579 Fifth Avenue (New York City, New York) | office building

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211-foot, 16-story modernist office building completed in 1954. Designed by Emery Roth & Sons, its entrance is at the east end of the south facade on 47th Street. In 2013, the building was renovated to designs by Kohn Pedersen & Fox with a new white glass spandrel system, a 2-story transparent glass storefront, and new entrance and lobby.

The entrance has glass revolving and traditional doors, with a stainless-steel canopy. A grey granite water table runs below the storefronts. On the upper floors there are bands of almost-square windows between the white spandrels. The east end of the south facade sets back above the 9th floor, and the west end (and west elevation) above the 10th. The middle and east sections then set back above the 12th floor, and the west section above the 13th. There is a full-floor setback above the 14th floor to a lower roof line and terrace at the west half of the 15th floor; the 16th floor is slightly set back and rises to the upper roof line at the east half of the site. The building is L-shaped, with a wing extending north. The east elevation is clad in brick, with bands of windows gradually narrowing at each setback. A tall, rectangular mechanical penthouse rises from the west edge of the main roof. The north elevation, above the neighboring buildings, is also clad in brick with horizontal bands of windows.