New York Cotton Exchange | condominium, 1923_construction

 condominium, 1923_construction

292-foot, 23-story office building completed in 1923. Designed by Donn Barber for the New York Cotton Exchange, it replaced the Exchange's earlier home on the same site. Except for its granite base, the entire tower is clad in limestone, and inspired by Italian Renaissance forms. The Hanover Square elevation is divided into five bays by six uninterrupted piers. The ground level is lined with storefronts, and has an entrance in the fourth bay from the west which is outlined in ornamental stone squares. A band course with a fret pattern sets off the 2nd & 3rd floors, which are united by double-height paired pilasters supporting an architrave.

In the transitional 4th floor, each bay has a pair of windows, and each pair is separated from the next by a square ornamental panel. From here, the building's shaft rises to the 16th floor. Each bay in the shaft has a pair of rectangular windows. The 17th floor is set off from the shaft by a sill course; each bay has an ornamental metal balcony railing, and each bay is flanked by a pair of extended console brackets which support a projecting stone balcony with ornamental carving. The 19th-21st floors are framed by a grand row of triple-height Ionic columns supporting an entablature, cornice, and parapet balustrade; the final stories are set back behind the balustrade. The Ionic colonnade corresponds to the Cotton Exchange's 55-foot-high trading floor which was originally located in these stories. The William Street elevation is almost identical to the Hanover Square elevation, but has six bays rather than five. The Beaver Street elevation is also almost identical, with five bays, but also a half-bay added at the east, to accommodate a secondary entrance, creating an asymmetrical design.

In the late 1970s, 3 Hanover Square became the first major structure in the downtown area to be converted for full residential use when it was turned into condominium building. The ground floor is occupied by Leonidas Fresh Belgian Chocolates, Joseph's restaurant, Ray's Jewelry, Leo's Bagels, Underground Pizza, Yorganic yogurt, Hanover Gourmet Deli, Taste of Tokyo restaurant, and George's Hair Styling.