30 Rockefeller Plaza
30 Rockefeller Plaza (Comcast Building) | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°45′32″N 73°58′45″W / 40.75889°N 73.97917°W |
Completed | 1933 |
Owner | NBCUniversal (floors 2–16) Tishman Speyer (all other floors) |
Height | |
Roof | 850 ft (260 m) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 66 |
Floor area | 2,099,985 sq ft (195,095.0 m2) |
Lifts/elevators | 60 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Raymond Hood |
Developer | John D. Rockefeller Jr. |
Structural engineer | Edwards & Hjorth; H.G. Balcom & Associates |
Architectural style(s) | Modern, Art Deco |
Designated | December 23, 1987 |
Reference no. | 87002591[1] |
Designated entity | Rockefeller Center |
New York City Landmark | |
Designated | April 23, 1985[2] |
Reference no. | 1446[2] |
Designated entity | Facade: Rockefeller Center |
New York City Landmark | |
Designated | April 23, 1985[3] |
Reference no. | 1448[3] |
Designated entity | Interior: Lobby |
New York City Landmark | |
Designated | October 16, 2012[4] |
Reference no. | 2505[4] |
Designated entity | Interior: Rainbow Room |
References | |
[5] |
30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a
30 Rockefeller Plaza's massing consists of three parts: the main 66-story tower to the east, a windowless section at the center, and a 16-story annex to the west. Though the building was designed to conform with the 1916 Zoning Resolution, it rises mostly as a slab, with setbacks mostly for aesthetic value. The facade is made of limestone, with granite at the base, as well as about 6,000 windows separated by aluminum spandrels. In addition to its offices and studios, 30 Rockefeller Plaza contains the Rainbow Room restaurant and an observation deck called Top of the Rock. 30 Rockefeller Plaza also includes numerous artworks and formerly contained the mural Man at the Crossroads by Diego Rivera. The entire Rockefeller Center complex is a New York City designated landmark and a National Historic Landmark, and parts of 30 Rockefeller Plaza's interior are also New York City landmarks.
30 Rockefeller Plaza was developed as part of the construction of Rockefeller Center, and work on its superstructure started in March 1932. The first tenant moved into the building on April 22, 1933, but its official opening was delayed due to controversy over Man at the Crossroads. The Rainbow Room and the observation deck opened in the mid-1930s, and retail space was added to the ground floor in the 1950s. The building remained almost fully occupied through the 20th century and was renamed for GE in 1988. Since the late 1990s, NBC has owned most of the lower floors, while Tishman Speyer has operated the rest of the building. 30 Rockefeller Plaza was extensively renovated in 2014 and was renamed for Comcast in 2015.
Site
30 Rockefeller Plaza is part of the
Across Sixth Avenue, the building faces
Holdout buildings
The northwest and southwest corners of 30 Rockefeller Plaza were built around two holdout structures on Sixth Avenue.[19][20] The owners of the parcel on Sixth Avenue and 49th Street, at the southwest corner of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, had demanded an exorbitant price for their property upon learning of the planned skyscraper.[21] The holdout building had contained Hurley's restaurant, which had opened around the 1890s and subsequently became a popular meeting place for NBC performers and executives. The restaurant was later connected by a direct passageway to 30 Rockefeller Plaza's studios.[22] Rockefeller Center acquired the building in the mid-20th century and ended the restaurant's lease in 1975,[23] but the new lessees continued to run Hurley's until 1999.[22] As of March 2022[update], the holdout building contains Pebble Bar.[24]
The other tenant, who occupied a plot on Sixth Avenue and 50th Street at 30 Rockefeller Plaza's northwest corner, never received a sale offer due to a misunderstanding.[21] The grocer John F. Maxwell would only sell his property at 50th Street if he received $1 million. Because of a miscommunication, the Rockefeller family was told that Maxwell would never sell, and Maxwell himself said that he had never been approached by the Rockefellers.[25][19] Consequently, Maxwell kept his property until his death in 1962, upon which Columbia bought the building;[26] Rockefeller Center purchased the Maxwell family's lease in 1970.[25][19]
Architecture
30 Rockefeller Plaza was designed by the Associated Architects of Rockefeller Center, composed of the firms of
The design was influenced by Rockefeller Center manager John Todd's desire for the building to use its air rights to their maximum potential.[31][32] 30 Rockefeller Plaza rises to a flat roof, unlike some of the other skyscrapers built in New York City around the same time. These included the Chrysler Building, 70 Pine Street, and 40 Wall Street, which used spires to reach their maximum heights.[33] Hartley Burr Alexander, a mythology and symbology professor who oversaw Rockefeller Center's art program, led the installation of artwork throughout the complex.[34][35][36] The building's artwork was designed around the concept of "new frontiers", depicting modern society.[37]
Form
The massing of 30 Rockefeller Plaza is designed in three parts.[9][38][39] The easternmost section contains a 66-story tower[31] with two stories of retail on the west and east.[39] The tower is surrounded by a shorter U-shaped section to the north, west, and south.[33] Some sources give 30 Rockefeller Plaza's height as 70 stories, but this arises from a hyperbolic press release by Merle Crowell, the complex's publicist during construction.[40] At the middle of the site was a windowless nine-story section, which housed NBC's studios.[38][39] The western part of the site steps up again to a 16-story tower.[38][31][39] The western section at 1250 Avenue of the Americas, formerly also known as RCA Building West, is accessed mainly from Sixth Avenue.[41] The facade of the annex rises straight from the sidewalk, with notches at the corners, because the corner lots were private properties at the time of the building's construction in 1935.[42]
The massing was influenced by the 1916 Zoning Resolution, which restricted the height that the street-side exterior walls of New York City buildings could rise before they needed to incorporate setbacks that recessed the buildings' exterior walls away from the streets.[43][33][a] The base of the building could only rise to 120 feet (37 m) before it had to taper to a tower covering 25 percent of the site.[44][33] The eastern tower appeared to violate this principle since it measured 103 by 327 feet (31 by 100 m), but the base measured only 200 by 535 feet (61 by 163 m). The base does not occupy its entire plot, which measures 200 by 670 feet (61 by 204 m).[33] The tower section was recessed so far into the block that it could have risen without any setbacks. Hood decided to include setbacks anyway, as they represented "a sense of future, a sense of energy, a sense of purpose", according to architecture expert Alan Balfour.[46] Above the lowest stories, the north and south elevations rise straight up for 33 stories before setting back gradually.[38] There are three setbacks each on the north, south, and east elevations.[47]
