Lexington Tower (New York City, New York) | commercial, office building

 commercial, office building

285-foot, 27-story Neo-Gothic office building completed in 1927. Designed by John Northrup, it is divided into three parts, with the 27-story tower flanked by two additional low rise sections to the north and south. The main facades, facing the avenue, consist of two 3-story bays at the north, four bays at the main tower, and one 5-story bay at the south, all faced in limestone (painted grey-brown at the lower two floors). The double-height main entrance is in the north two bays of the tower, with paired glass doors below a large panel of polished white stone with large metal numeral "369" above the words "LEXINGTON AVE". Each of the other ground-floor bays has a storefront. At the main tower, the remaining two bays at the 2nd floor have triple-windows, while the two north bays (the low building) have four larger windows, and the south bay has five larger windows, all divided by white-painted metal mullions. A modillioned band course runs across the entire facade above the 2nd floor. The top, 3rd floor of the 2-bay north section is similar to the 2nd floor, but not painted and with simple outline panels and stone coping above. The top three floors of the 5-story south section are also similar to 2nd floor, but also have outline panels, here split into a wide center panel flanked by two smaller end panels.

The four bays of the main tower are separated by uninterrupted piers, and likewise have outlines panels in the spandrels, the center of each of which is decorated by a simple circle. There is a setback above the 14th floor, where the piers have capitals with domed tops and the bays are marked by double rows of modillions. The are similar setbacks above the 18th and 23rd floors. The main roof line has taller, finial-like urns atop the piers, and another band of modillions.

The north facade of the 3-story low-rise section is six bays wide. The western two are faced in limestone and have wide stone piers, while the eastern bays and piers are faced in beige brick. The ground floor has plate-glass show-windows in each bay, except for the easternmost bay, which has a small, metal-doored service entrance framed by grey granite. This bay has paired windows at the 2nd & 3rd floors, while the other bays have triple-windows with stone sills and brick lintels. The modillioned band course above the 2nd floor continues from the west facade, wrapping around onto the two stone-clad bays, which also have panels above the 3rd-floor windows. A stone coping caps all of the bays between the piers.

The north facade of the main tower, overlooking the low-rise section, is clad in buff-colored brick. It has four bays of windows, the eastern three with mostly paired windows and the western bay with single-windows. The eastern bay drops off at the first setback. Just above this setback, at the 15th floor, the next two bays have single-windows instead of pairs. The single-windows continue up the western of these two bays, and then drop off at the 2nd setback. All three bays have single-windows at the 18th floor. At the 20th floor the paired windows of the eastern bay are replaced by a double-window separated by a white metal mullion. Above the final setback only the eastern bay continues to the roof line, with single-windows at each of the three remaining floors. Between the two (front and rear) urns rises a peaked pediment., with rooftop mechanical equipment behind it.

The east elevation is partially exposed. The front section of the 3-story low-rise is a plain smooth-stuccoed wall, while the upper floors of the tower have one bay of single-windows, near the north end. The south elevation, above the 5-story low-rise section, is clad in buff-colored brick, with a similar arrangement of windows to the north facade (generally double-windows becoming single-windows at the setbacks, and then dropping off). The low 5-story section creates a light well allowing windows and light to the inner-facing walls of both this tower and the neighboring tower to the south. The ground floor is occupied by Hale & Hearty restaurant, Sophie's Cuban Cuisine, and Everyday Gourmet Cafe.