Look Building

 office building, Streamline Moderne (architecture), 1950_construction, historic landmark, commercial building

304-foot, 21-story Streamline-Moderne-style office building completed in 1950 for Neprock Realty/Percy & Harold Uris. Designed by Emery Roth & Sons, it was one of the first major midtown projects of the Uris family that went on to become one of the most dominant and prolific commercial developers in Manhattan after World War II and the bulk of its portfolio, not including this property, eventually was acquired by Olympia & York. It's named for "Look" magazine, "Life"'s rival. Another magazine tenant, "Esquire", sued unsuccessfully to keep the photo weekly's name off the building--they failed in big red letters, which came off long after "Look" folded in 1971 ("Institutional Investor" is published here now).

Featuring tightly rounded corners, multiple setbacks and bands of ribbon-like windows that alternate with white brick spandrels, the building has a strong horizontal emphasis. The 2-story base is divided from the 3rd floor on all facades by what appears to be charcoal-colored cast-stone panels, crowned by a curved aluminum molding. The two stories of glass panels are transparent or tinted black. The main entrance is at the center of the gently sloping Madison Avenue facade. There is a recessed passage that leads to a single revolving glass entrance door, flanked by conventional glass doors. The entrance passage is paved with contrasting light and dark gray granite. The exterior panels that face the street are polished black granite and the walls that flank the passage are light brown-and-black marble. There is a ribbed aluminum ceiling with recessed lighting fixtures, as well as square service panel near center. Above the entrance passage is a wide aluminum marquee with curved corners and free-standing numerals (488) that identify the address. To the left (south) are three metal-and-glass storefronts. To the right (north) of the main entrance are three more storefronts. More glass-and-metal storefronts line 51st and 52nd Streets. A pair of metal service doors occupy the west bay of the narrower north facade on 52nd.

Above the 2nd floor, the facade is mainly white brick. Continuous aluminum windows (late 1990s), three horizontal panes tall, extend continuously around the facade, starting at the west ends of the north and south facades. The center panes are operable and open out from the bottom. Above the 12-story base, every second floor sets back, climaxing with a mostly windowless tower, which incorporates horizontal louvers on the east front.

Often depicted as a definitive example of the wedding-cake zoning envelope then current in midtown, the building is probably the most attractive, though relatively modest, building built by the Urises and is also probably the most attractive white-brick building in the city. The building was sold to the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1953, and has been owned since the 1970s by the Feil Organization and the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

During the late 1990s, a major and sympathetic restoration of the façade was undertaken by Hardy Holzman & Pfeiffer Associates. At this time, the steel windows were replaced with similar aluminum frames and a new entrance portico was created.The Look Building was designated a New York City landmark in 2010. The façade is subject to a conservation easement filed with the Trust for Architectural Easements. The ground floor is occupied by St. Patrick's Cathedral Gift Shop, Toasties sandwich shop, Indochino men's clothing store, Mephisto shoes, Purdy eyewear, Gotham jewelry, Untickit men's shirts, Bonobos men's clothing store, and Naya restaurant.

s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2376.pdf
www.urbanarchive.org/sites/iMjy8hGv9c4