Hood also created a guideline that all of the office space in the complex would be no more than 27 ft (8.2 m) from a window,[48][49] which was the maximum distance that sunlight could permeate the windows of a building at New York City's latitude.[50][51] The setbacks on the northern and southern sides of 30 Rockefeller Plaza allow the building to comply with Hood's guideline.[33][39][52] The setbacks correspond to the tops of the elevator banks inside; this arrangement is repeated on the facade of the International Building.[47] Similarly, 30 Rockefeller Plaza also contains notches at its corners.[47][33] The eastern elevation's setbacks were included exclusively for aesthetic purposes.[52] By contrast, the layout and massing of Rockefeller Center's other buildings were intended to maximize rental profit.[53]
Facade
30 Rockefeller Plaza's limestone
30 Rockefeller Plaza also had 6,045 windows upon its completion, with 19,700 panes between them, covering 168,340 square feet (15,639 m2) in total. Thirty-six of the windows measured 9 by 16 feet (2.7 by 4.9 m) and were storefront windows. Those on the mezzanine level were composed of 9-by-12-foot (2.7 by 3.7 m) panels flanked by smaller sidelights. Another 165 were casement windows, which had panes measuring 6 by 18 inches (150 by 460 mm); most of these were above the 65th floor. The remaining 5,824 were casement windows measuring 4 by 6 feet (1.2 by 1.8 m).[48] About 5,200 of these windows contained Venetian blinds, which were installed by the Mackin Venetian Blind Company.[61]
Entrances
At street level, the stonework is relatively sparsely decorated.[62][63] The main entrance of 30 Rockefeller Plaza was designed as a loggia of three arches: one at the center, measuring 37 feet (11 m) high by 14 feet (4.3 m) wide, and two on the sides, measuring 27 feet (8.2 m) high by 13 feet (4.0 m) wide.[64][65][66] Lee Lawrie designed the sculptural group Wisdom, A Voice from the Clouds, for the lintels of the three arches.[36][64][65] Lawrie's carved rendering of Wisdom is above the center arch, flanked by Sound on the left and Light on the right.[66][63][67][68] The Wisdom frieze above the entrance is accompanied by an inscription reading "Wisdom and Knowledge shall be the stability of thy times", from Isaiah 33:6 (KJV).[69][70] The sculptural groups are accompanied by polychrome decorations created by Léon-Victor Solon.[66] Lawrie's three renderings are complemented by two limestone bas-reliefs by Leo Friedlander: one of Production on the north elevation and one of Radio on the south elevation.[63][67][71][72]
1230 Avenue of the Americas, the annex building to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, contains a marquee[73] and two works of art on its exterior.[74] The recessed entrance portal is filled with a 79 by 14 ft (24.1 by 4.3 m) mosaic mural, Intelligence Awakening Mankind by Barry Faulkner.[75][76][77] The portal is topped by four 11.5 by 4 ft (3.5 by 1.2 m) limestone panels by Gaston Lachaise, each of which signifies an aspect of civilization as it related to the original Radio City complex.[78][79][80] The two panels on either side of the entrance are entitled The Conquest of Space and Gifts of Earth to Mankind; these respectively depict aspiration and life, two qualities that Lachaise believed were most important to humanity.[81] The two panels in the center are known as Genius Seizing the Light of the Sun (also known as Invention Seizing the Light of the Sun[78]) and The Spirit of Progress.[81] The panels are placed at the third story because, at the time of the building's construction, they could be seen from the elevated rail line above Sixth Avenue.[82]
Interior
30 Rockefeller Plaza was designed with about 2,100,000 square feet (200,000 m2) of rentable space in total.
The superstructure uses 58,500 short tons (52,200 long tons; 53,100 t) of steel.[33][60] To transport visitors to the top floors, Westinghouse installed eight express elevators in the RCA Building. They moved at an average speed of 1,200 ft/min (370 m/min) and were so expensive that they constituted 13 percent of the building's entire construction cost.[88][89] One elevator reached a top speed of 1,400 ft/min (430 m/min) and was dubbed "the fastest passenger elevator ride on record".[89] These elevators cost about $17,000 a year to maintain by 1942.[90] The mechanical core also contains emergency-exit staircases, though there are fewer staircases on upper floors. For example, building plans indicate that the 12th story has three sets of emergency staircases, while the 60th story has two sets of staircases.[91]
Lobby
The lobby's main entrance is from Rockefeller Plaza to the east, with revolving and double-leaf bronze-and-glass doors underneath a paneled bronze screen.[92] The doors are topped by a cast-glass wall designed by Lee Lawrie, which measures 15 feet (4.6 m) high by 55 feet (17 m) wide.[66][92] The wall is made of 240 glass blocks.[93][38] Each glass block measures 3 inches (76 mm) deep and 19 by 29 inches (480 by 740 mm) across.[66][92] Opposite the main entrance doors is an information desk made of Champlain gray marble. Four large ivory-marble piers with embedded light fixtures support the ceiling immediately above.[92]
The lobby continues north and south from the information desk. Stairways at either end lead up to the mezzanine, while stairs and escalators lead downstairs to the basement. Extending west from either end are two corridors, which flank five north–south elevator banks.[94] The elevator doors are made of bronze, and there are bronze and glass storefronts on the outer walls of these corridors.[95] The floor is made of brass-and-terrazzo mosaic.[71] The walls of these corridors are paneled in Champlain marble below the height of the storefronts and elevator doors.[92][71] A bronze molding runs above the storefronts and elevators, while the walls are made of plaster above that height. The outer walls of the west–east corridors (adjacent to the mezzanines) contain bronze service doors, while the inner walls and the elevator-bank walls contain murals. The ceilings of the corridors are carried by rows of piers.[92]
West of the elevator banks, two north–south corridors extend to side entrances on 49th and 50th Streets, which each contain two bronze sets of revolving doors.[96] The corridors continue west to the Sixth Avenue entrance.[39] Just west of the elevators, a staircase leads down to the basement and up to the NBC lobby.[39][96] The stair to the basement contains Champlain marble and ivory marble, while the stair to the mezzanine contains Champlain marble and bronze railings and moldings. Additional stairs to the basement and mezzanine are placed at the point where the corridors continue into 1250 Avenue of the Americas; they also contain Champlain marble and bronze railings and moldings.[39]
Lobby art
Josep Maria Sert was originally hired to paint four murals in the northern lobby corridor: Time; Spirit of Dance; Man's Triumph in Communication; Conquest of Disease; Abolition of Bondage; Fraternity of Men; and Contest-1940, depicting different aspects of the world and mankind.[97][98] Frank Brangwyn painted four murals on the southern corridor, all of which symbolize humans' relationship with spirituality; he complemented these murals with stencils of the themes that were represented.[99][95] Rockefeller Center's managers had asked Brangwyn to omit a depiction of Jesus Christ from one of the panels;[100][101] the artist ultimately depicted Jesus with his back turned.[102] Brangwyn's and Sert's corridor murals measure 17 by 25 feet (5.2 by 7.6 m) each.[103] Architectural writer Robert A. M. Stern described Brangwyn's murals as "insipid", a quality worsened by the fact that the themes were stenciled onto the murals. By contrast, Stern said: "Sert at least allowed the meaning of his paintings to fall into happy obscurity."[104]
