.
At 435 meters high (91 floors) and only 17 meters wide, this is the thinnest residential tower in the world. Designed by the SHoP Architects studio, it rises above an existing building from 1925. After seven years of work and 2,000 million dollars, the Steinway Tower was inaugurated at the end of last year.
