Standard Security Life Building (New York City, New York)

 insurance company, office building

272-foot, 25-story office building completed in 1929. Designed by J.E.R. Carpenter, it is clad in buff-colored brick above a renovated 3-story polished black granite base. The building is the former headquarters of CBS Radio, who sold it in 1965. It was then renamed the Standard Security Life Building.

Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Independence Holding Company, a NYSE listed corporation (Symbol IHC) with principal interests in the life and health insurance business. Also in this group are Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. and Independence American Insurance Company. The IHC Group has consolidated assets of more than one billion dollars.

The facade west facade on the avenue is five bays wide, and the north facade on 52nd Street spans six bays. The main entrance is in the center bay on the avenue, with recessed glass doors (a revolving door on the left and traditional doors on the right) below a frosted glass canopy. The recessed entry continues at the 2nd floor, with a large plate-glass window topped by grey metal panel, above which are the silver numbers "485". To the north and south at the ground floor are metal-and-glass storefronts. The 2nd & 3rd floors have triple-windows in each bay in thin, black metal framing. The north facade has additional storefronts, and a pair of recessed metal service doors at the east end. The 2nd & 3rd floors have the same triple-windows, except for two 2nd-floor bays that have black metal louvers instead, and the easternmost bay, which has three single-windows on both floors. The base is capped by a dentiled band course on both facades.

The upper floors have triple-windows, except for the end bays on the west facade, which have paired windows, and the end bays on the north facade, which have paired windows at the west and three single-windows at the east. The windows in these bays are divided by narrow, 45-degree angled vertical brick columns, and the main piers are lined with smaller angled bands at the edges. The brick spandrels are paneled, with brick sills and lintels framing the windows above and below. The spandrels between the 13th & 14th floors have interlocking diamond designs, continued across the piers as well.

There is a setback above the 14th floor marked by additional diamond patterns at the piers and notched balustrade-like parapets at each bay, except for the southernmost bay on the avenue and the easternmost bay on the north facade, which first set back above the 17th floor. There are full-floor setbacks above the 17th & 20th floors, with a partial setback above the 23rd floor. Each setback has the same markings as the first one. The ground floor is occupied by a T-Mobile wireless store, Gregorys Coffee, and Fresco by Scotto restaurant.

www.sslicny.com/