After the building had opened, Sert was commissioned to paint the mural American Progress at the center of the lobby,[93][105][106] measuring 50 by 17 feet (15.2 by 5.2 m).[107] The mural was installed in 1937.[108][109][37] It depicts a vast allegorical scene of men constructing modern America and contains figures of Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.[105][110][92] The space occupied by American Progress was originally taken up by Diego Rivera's Man at the Crossroads mural,[93][106][111][112] which was controversial because of its communist imagery and was destroyed in 1934.[113][114] Rockefeller officials commissioned a sixth mural from Sert, representing the past, present, and future, which they installed in the lobby in 1941.[49][115] The mural measures 100 by 50 feet (30 by 15 m) and is installed on the ceiling.[92][116]
Concourse and mezzanine
Below the lobby is the complex's shopping concourse,[12][117] connected to the lobby via escalators.[92] The building has a direct entrance to the New York City Subway's 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center station via the concourse.[118] Until 1950, the building's concourse had also contained Rockefeller Center's post office.[119]
The mezzanine contains balconies overlooking the lobby. The floors of the mezzanine are black terrazzo, while the walls are made of marble and plaster separated by a bronze molding. Offices from the outer walls open onto the mezzanine balconies. There are staircases from the lobby to both the concourse and mezzanine, west of the lobby's elevator banks.[120] When the building opened, it contained a rotunda at the mezzanine level, measuring 67 feet (20 m) across with a photomural surrounding it. The mural was taken apart in the 1950s and the rotunda itself was demolished in the 1970s.[121] A new rotunda was constructed from 2014 to 2015, accessed from the ground floor by a 16-foot-wide (4.9 m) staircase; the rotunda contains two LED displays, each measuring 60 feet (18 m) wide and 5 feet (1.5 m) tall.[121][122] From 1960 to October 1993, the building's mezzanine level housed the New York City weather forecast office of the National Weather Service.[123] The mezzanine level also contained a control room, from which all of Rockefeller Center's mechanical systems could be monitored.[124]
NBC Studios and headquarters
When the building was constructed, RCA's chief engineer O. B. Hanson was faced with designing an area of the building that was large enough to host 35 studios with as few structural columns as possible. As such, the studios were all placed in the windowless center section of the building, which would have otherwise been used as an unprofitable office space.[31][87] The central part of the building could also use fewer columns, which was suitable for large broadcast studios but not for the bases of skyscrapers.[57] Over 1,500 mi (2,400 km) of utility wires stretched through this part of the building, which was powered by direct current.[87] Two floors were reserved for future TV studios, and five more stories were reserved for audience members and guests.[87] The floor, wall, and ceiling surfaces of the studios were suspended from the superstructure, insulating the studios.[38] In addition, there were double- and triple-height spaces for exhibitions, plays, and other events.[57]
NBC,
Rockefeller family offices
The Rockefeller family's office, Room 5600, occupied the entire 56th floor.[141] The family's Rockefeller Foundation rented the entire floor below, and two other organizations supported by the Rockefellers also moved into the building.[141][142] Daniel Okrent, author of the book Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center, said the Rockefellers' offices resembled an "18th-century English baronial mansion".[82] The space was decorated with art by Paul Gauguin, Piet Mondrian, Paul Signac, and Joan Miró.[143]
By 1937, there were 392 employees of Room 5600. After World War II, Room 5600 comprised the entire 54th through 56th floors.[144] The family offices became a hub for the family's political activity, with ties to both the Democratic and Republican parties at the city, state, and national levels.[145] Visitors to Room 5600 have included Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Nelson Mandela, Richard Gere, and Bono.[83] Even in the late 1980s, when Room 5600 had downsized to 175 people, it still managed $900 million of Rockefeller family wealth.[146] The family moved out during 2014.[83][143]
Rainbow Room
The 65th floor of the building is an event room and restaurant named the
The Rainbow Room occupies the eastern part of 30 Rockefeller Plaza's 65th floor, which covers 13,500 square feet (1,250 m2).[155][156][157] The central part of the floor has elevator banks, restrooms, a gallery, and a private dining room. The western part houses Bar SixtyFive and an outdoor terrace.[156] The dining room itself is a 4,464-square-foot (414.7 m2) space.[156][158] The restaurant has a 32-foot-wide (9.8 m) rotating dance floor.[159][160] The seats of the Rainbow Room are organized in tiers,[159] and there is also a platform for bands and a shallow balcony for entertainers.[156][159] There are stairs and a dumbwaiter behind the platform,[159] as well as several banquet rooms on the 64th floor.[161] Above the dance floor hang several concentric "rings" that recess into the ceiling.[159]
Roofs
Garden of the Nations
The roof of the building's central section contained a 0.75-acre (0.30 ha) "Garden of the Nations" (alternatively "Gardens of the Nations"[53]), which opened in April 1935 on the 11th floor.[162][56][163] The garden used 3,000 short tons (2,700 long tons) of soil; 100 short tons (89 long tons) of rock from as far as England; 100,000 bricks; 2,000 trees and shrubs; 4,000 small plants; and 20,000 bulbs for flowers.[164] Originally, the garden included thirteen nation-specific gardens, whose layouts were inspired by gardens in the respective countries they represented. Each of the different gardens were separated by barriers.[162] The "International Garden", a rock garden in the center of the themed gardens,[165] featured a meandering stream and 2,000 plant varieties.[166] The Garden of the Nations also contained a children's garden, a modern-style garden, and a shrub-and-vegetable patch.[167] The garden was staffed by hostesses who wore costumes, and the plantings lit up at night.[168]
Ralph Hancock and Raymond Hood designed the rooftop garden,[169][164][165] one of several in the complex.[170] Upon opening, the Garden of the Nations attracted many visitors because of its collection of exotic flora,[171] and it became the most popular garden in Rockefeller Center.[172] In its heyday, the Center charged admission fees for the Garden of the Nations.[169][173] However, the nation-themed gardens were demolished by 1938,[169][168] and the rock garden was left to dry up, supplanted by flower beds that were not open to the public.[173] In 1936, the central roof temporarily housed a prototype of an apartment, which was used to advertise the Rockefeller Apartments between 54th and 55th Streets.[174][175]
Primary roof
