#celanese building

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

ROCKEFELLER CENTER EVOLUTION

Aerial view looking southwest of Rockefeller Center complex when the new XYZ Plan extension totally completed. Summer, 1974.

The original Art Deco Rockefeller Center complex (The Associated Architects: Reinhard & Hofmeister; Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray; Raymond Hood, Godley & Fouilhoux; Edward Durrell Stone, 1931-1940) dominated by 70-story R.C.A. Building (Associated Architects, 1933) at center. At right can be seen the 32-story Warner Comunications Building (Carson & Lundin, 1947), and the Sinclair Oil Building (Carson & Lundin, 1952) the first two buildings for the Center that be added on the first years of postwar.

The late 1950s-early 1960s additon, at both sides of Avenue of the Americas, between 50th to 52nd streets are visible above, right: the 48-story Time & Life (Harrison & Abramovitz, 1959) and Sperry Rand (Emery Roth & Sons-Harrison & Abramovitz, 1963) building, both are designed as mid 20th Century International style glass boxes.

The new early 1970s Rockefeller Center extension called “XYZ Plan” are visible on the top of the picture, just above of the original complex, on the west side of Avenue of the Americas between 47th to 50th Streets, and there are: At center, the 54-story Exxon Building (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1971) and the 51-story McGraw-Hill Building (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1972). The new 45-story Celanese Building (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1974) are at left.

On the others building that be show in this picture, the reinforced-concrete structure of the new Olympic Tower (Skidmore Owings & Merrill, 1974) are visible at bottom right. 

Photo: Thomas Airviews/Rockefeller Center, Inc.

Source: Balfour; Alan. “Rockefeller Center. Architecture as Theater” (New York. McGraw-Hill. 1978).

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

ROCKEFELLER CENTER EVOLUTION

Aerial view looking southwest of Rockefeller Center complex when the new XYZ Plan extension was nearing completion. Summer, 1972.

The original Art Deco Rockefeller Center complex (The Associated Architects: Reinhard & Hofmeister; Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray; Raymond Hood, Godley & Fouilhoux; Edward Durrell Stone, 1931-1940) dominated by 70-story R.C.A. Building (Associated Architects, 1933) at center. At right can be seen the 32-story Warner Comunications Building (Carson & Lundin, 1947), and the Sinclair Oil Building (Carson & Lundin, 1952) the first two buildings for the Center that be added on the first years of postwar.

The late 1950s-early 1960s additon, at both sides of Avenue of the Americas, between 50th to 52nd streets are visible above, right: the 48-story Time & Life (Harrison & Abramovitz, 1959) and Sperry Rand (Emery Roth & Sons-Harrison & Abramovitz, 1963) building, both are designed as mid 20th Century International style glass boxes.

The new early 1970s Rockefeller Center extension called “XYZ Plan” are visible on the top of the picture, just above of the original complex, on the west side of Avenue of the Americas between 47th to 50th Streets, and there are: At center, the 54-story Exxon Building (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1971) and the 51-story McGraw-Hill Building (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1972). The steel skeleton under construction for the third building of the new complex, the 45-story Celanese Building (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1974) are at left.

Other buildings that shows on this picture are: on the top left, the J.P Stevens Building (Emery Roth & Sons, 1971) and the 54-story black-glass One Astor Plaza tower (Kahn & Jacobs, 1972) topped with its brutalist limestone crown. The black-glass box skyscraper at right, at top, is the new 51-story Uris Plaza (Emery Rotn & Sons, 1972).

Photo: Thomas Airviews/Rockefeller Center, Inc.

Source: Chamberlain, Samuel. "Rockefeller Center: a Photographic Narrative. New York, Hastings House, Publishers, Inc. 1972.

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

Times Square area, in foreground, and Rockefeller Center area, at background, right, in this aerial photo looking northeast in October, 1976. 

The One Astor Plaza (Kahn & Jacobs, 1972) are at center, on foreground, and Uris Plaza (Emery Roth & Sons, 1972) are at left. 

The Rockefeller Center’s Exxon (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1971), McGraw-Hill (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1972) and Celanesse (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1974) buildings, with the Art Deco 70-story R.C.A. Building (Associated Architects, 1933) are visible at right, with the black-tinted glass and white marble vertical striped facade of 45-story J.P. Stevens Building (Emery Roth & Sons, 1971). Above it, at background, can be seen the 9th West 57th Street or Solow Building (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 1974) and General Motors Building (Edward Durell Stone-Emery Roth & Sons, 1968).

Photo: William Fried/Skyviews Survey, Inc.

Source: William Fried, Edward B. Watson. "New York in Aerial Views". New York, Dover Publications, Inc. 1980.

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

Aerial view looking northeast of Midtown Manhattan. March, 1978.

The Rockefeller Center area and Times Square’s skyscrapers are at center, and Citicorp Center are visible at top. The Madison Square Garden, One and Two Penn Plaza buildings; the Empire State Building, Grand Central district’s buildings and the United Nations are visible at right. 

Photo: William Fried/Skyviews Survey, Inc.

Source: William Fried, Edward B. Watson. "New York in Aerial Views". New York, Dover Publications, Inc. 1980.

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

Aerial view looking east of Midtown Manhattan skyscrapers in February, 1977.

The 51-story black aluminium and black-tinted glass Uris Plaza (Emery Roth & Sons, 1972) are visible at left, foreground and the new 59-story Citicorp Center (Hugh Stubbins Associates-Emery Roth & Sons, 1977) under construction, are visible at top.

The original and new Rockefeller Center’s buildings are visible on the center of the picture, with R.C.A. (Associated Architects, 1933), Exxon (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1971), McGraw-Hill (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1972) and Celanesse (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1974) buildings. 

The 54-story One Astor Plaza are visible at right, foreground, with the J.P Stevens (Emery Roth & Sons, 1971) and 1166 Avenue of the Americas (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 1974) buildings. 

Photo: William Fried/Skyviews Survey, Inc.

Source: William Fried, Edward B. Watson. “New York in Aerial Views”. New York, Dover Publications, Inc. 1980.

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

New skyscrapers under construction and recently completed on Avenue of the Americas, in this night view looking northwest from Empire State Building. Spring, 1972.

The New York Telephone Building (Kahn & Jacobs, 1974) under construction are at left, foreground, and the new Uris Plaza (Emery Roth & Sons, 1972) are at background at north to Times Square. The Interchem (Emery Roth & Sons, 1969) and J.P. Stevens Building (Emery Roth & Sons, 1971) are at center, with the steel skeleton of Rockefeller Center’s Celanese Building (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1974) under construction, rises up between both towers. The new W.R. Grace Building (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 1972) nearing completion, are at rigth foreground, with the steel skeleton of 1166 Avenue of the Americas (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 1974) rises up behind it. The new Rockefeller Center’s McGraw-Hill (Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1972) and Exxon (HArrison, Abramovitz & Harris, 1971) buildings are visible at background.

Photo: Hugo Harrang.

Source: Gran Enclopedia Focus, Vol. 9. Barcelona, Argos Vergara, 1987.