Bank of New York Building
Encyclopedia
One Wall Street, originally the Irving Trust Company Building, then the Bank of New York
Building (after 1988), and after 2007 the BNY Mellon Building, is a bank headquarters building which remains one of the finest Art-Deco-style skyscrapers in downtown Manhattan
, New York City
. It is located in the Financial District on the prominent corner of Wall Street and Broadway. Today, it serves as the global headquarters of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation.
conceived his zig-zag Art Deco
skyscraper for the Irving Trust Company as a "curtain wall", not the typical sheet of glass hanging from a steel cage, but a limestone wall rippling like a curtain descending on a Broadway
stage."
Because of the curves in the wall, the bank does not completely occupy its full building lot, and by law the unoccupied and unmarked land reverts to the public, but for a number of small markers embedded in the sidewalk asserting the limits of the building's lot.
Construction on the building began in 1929 and was completed in 1931, to the designs of the architectural firm of Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker
. It is fifty stories and is 654 feet (199 meters) tall, and measures 1,165,659 rentable square feet.
The Wall Street entrance leads into a two-story banking hall whose ceiling is decorated with red and gold mosaics designed by Hildreth Meiere
, comparable to the mosaics in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall
, and manufactured by the same company, the Ravenna Mosaic Company in Berlin.
In 1963-1965, a 36-floor addition to the site was constructed to the south of the tower to provide extra office space. This site had been occupied by the eighteen-story Manhattan Life Insurance Building
(1894), which was the title-holder as the tallest building in the world from 1894 until 1899, and the twentytwo-story Knickerbocker Trust Company Building (1909). Among other alterations was the chiseling out of "Irving Trust" name from the cornerstone and replacement with "Bank of New York."
The building has a steel skeleton
, and is covered in limestone
. The building has had numerous problems with the limestone exterior and in 2001, the building's owners decided to bring in Hoffman Architects to conduct a survey of the exterior and provide a five year masterplan which consists of mortar repair and window replacements.
Bank of New York
The Bank of New York was a global financial services company established in 1784 by the American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. It existed until its merger with the Mellon Financial Corporation on July 2, 2007...
Building (after 1988), and after 2007 the BNY Mellon Building, is a bank headquarters building which remains one of the finest Art-Deco-style skyscrapers in downtown Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is located in the Financial District on the prominent corner of Wall Street and Broadway. Today, it serves as the global headquarters of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation.
History
"Architect Ralph WalkerRalph Thomas Walker
Ralph Thomas Walker, FAIA, was an American architect, president of the American Institute of Architects and partner of the firm McKenzie, Voorhees, Gmelin; and its successor firms Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker, Voorhees, Walker, Foley & Smith; Voorhees, Walker, Smith & Smith; and Voorhees, Walker,...
conceived his zig-zag Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
skyscraper for the Irving Trust Company as a "curtain wall", not the typical sheet of glass hanging from a steel cage, but a limestone wall rippling like a curtain descending on a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
stage."
Because of the curves in the wall, the bank does not completely occupy its full building lot, and by law the unoccupied and unmarked land reverts to the public, but for a number of small markers embedded in the sidewalk asserting the limits of the building's lot.
Construction on the building began in 1929 and was completed in 1931, to the designs of the architectural firm of Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker
Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker
Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker were a prestigious New York architectural firm.The firm had an illustrious heritage, the parent company being founded in New York City by Cyrus L.W. Eidlitz in 1885. In 1900 he added partner Andrew C. McKenzie and when Eidlitz left the firm in 1910 he was replaced by...
. It is fifty stories and is 654 feet (199 meters) tall, and measures 1,165,659 rentable square feet.
The Wall Street entrance leads into a two-story banking hall whose ceiling is decorated with red and gold mosaics designed by Hildreth Meiere
Hildreth Meiere
Hildreth Meiere , American artist, architectural artist, muralist and mosaicist.- Biography :After studying at New York's Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart, Meiere studied in Florence. Being exposed to the Renaissance Masters, she is quoted as saying, "After that I could not be satisfied...
, comparable to the mosaics in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall
Stockholm City Hall
Stockholm City Hall is the building of the Municipal Council for the City of Stockholm in Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden's northern shore and facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Södermalm. It houses offices and conference rooms as well as...
, and manufactured by the same company, the Ravenna Mosaic Company in Berlin.
In 1963-1965, a 36-floor addition to the site was constructed to the south of the tower to provide extra office space. This site had been occupied by the eighteen-story Manhattan Life Insurance Building
Manhattan Life Insurance Building
The Manhattan Life Insurance Building was a tower at 64-66 Broadway in New York City completed in 1894 to the designs of the architects of Kimball & Thompson and slightly extended north in 1904 making its new address 64-70 Broadway...
(1894), which was the title-holder as the tallest building in the world from 1894 until 1899, and the twentytwo-story Knickerbocker Trust Company Building (1909). Among other alterations was the chiseling out of "Irving Trust" name from the cornerstone and replacement with "Bank of New York."
The building has a steel skeleton
Steel frame
Steel frame usually refers to a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and horizontal -beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a building which are all attached to the frame...
, and is covered in limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The building has had numerous problems with the limestone exterior and in 2001, the building's owners decided to bring in Hoffman Architects to conduct a survey of the exterior and provide a five year masterplan which consists of mortar repair and window replacements.
External links
- in-Arch.net: The Irving Trust Co. Building
- Rare slideshow of images showing the construction of the Irving Trust Building from the Canadian Centre for Architecture