From 1937 onward, the roof of the eastern tower contained neon letters spelling "RCA".[176] The letters each measured 22 feet (6.7 m) wide by 24 feet (7.3 m) tall;[177] at the time of the building's completion, the letters were the world's highest neon signs.[178] These were replaced by "GE" letters in 1988.[179][180] The letters were replaced again with the new united Comcast/NBC logo, rendered in longer-lasting LED lighting.[83] The new signs consist of a 10 ft (3.0 m) tall Comcast wordmark and NBC logo on the northern and southern elevations, as well as a 17 ft (5.2 m) NBC logo on the building's western elevation.[181]
In 1960, a 12-foot-wide (3.7 m), 400-pound (180 kg)
Observation deck
Top of the Rock, the 70th-story observation deck atop the skyscraper, opened in 1933 and is 850 feet (260 m) above street level.[170][188][189] In addition to the deck, the attraction includes a triple-story observatory on the 67th to 69th floors.[189] Top of the Rock competes with the 86th-floor observation deck of the Empire State Building 200 feet (61 m) higher, as well as a distant view of the Empire State Building.[190] Top of the Rock is accessed from its own entrance on 50th Street, where two elevators (converted from freight elevator shafts) ascend to the 67th floor.[191] The shafts are illuminated, while the elevator cabs contain ceiling panels with historical photographs.[189] There is a double-height indoor observatory on the 67th floor, where escalators lead to the 69th floor. A 8.5-foot-tall (2.6 m) parapet of frameless safety glass runs around the perimeter of the deck; it dates to the 2005 renovation.[191]
The deck originally had dimensions of 190 by 21 feet (57.9 by 6.4 m)
History
Development
Planning
The construction of Rockefeller Center occurred between 1932 and 1940
With the lease still in effect, Rockefeller had to quickly devise new plans so that the three-block Columbia site could become profitable. Raymond Hood, Rockefeller Center's lead architect, came up with the idea to negotiate with the 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.[209][210] By May 1930, RCA and its affiliates had made an agreement with Rockefeller Center managers. RCA would lease 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m2) of studio space; get naming rights to the western part of the development; and develop four theaters, at a cost of $4.25 million per year.[211] A skyscraper at 30 Rockefeller Plaza's current site was first proposed in the March 1930 version of the complex's blueprint,[212] and the current dimensions of the tower were finalized in March 1931.[213][214] The skyscraper would be named for RCA as part of the agreement;[211] the RCA name became official in May 1932.[215]
Construction
The designs for Radio City Music Hall and the RCA Building were submitted to the New York City Department of Buildings in August 1931, by which time both buildings were to open in 1932.[216] Work on the steel structure of the RCA Building started in March 1932.[199] Several artists were hired to design artwork for the RCA Building.[217] Lee Lawrie was hired to design the RCA Building's eastern entrance in June 1932, at which point the sunken plaza in front of the building was also announced.[64][65] The next month, Barry Faulkner was commissioned to create a large glass mosaic on the western entrance facing Sixth Avenue.[75] Gaston Lachaise received the commission for bas-reliefs on the Sixth Avenue entrance in September 1932.[78] The same month, Hood and the complex's manager John Todd traveled to Europe to interview five artists for the lobby.[104] Frank Brangwyn, Josep Maria Sert, and Diego Rivera were hired the following month,[104][218] despite John Rockefeller Jr.'s hesitance to hire Rivera, a prominent communist.[104][219] Henri Matisse had been reluctant to commission a highly visible lobby mural, and Pablo Picasso had refused to even meet with Hood and Todd.[104][220]
Installation of the exterior stonework began in July 1932 and proceeded at a rate of 2,000 cubic feet (57 m3) per day.[221] Window installation began the same month.[48] The building's structural steel was up to the 64th floor by September 16, 1932.[222][81] The photograph Lunch atop a Skyscraper was taken on September 20, 1932, during the construction of the 69th floor;[223][224] it was part of a publicity stunt promoting the RCA Building.[225] The building was topped out on September 26, 1932, when an American flag was hoisted to the top of the primary 66-story tower on Rockefeller Plaza. The Indiana limestone cladding had been erected to the 15th floor on the Rockefeller Plaza wing, and the facade of the Sixth Avenue wing had been completed.[221] The stone was fabricated at four factories in New York state and then shipped to New York City. Two traveling cranes lifted the stone from the ground to two hoists 70 feet (21 m) high, which then raised the stone to the upper floors.[59] The stonework of the primary tower was completed on December 7, 1932, without fanfare.[59][226] Officials said at the time that they did not host a ceremony for the stonework's completion because the elevators only ran to the 55th floor.[226] It had taken only 102 workdays to install the 212,000 cubic feet (6,000 m3) of stonework.[59]
Rockefeller Plaza was added to the city's official street map in January 1933, and the RCA Building gained the address 30 Rockefeller Plaza.[11] The next month, John D. Rockefeller III honored 27 mechanics for their work on the RCA Building.[227][228] At the time, The New York Times reported that 1,600 workers were busy completing the interior work. According to the main contractors, the laborers, plasterers, and metal lathers involved in the project would need to be compensated the equivalent of 25,000 eight-hour workdays. The building would require 26,900 short tons (24,000 long tons; 24,400 t) of plasterwork, covering about 650,000 square yards (540,000 m2).[229] By April 6, 1933, there were 1,400 mechanics working to complete the RCA Building, which was 90 percent complete; the upper floors were mostly finished, but the base was still incomplete.[230] As late as April 24, more than 1,000 workers were still fitting out the RCA Building.[231][232] As a result of the Depression, building costs were cheaper than projected. The final cost of the first ten buildings, including the RCA Building, came to $102 million (equivalent to $1.7 billion in 2023 dollars[233]).[234]
Opening and early years
Todd, Robertson, Todd Engineering Corporation, which was constructing Rockefeller Center, relocated to the RCA Building on April 22, 1933, becoming the first tenants.[231][232] The RCA Building was slated to officially open on May 1, 1933.[235] Its opening was delayed until mid-May because of a controversy over Rivera's Man at the Crossroads,[236] which in large part stemmed from the communist motifs of the mural.[237] On May 10, 1933, Rivera was ordered to stop all work on the mural,[238][239] which was covered in stretched canvas and left incomplete.[238][237][240] Brangwyn's murals were also incomplete at the time of the building's opening.[100] Rivera's mural remained covered until February 1934, when workmen peeled the mural off the wall.[114] Columbia University originally owned most of Rockefeller Center's land as well as the complex's buildings, including the RCA Building. However, Columbia received no rental income; Rockefeller Center's managers collected the rent and owned the land under the western part of the complex, including a section of the RCA Building West.[202]
The RCA offices moved to the RCA Building's 52nd and 53rd floors in June 1933.
