450 Lexington

 office building, skyscraper, interesting place

568-foot, 38-story postmodern office building completed in 1992. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it is built atop an existing 6-story landmarked post office (Warren & Wetmore with Reed & Stem, 1906-1909) which is located over railroad tracks feeding Grand Central Terminal. The limestone and granite former post office now serves as the base of the tower.

The east facade along the avenue is organized into six southern bays and three northern bays. The three north bays have recessed entrances framed by elaborately carved moldings that erupt in cartouche-like elements at the top of each opening. Four wall-mounted, Art-Deco metal light fixtures flank these bays. The southern bays have plainer stone enframements, with similar cartouches, and have storefront with metal and glass infill; there is a secondary entrance in the southernmost bay. Above a heavy cornice, the north bays at the 2nd-5th floors are separated by large fluted columns on large pedestals. The 2nd-floor windows have elaborate moldings and cornices on top, while the triple-windows on the 3rd-5th floor have green metal framing and spandrels. The soffits on the underside of the three bays at the 5th floor are carved with hash patterns. On either side of the openings divided by the columns, the 2nd floor is bisected by a band course of intricate foliate carvings superimposed over a Greek fret motif. There are triple-windows, also with metal framing, in the southern bays, taller at the 2nd floor. Three small windows are located between the north and south sections at the 3rd-5th floors. An entablature topping the 5th floor has a thin rope molding, two more elaborate moldings, and a row of modillions, all below a dentiled cornice. The 6th floor has three separate recessed windows in each bay, with a pair of oversized cartouches on either end of the three north bays. A modillioned cornice caps the base, interrupted by the rounded tops of the two cartouches.

The north facade of the base has 12 bays. The middle four are taller at the ground floor, with elaborate foliate surrounds and cartouches, and a recessed entry portico behind them, accessed by four low sets of granite steps at each opening. These bays are also topped by a Greek fret motif with acanthus leaves, and have wall-mounted light fixtures on the piers around them. The end bays have similarly decorated openings, only shorter; the eastern one opens to the entrances on the east side, and the western one has a service entrance. The other six bays have simpler enframements with simple keytstones. The three on the east end have glass-and-metal infill, as does the eastern one of the three western bays; the other two are filled with stone, and are shorter due to the slope of the site. The Greek fret band course continues across the 2nd floor at the four end bays on each side. All the upper floors of the base on this facade has triple-windows, except for the end bays, which have double-windows, all with grey-green metal framing and spandrels. The entablature, cornices and top floor of the base match those on the east facade. The west facade also matches, except that the lower floors have large loading docks.

The 7th-9th floors are set back and form a transition to the further-set back upper floors of the tower, all of which is clad in Sardiain grey granite and green glass. The east and west facades have eight bays, and the north and south have ten. The four middle bays on the north facade are part of a curved projection at the 7th-8th floors. All the windows on these floors are oversized floor-to-ceiling windows with two wide panes flanked by two narrower panes. The 9th floor has triple-windows in the middle bays and wide windows with similar panes to those below in the end bays. Another setback leads to the main tower portion.

It has end bays each with three windows, and middle bays with floor-to-ceiling windows (again in green glass) matching those from below, separated at each floor by darker, opaque, grey glass spandrels. There are four middle bays on the east and west facades and six on the north and south. There is a band course between the 11th & 12th floors. The 34th-35th floors have notched corners and granite panels with silver metal cross-hatch patterned diamond motif top the 35th floor at each bay; the same panels top the 33rd floor at the middle bays. Adorning the piers between each bay at the top of the 35th floor are projecting, vertical, silver metal Art-Deco fins. The crown is set back, with narrow, projecting piers and similar fins dividing bays of green glass curtain wall, topped by a large, repeating, silver metal and grey granite diamond motif that highlights the building crown. There is seven diamonds along the north and south sides, and five on the east and west.

The ground floor is still occupied by a post office, along with a Starbucks coffee, and FedEx Office.

450lex.com/
archive.org/details/artsdecoration1819newy/page/n342