Downtown Club Building (New York City, New York)

 skyscraper, condominiums, Art Deco (architecture)

518-foot, 39-story Art-Deco residential building completed in 1930 as a social club. Designed by Starrett & Van Vleck, it opened as the Downtown Athletic Club, a membership association geared toward businessmen and lawyers who worked in lower Manhattan, which was founded in 1926. The high cost of land necessitated a tall building, and the relatively small lot size dictated that the different functions and facilities of the club, including swimming pool, gymnasium, bowling alleys, miniature golf course, squash and tennis courts, as well as dining rooms and living quarters, be accommodated on separate floors.

The Downtown Athletic Club became most famous as the home of the Heisman Trophy, given every year to the most outstanding college football player, (although recently more of an ESPN hype-driven popularity contest) and named after John Heisman, the club’s first athletic director. The boxy shape and variety of setbacks in the Downtown Athletic Club Building demonstrate the effects of the 1916 Building Zone Resolution, but also give some indication of the various purposes assigned to different sections of the building. The architects juxtaposed the simple massing of the building with stylized, theater-like entrance prosceniums on both facades and a dextrous use of flat and angled brick, creating a dramatic addition to the city's skyline.

Significantly taller than its two neighbors, the building is faced with mottled orange brick and carries decorative metal and glass panels above the two main entries and on the spandrels beneath many windows. The 4-story base has an over-scaled central entrance on West Street, formed by a broad band of vertically-laid bricks which projects above the base and is supported by two sets of three stylized columns created by projecting bricks. The ensemble forms a type of grand entablature within which is the large doorway opening, crowned by a flat brass marquee. Above the marquee and within the entablature, is a large window opening, divided by metal mullions into twelve parts. Each section displays multi-toned brown glass in a chevron pattern. Above this window are several rows of corbelled bricks leading to a flat stone panel which in turn, is also topped by brick corbelling. There are two bays to each side of this grand entrance with single windows that are slightly recessed and linked vertically by plain brick piers. Above the 3rd floor is a broad parapet faced with vertically-set brick, and capped with limestone.

Above the base, the midsection is slightly setback. The northern bay of this section is distinct from the rest of this facade and continues straight through the 15th floor, with a series of small, plain paired windows which have slightly recessed spandrels and are linked vertically from the 4th story mezzanine through the 15th floor. The rest of this facade is evenly divided into five bays. There are no windows on the 4th, 5th & 6th mezzanine levels. At the 5th floor each bay contains a grated opening formed in brick. At the 7th-13th floors the windows are inset slightly in the brick and linked vertically by decorative metal spandrel panels bearing a chevron motif. There are plain brick spandrels at the 14th & 15th floors.

The building sets back again from West Street at the 16th floor, which houses mechanical equipment. This section goes from the 16th to the 26th floor, with a smaller block on each side. The four central bays on floors 17-25 are comprised of recessed, vertically-linked windows with decorative spandrels. A parapet at the 26th floor has limestone caps. The upper section of the building is indicated by another setback at the 26th floor. The four recessed, vertically-linked window bays continue through the 34th floor. The decorative spandrels continue on this section, with a slight variation of motif between the 28th & 29th floors. The 35th floor caps the tower. A narrow brick band distinguishes this floor, which also has decorative brick chevrons on the piers between each of the four bays. The parapet above this floor has alternating sections of solid and angled brick and is topped by limestone caps. A smaller tower located over the northern part of the building houses mechanical equipment and a water tank. It is ornamented by three recessed brick panels on each of its four facades and is capped by similar brickwork on its parapet.

The Washington Street entrance is similar to but less elaborate than the entrance on West Street. Above the doorway at the 2nd story is a 3-section opening containing a metal grating fronted by a series of metal chevrons. This section is topped by a series of corbelled bricks and flanked by paired brick columns. This doorway is also topped by a flat brass marquee. There is a series of seven small windows at the 3rd floor. The building sets back from the 4th story through the 16th story, with a separate bay on the northern side of this facade. Centered in this side bay at each level is a single, small window with a stone sill. These windows are joined vertically by slightly-recessed brick spandrels. The larger part of this section is faced with a plain brick wall from the 4th-7th floors, interrupted only by five brick gratings at the 5th floor. Beginning at the 7th floor there are five bays of windows, slightly inset in the brick, and joined vertically by ornamental metal spandrels through the 14th floor. The 15th floor is marked by taller windows and a continuous stone sill and thin stone cornice. The mechanical 16th floor has five grated openings for ventilation. The next setback begins at the 17th floor with an irregular glass railing at the edge of the balcony. From the 17th-28th floor, there are four bays of vertical rows of windows, capped by a stone parapet at the 29th floor. The final setback goes from the 29th to the 35th floor. The vertical rows of windows continue through the 34th floor, stopped by a horizontal brick band. The narrow tower for the mechanical equipment and water tower is visible on this side of the building.

The Downtown Athletic Club permanently closed in 2002, suffering damage and financial issues from 9/11; it would reopen in 2005 as a residential tower named The Downtown Club, with 283 condominium units. The building's amenities is a large fitness center called The Trophy Club. On the Washington Street side, the lower floors are occupied by The Learning Experience Children's Academy.

usmodernist.org/AF/AF-1931-02-1.pdf