Shortly after the RCA Building's opening, there were plans to use the building above the 64th floor as a public "amusement center". That section of the building had several terraces, which could be used as a dance floor, observation deck and landscaped terrace gardens.[259][260] On the 65th floor, there was also a two-story space for a dining room with a high ceiling.[261] Frank W. Darling quit his job as head of Rye's Playland[262] to direct the programming for the proposed amusement space.[259][260] In July 1933, the managers opened an observation deck atop the RCA Building, which consisted of 190 by 21 ft (57.9 by 6.4 m) terraces on the 67th, 69th, and 70th floors.[188] The 40-cents-per-head observation deck saw 1,300 daily visitors by late 1935.[263] Meanwhile, the floors below the observation deck were planned as a restaurant, solarium, game room, and ballroom, which would later become the Rainbow Room.[188] The Rainbow Room opened on October 3, 1934.[151][152]
A revolving beacon was installed atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza in 1935, the first such beacon to be installed in Manhattan.[264] That September, the ground-floor retail space was fully leased.[265] The New York Museum of Science and Industry leased the Municipal Art Exhibition space shortly afterward after Nelson Rockefeller became a trustee of the museum.[266][267] Subsequently, Edward Durell Stone removed the partitions on the second floor of the exhibition space,[258] and the museum opened there in February 1936.[268][269] The central wall of the main lobby remained empty until 1937, when Jose Maria Sert's American Progress was installed.[108][109] At the time, the RCA Building was 84 percent leased.[270] By 1938, the NBC studios at the RCA Building received 700,000 annual visitors, while the observation deck had 430,000 annual visitors.[271]
1940s to 1970s
Two 24-ton cooling machines were installed in the basement of the RCA Building in 1940. The air-conditioning units supplemented the RCA Building's existing units and also served 1230 Sixth Avenue, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, and 1 Rockefeller Plaza.[272] The lobby was then renovated in 1941. As part of the project, an overpass at mezzanine level was removed, the lighting was brightened, and another mural by Jose Maria Sert was installed.[116] An air-raid siren was installed atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza in 1942 during World War II.[273][274] The Rainbow Room and Grill atop the RCA Building was closed at the end of that December because of staffing shortages.[275][276] In 1943, Rockefeller Center's managers purchased the lots at 1242–1248 Sixth Avenue and 73 West 49th Street, part of RCA Building West; these lots had previously been held under a long-term lease.[277] By the next year, the RCA Building was almost fully rented.[248][278]
During the war, the RCA Building's Room 3603 became the primary location of the U.S. operations of
The building's largest tenants, RCA and NBC, renewed their leases in 1958 for 24 years.
In 1973, the RCA sign atop the building was turned off to conserve energy, the first time it had not lit up since World War II.[177] The next January, RCA renewed its lease for 20 years, having previously considered relocating from New York City.[297][298] RCA's chief executive Robert Sarnoff also announced that the company would construct a "management and conference center" atop the central section of the building.[298][299] The conference center would have been designed by Ford & Earl Design Associates and Justin Lamb and would have been powered by solar heat.[174][300] RCA applied for permission to build the conference center in September 1975,[301] but the project was canceled after Sarnoff resigned that December.[302] The RCA Building's central location and consistent upkeep meant that it was 93 percent occupied by 1975, despite a relatively high vacancy rate in New York City office buildings.[303] Several law firms had moved into the building during this time.[304] Singer moved out of the RCA Building in 1978, freeing up a large block of office space,[305] but RCA and NBC renewed their leases on a combined 1.2 million square feet (110,000 m2) two years later.[306]
1980s and 1990s
Columbia University was not making enough money from Rockefeller Center leases by the 1970s,
Columbia had agreed to sell the land to the Rockefeller Group, an investment company owned by the Rockefeller family,
Meanwhile, the Rockefeller Group had begun expanding the Rainbow Room. The observation deck closed in 1986 because the expansion cut off the only access between the observation deck and its elevators.
The Rockefeller Group filed for bankruptcy protection in May 1995 after missing several mortgage payments.[332][333] That November, John Rockefeller Jr.'s son David and a consortium led by Goldman Sachs agreed to buy Rockefeller Center's buildings for $1.1 billion,[334] beating out Sam Zell and other bidders.[335] The transaction included $306 million for the mortgage and $845 million for other expenses.[336] As that sale progressed, GE and Goldman Sachs discussed selling part of the GE Building to its namesake, allowing GE to lower its occupancy costs on the 1,600,000 sq ft (150,000 m2) that it occupied.[337][338] In May 1996, GE bought the space for $440 million, as well as an option to renew the lease on the Today Show studios at 10 Rockefeller Plaza.[339] Before either transaction was finalized, GE subleased 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of that space.[340][341] Goldman Sachs made numerous upgrades to the building and allowed brokers to finalize leases more quickly.[248] In addition to GE, other large tenants at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in the late 1990s included law firm Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine and Chadbourne & Parke.[342] Cipriani S.A. took over the Rainbow Room in 1998.[343]
2000s to present
Tishman Speyer, led by David Rockefeller's close friend Jerry Speyer and the Lester Crown family of Chicago, bought the original 14 buildings and land in December 2000 for $1.85 billion, including the GE Building.[336][327] The next year, Tishman Speyer began planning a renovation of the rooftop observation deck, which would be rebranded Top of the Rock.[191] Kostow Greenwood Architects also started designing a renovation for NBC Studios.[344] The observation deck plans were announced publicly in November 2003.[345] Two existing elevator shafts were lengthened so that the observation deck could be accessed without going through the Rainbow Room to get to the "shuttle" elevators. In addition, a ground-floor entrance was created on 50th Street and a three-level storefront was converted into an observation deck entrance.[191] The deck reopened in November 2005 after a renovation by Gabellini Sheppard Associates.[346][193]
During the late 2000s, the building retained an 85 percent occupancy rate.
