Electric Tower
Encyclopedia
Electric Tower, or General Electric Tower, is a historic office
building and skyscraper
located at Buffalo
in Erie County, New York
. It is the seventh tallest building in Buffalo. It stands 294 feet (89.6 m) and 13 stories tall and is in the Beaux-Arts Classical Revival style. It was designed by James A. Johnson
and built in 1912. Additions were made in 1923 and 1928. Inspired by the electric tower at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition
, the white terra-cotta clad was originally built as the Niagara Mohawk Building and features an octagonal tower which steps back three times to terminate in a large lantern. It is also known as Iskalo Electric Tower.
The decorative symbols featuring aspects of electricity production are considered precursors to subsequent art deco
design.
Like One M & T Plaza
, the spire of the tower is illuminated with different holiday colors at night throughout the year. Both buildings are illuminated blue and gold for the Buffalo Sabres
during the National Hockey League
playoffs.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2008.
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
building and skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
located at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in Erie County, New York
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
. It is the seventh tallest building in Buffalo. It stands 294 feet (89.6 m) and 13 stories tall and is in the Beaux-Arts Classical Revival style. It was designed by James A. Johnson
James A. Johnson (architect)
James Addison Johnson was a Buffalo, New York architect known for his design of various architectural landmarks and his use of decorative work that many consider a foreshadowing of art deco design....
and built in 1912. Additions were made in 1923 and 1928. Inspired by the electric tower at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition
Pan-American Exposition
The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is present day Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Ave. to Elmwood Ave and northward to Great Arrow...
, the white terra-cotta clad was originally built as the Niagara Mohawk Building and features an octagonal tower which steps back three times to terminate in a large lantern. It is also known as Iskalo Electric Tower.
The decorative symbols featuring aspects of electricity production are considered precursors to subsequent 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...
design.
Like One M & T Plaza
One M & T Plaza
One M&T Plaza is an office tower located in Buffalo, New York and home to M&T Bank in Erie County. The 21 floor tubular International style office was built by Minoru Yamasaki with Duane Lyman Associates and completed in 1966. Yamasaki was the architect for the World Trade Center in New York City...
, the spire of the tower is illuminated with different holiday colors at night throughout the year. Both buildings are illuminated blue and gold for the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
during the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
playoffs.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2008.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Buffalo
- Niagara Hudson BuildingNiagara Hudson BuildingThe Niagara Mohawk Building is an art deco classic building in Syracuse, New York. It is a building of the Niagara Mohawk power utility company that is now a division of National Grid plc...
, in Syracuse, also known as "Niagara Mohawk Building"
External links
- General Electric Tower - Buffalo, NY - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com
- Niagara Mohawk Building skyscraper website
- Electric Tower, Buffalo history website
- Preservation Studios Buffalo, NY: historic building rehabilitation and preservation consultants