Merchants Square Building (New York City, New York)

 office building, Neoclassical (architecture), 1928_construction

211-foot, 16-story neo-classical office building completed in 1928. Designed by Jardine, Hill & Murdock, it is clad in buff-colored brick above a 3- and 4-story limestone base. Since the lot slopes downward from east to west, the base begins at Church Street with three floors, and continues toward West Broadway with four. Here the base is divided into lower and upper halves, with larger windows divided by metal spandrels on the bottom, and paired windows with carved stone panels in the spandrels between the 3rd & 4th floors, which extend all the way to Church Street. The paired window configuration is echoed on the upper floors. The main entrances are at the center of the Worth & Church Street facades, and to the left of the Thomas Street facade, set under large round-arches and deeply recessed. There are setbacks above the 13th floor. On the Church Street side, there is a deep light court above the base, dividing the upper floors into two separate masses. A large, round clock decorates the top of the base where the split begins. Commercial tenants include The Gap, Legal Aid Center, NYC Department of Health, and New York Law School.