In June 2014, the LPC granted Comcast permission to modify 30 Rockefeller Plaza.[181][355] Comcast planned to rename the building and replace the signage on the roof.[181][178] Additionally, a new marquee was added to the Sixth Avenue entrance, advertising it as the home of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[181][73] The GE signage was dismantled starting in September 2014,[353] and 30 Rockefeller Plaza was officially renamed the Comcast Building on July 1, 2015.[356] Toy store FAO Schwarz opened a store at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in November 2018.[357][358] In April 2022, the LPC approved Tishman Speyer's proposal to install additional visitor attractions at Top of the Rock.[197][198] One of the attractions, the Beam, opened in December 2023.[195][196]
Impact
As Rockefeller Center was being developed, Variety magazine wrote: "The main building of the Rockefeller Center group is a notable structure and forms a fitting climax to half a decade of super-skyscraper construction, which, with this one exception, was abruptly brought to an end" by the 1929 crash.
Architectural critic
As the central building of Rockefeller Center, 30 Rockefeller Plaza is widely known.[49] The building was also commonly nicknamed 30 Rock,[248][362] which inspired the title of the NBC sitcom 30 Rock (2006–2013).[363][364] Additionally, numerous movies and TV series that feature Rockefeller Center in their establishing shots have used imagery of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.[365] Such films have included Nothing Sacred in 1937, How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953, and Manhattan in 1979.[366] Two films have also discussed the destruction of Rivera's Man at the Crossroads in the lobby: The Cradle Will Rock in 1999 and Frida in 2002.[367] Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, an attraction at the Universal Studios Florida amusement park, is also based on 30 Rockefeller Plaza's design.[368]
Several later buildings were inspired by 30 Rockefeller Plaza and its design features, including
See also
- Architecture of New York City
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets
References
Notes
- 1961 Zoning Resolution.[45]
- ^ 30 Rockefeller Center was the first building to start construction, in September 1932.[199] The last building was completed in 1940.[200]
- ^ a b Namely 1250 Avenue of the Americas, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the British Empire Building, La Maison Francaise, the Channel Gardens, and the Lower Plaza[310]
- 1270 Avenue of the Americas; 1, 10, 30, 50, and 75 Rockefeller Plaza; the British Empire Building; the International Building; La Maison Francaise; and Radio City Music Hall.[310]
Citations
- ^ "Rockefeller Center". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 18, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012.
- ^ a b Adams 1985, p. 11.
- ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1985, p. 1.
- ^ a b Postal 2012, p. 1.
- ^ "Emporis building ID 115419". Emporis. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016.
- ^ a b c "1271 Avenue of the Amer, 10020". New York City Department of City Planning. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
- ^ a b Krinsky 1978, p. 4.
- ^ a b Reynolds 1994, p. 301.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Adams 1985, p. 177.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, pp. 32–33.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 64.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ^ Brown, Nicole (March 18, 2019). "Why do some buildings have their own ZIP codes? NYCurious". amNewYork. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c Okrent 2003, pp. 93–94, map p. 92.
- ^ Alpern & Durst 1996, pp. 38, 40.
- ^ a b Okrent 2003, pp. 88–89.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ Montagner, Anna (March 9, 2022). "Have a Drink at Pete Davidson's New Midtown Bar". PAPER. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Alpern & Durst 1996, p. 38.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Federal Writers' Project 1939, p. 334.
- ^ a b c Adams 1985, p. 13.
- ^ Robins 2017, p. 112.
- ^ "Comcast Building". The Skyscraper Center. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. October 28, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Adams 1985, p. 59.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 53.
- ^ ProQuest 1529011229.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 110.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Stern, Gilmartin & Mellins 1987, p. 651.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Rockefeller Center". National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. December 23, 1987. p. 9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Stern, Gilmartin & Mellins 1987, p. 650.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 271.
- ^ Adams 1985, pp. 80.
- ^ Adams 1985, p. 77.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, pp. 16–17.
- ^ a b Kayden & Municipal Art Society 2000, p. 8.
- ^ Kayden & Municipal Art Society 2000, pp. 11–12.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 39.
- ^ a b c Reynolds 1994, p. 302.
- ^ ProQuest 1240053177.
- ^ OCLC 40110184.
- ^ Okrent 2003, pp. 161–162.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 38.
- ^ a b Balfour 1978, p. 40.
- ^ a b Marshall 2005, p. 125.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 138.
- ^ Karp & Gill 1982, p. 62.
- ^ a b Adams 1985, p. 61.
- ^ a b c d e Reynolds 1994, p. 303.
- ^ a b Adams 1985, p. 72.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ Marshall 2005, p. 122.
- ^ a b c Adams 1985, pp. 64–66.
- ^ ProQuest 1114513116.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Architectural Forum 1933, p. 275.
- ^ a b c Federal Writers' Project 1939, p. 336.
- ^ Roussel 2006, pp. 55–56.
- ^ Adams 1985, p. 64.
- ^ Roussel 2006, p. 55.
- ^ a b c Architectural Forum 1933, p. 276.
- ^ Roussel 2006, pp. 72–73.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ^ Adams 1985, pp. 78–80.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ Adams 1985, pp. 78–79.
- ^ Roussel 2006, p. 75.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ Adams 1985, pp. 79–80.
- ^ Roussel 2006, p. 77–78.
- ^ ProQuest 1114731116.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Contact Us". NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ a b Alleman 2013, p. 59.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Okrent 2003, p. 363.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 256.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- Utica Observer. April 26, 1942. p. 6. Retrieved December 7, 2017 – via Fultonhistory.com.
- ^ Architectural Forum 1933, p. 278.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1985, p. 15.
- ^ a b c Robins 2017, p. 116.
- ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1985, p. 25.
- ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1985, p. 16.
- ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1985, p. 17.
- ^ Roussel 2006, pp. 60–69.
- ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1985, pp. 15–16.
- ^ Roussel 2006, p. 71.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ProQuest 1796833221.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ProQuest 1114643367.
- ^ a b c d e Stern, Gilmartin & Mellins 1987, p. 652.
- ^ a b Okrent 2003, pp. 319–320.
- ^ a b Marshall 2005, p. 123.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ ProQuest 1223337099.
- ^ Roussel 2006, p. 58.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 181.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 302.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 315.
- ^ from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Midtown West" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1985, pp. 16–17.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ "Lobby Digital Displays – NBC 30 Rockefeller Plaza". Diversified. September 18, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ "New York, NY – History". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-135-17684-6. Archivedfrom the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ProQuest 1401195186.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 365.
- ^ "'Saturday Night Live' to return to Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center". TODAY.com. September 10, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Okrent 2003, pp. 363–364.
- ^ Bertel, Dick; Corcoran, Ed (September 1972). "Aldo Gisalbert". The Golden Age of Radio. Season 3. Episode 6. Broadcast Plaza, Inc.. WTIC Hartford, Conn. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- ProQuest 1327419390.
- ^ Lovece, Frank (June 3, 1994). "As the Toyota Comedy Festival gets under way, we tour New York's most famous comedy landmarks". Newsday. p. 105. Retrieved February 25, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Watch 'Tonight Show' studio's makeover in 60 seconds". TODAY.com. March 31, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ^ White, Peter (August 18, 2020). "'Late Night With Seth Meyers' To Return To Studio On September 8". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ProQuest 398398868.
- ^ a b Okrent 2003, p. 259.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ a b Makarechi, Kia (November 24, 2014). "Rockefeller Family Leaving 30 Rockefeller Center for the First Time". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 386.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 388.
- ^ Warren, James (July 23, 1986). "Fortune Takes an Impressive Look Into Pockets of the Rockefellers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ "Rainbow Room – New York". zagat.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 24.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 368.
- ^ Postal 2012, p. 7.
- ^ a b Postal 2012, p. 8.
- ^ ProQuest 1032058796.
- ^ a b Postal 2012, p. 9.
- from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
- ^ "30 Rockefeller Plaza: 65th Floor, Rainbow Room, SixtyFive". American Institute of Architects. 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Rainbow Room (June 2016). Floor Plan (PDF) (image).
- ^ Postal 2012, p. 15.
- ^ Postal 2012, p. 5.
- ^ a b c d e Postal 2012, p. 6.
- ^ "Music: Parisienne". Time. October 8, 1934. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- ^ Postal 2012, p. 3.
- ^ a b "Babylon Outdone by RCA's Gardens". New York Post. April 16, 1935. p. 7. Retrieved November 20, 2017 – via Fultonhistory.com.
- ^ Balfour 1978, pp. 125–137.
- ^ a b "New York's "Hanging Gardens"" (PDF). Albany Times-Union. 1934. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 53.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 52.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ a b c Stern, Gilmartin & Mellins 1987, p. 647.
- ^ a b Reynolds 1994, pp. 301–302.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 91.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 355.
- ^ a b Adams 1985, p. 186.
- ^ a b Adams 1985, p. 67.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ ProQuest 135336547.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Bid Farewell to 30 Rock's GE Sign; 'Comcast' Will Top the Tower". Curbed.com. June 18, 2014. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ProQuest 1324118135.
- ^ "IEM :: PNS from NWS OKX". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ Gay, Mara (March 2, 2014). "National Weather Alerts Bleed Into Coast Guard Radio Channel". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
- ^ "New York, NY – Tour: NWS of the Past". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ^ "NYC NBC debuts new radar, taunts other stations in promo". NewscastStudio. February 1, 2017. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Sanger, Elizabeth (May 5, 2005). "'Top of the Rock' to Open". Newsday. p. 52. Retrieved March 11, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Empire State Building vs Top of the Rock". bug.co.uk. February 5, 2010. Archived from the original on July 5, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ doi:10.1002/ad.276.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Rahmanan, Anna (December 1, 2023). "Recreate this historical photo on top of Rockefeller Center right now". Time Out New York. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ a b ""The Beam" at Rockefeller Center lets visitors recreate iconic New York City photo". CBS New York. December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ a b "Top of the Rock "skylift" attraction gets green light from Landmarks". The Architect's Newspaper. April 29, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
- ^ a b "a new 'skylift' rooftop attraction is coming to NYC's top of the rock". Designboom. May 4, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
- ^ a b "First Steel Column Erected in 70-Story Rockefeller Unit". The New York Times. March 8, 1932. p. 43. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
- ^ Glancy 1992, p. 431.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ "Radio City Music Hall" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. March 28, 1978. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 21.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, pp. 31–32.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 11.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, pp. 16, 48–50.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 50.
- ^ Adams 1985, p. 29.
- ^ a b Okrent 2003, p. 142.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 57.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ProQuest 1529145214.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ^ Stern, Gilmartin & Mellins 1987, pp. 651–652.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 152.
- ^ Balfour 1978, pp. 151–152.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ^ Gambino, Megan (September 20, 2012). "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper Photograph: The Story Behind the Famous Shot". Smithsonian. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ^ "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper". 100 Photographs : The Most Influential Images of All Time. Time. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ Hotz, Amy (November 10, 2003). "A Photo Finished". Star-News. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ ProQuest 1221345811.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ProQuest 1222088599.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ ProQuest 1240067338.
- Gross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow the Measuring Worth series.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 198.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ^ Balfour 1978, p. 185.
- ^ a b "Diego Rivera's Man at the crossroads". PBS. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ProQuest 1222128627.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 313.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Okrent 2003, p. 257.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ProQuest 131080577.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 362.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ ProQuest 219175149.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ProQuest 1243049599.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ProQuest 1114856148.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Stern, Gilmartin & Mellins 1987, p. 660.
- ^ from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ ProQuest 1114796868.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 254.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ProQuest 1247413672.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 90.
- ProQuest 1222051066.
- ProQuest 1330121606.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ProQuest 1264413324.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 413.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 411.
- ISBN 9780895263148. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Hughes, Alice (October 10, 1950). "Art, Music, Drama Pitch For Hospitalized Veterans" (PDF). Buffalo Courier-Express. p. 11. Retrieved December 9, 2017 – via Fultonhistory.com.
- ProQuest 1327169981.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 424.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, pp. 108–109.
- ProQuest 1322504709.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ProQuest 1325302942.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ProQuest 1325841053.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ProQuest 918216347.
- from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ ProQuest 555973270.
- ProQuest 133871668.
- ^ Krinsky 1978, p. 148.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Okrent 2003, p. 428.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
- ^ Lake, Katharine (April 18, 1983). "Rockefeller Center landmarking proposed". New York Daily News. p. 106. Retrieved March 13, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Glancy 1992, p. 425.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Wiener, Caryn Eve (September 21, 1983). "6-Block Landmark Viewed as Too Costly". Newsday. p. 25. Retrieved March 13, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Stern, Fishman & Tilove 2006, p. 576.
- ^ Adams 1985, pp. 270–271.
- ^ Collins, T. J. (April 24, 1985). "Rockefeller Center a Landmark for Real". Newsday. p. 23. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Glancy 1992, p. 426.
- ^ ProQuest 135025391.
- ProQuest 397882539.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ "NBC plans to leave Rockefeller Center". The Journal News. November 20, 1985. p. 3. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ ProQuest 219096212.
- ProQuest 398011706.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ ProQuest 219177782.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Stern, Fishman & Tilove 2006, p. 578.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ Glancy 1992, pp. 435–437.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ Glancy 1992, p. 451.
- ProQuest 398480359.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Grant, Peter (November 8, 1995). "Rock Ctr. stays in family". New York Daily News. pp. 42, 43. Retrieved March 11, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Grant, Peter (March 22, 1996). "Zell's Rock bid crumbles". New York Daily News. p. 671. Retrieved March 11, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
- ProQuest 398488527.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ProQuest 219174787.
- ProQuest 1441127450.
- ProQuest 219176799.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ProQuest 219141251.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
- ^ "NBC-Comcast Deal Puts Broadcast TV in Doubt". DealBook. December 7, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Slotnik, Daniel E. (February 25, 2013). "Awaiting the Dimming of G.E. at 30 Rock". City Room. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ "Rainbow Room reopens at top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza after five years". New York Daily News. October 5, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2017 – via Associated Press.
- ^ Fernandez, Bob (June 20, 2014). "New York panel approves Comcast logo atop 30 Rock". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
- ^ "30 Rock Officially Renamed Comcast Building; NBC Peacock Lights Up NYC Skyline for First Time in History". NBCNewYork.com. NBCUniversal Media LLC. July 1, 2015. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ^ Thomas, Lauren (November 16, 2018). "FAO Schwarz makes its return to New York. Here's what its new store looks like inside". CNBC. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
- ^ "FAO Schwarz, iconic toy store, opening anew in Manhattan". CBS News. November 16, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ProQuest 1973996442.
- ProQuest 134778211.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
- ^ "New York–Based Television Programs". Backstage. August 24, 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
- ^ "30 Rock on location". New York Daily News. March 19, 2008. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
- ^ Alleman 2013, pp. 56–57.
- ^ Alleman 2013, p. 57.
- ^ Alleman 2013, p. 58.
- ^ Levine, Arthur (May 11, 2017). "Jimmy Fallon's Race Through New York ride review". USA TODAY. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-8478-1071-0, cited in Pittsburgh Central Downtown Historic District (Boundary Increase and Additional Documentation) (PDF) (Report). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. May 2, 2013. p. 10. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Lileks, James (October 25, 2015). "Streetscapes: These unbuilt buildings would have changed the Minneapolis skyline". Star Tribune. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Gapp, Paul (April 23, 1989). "NBC's 40-story Peacock". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ^ Kogan, Rick (October 1, 1989). "A Moving Experience". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
Sources
- 30 Rockefeller Plaza Interior (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. April 23, 1985. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 21, 2021.
- Adams, Janet (1985). Rockefeller Center (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2017.
- Alleman, Richard (2013). New York: The Movie Lover's Guide: The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie New York. Crown. ISBN 978-0-8041-3778-2.
- Alpern, Andrew; Durst, Seymour B. (1996). New York's Architectural Holdouts. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-29425-4.
- Balfour, Alan (1978). Rockefeller Center: Architecture as Theater. McGraw-Hill, Inc. ISBN 978-0070034808.
- ISBN 978-1-60354-055-1. (Reprinted by Scholarly Press, 1976; often referred to as WPA Guide to New York City.)
- Glancy, Dorothy J. (January 1, 1992). "Preserving Rockefeller Center". 24 Urb. Law. 423. Santa Clara University School of Law.
- Harr, John Ensor; Johnson, Peter J. (1988). The Rockefeller Century: Three Generations of America's Greatest Family. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN 9780684189369.
- Karp, Walter; Gill, Brendan (1982). The Center: A History and Guide to Rockefeller Center. ISBN 978-0442247485.
- Kayden, Jerold S.; The Municipal Art Society of New York (2000). Privately Owned Public Space: The New York City Experience. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-36257-9.
- ISBN 978-0-19-502404-3. Archivedfrom the original on May 27, 2020.
- Marshall, Bruce (2005). Building New York: The Rise and Rise of the Greatest City on Earth. Universe. OCLC 61915976.
- ISBN 978-0-14200-177-6.
- Postal, Matthew A. (October 16, 2012). Rainbow Room (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2017.
- "RCA Building, Rockefeller Center, New York" (PDF). Architectural Forum. Vol. 99. October 1933.
- Reynolds, Donald (1994). The Architecture of New York City: Histories and Views of Important Structures, Sites, and Symbols. J. Wiley. OCLC 45730295.
- Robins, Anthony W. (2017). New York Art Deco: A Guide to Gotham's Jazz Age Architecture. Excelsior Editions. State University of New York Press. OCLC 953576510.
- Roussel, Christine (May 17, 2006). The Art of Rockefeller Center. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-3930-6082-9.
- Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987). New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars. New York: Rizzoli. OCLC 13860977.
- Stern, Robert A. M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2006). New York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Bicentennial and the Millennium. New York: Monacelli Press. OL 22741487M.