Aramco Building

 office building, Streamline Moderne (architecture)

277-foot, 21-story Modernist office building completed in 1949. Designed by Emery Roth, it served as headquarters of the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) from 1949 to 1973. The 2nd floor has thin, horizontal brass strips dividing the glass into long ribbons, recessed above the entrance. The rest of the ground floor has storefronts in brass and glass. The southwest corner is rounded, with curved glass at the wide corner storefront. The storefronts continue along East 59th Street, with a pair of brass service doors at the east end.

The upper floors are clad in beige brick with ribbon bands of tinted glass along most of the west and south facades, including around the rounded corner. The ends of both facades have two bays of triple-windows in the same style as the longer ribbon bands. Terraced setbacks at every other floor begin above the 14th floor at the ends of both main facades, and above the 12th floor above the ribbon-band sections. The ribbon bands continue on these upper floors, while the end sections each have three bays of large single-windows. Low, black metal railings top each setback.

The building was remodeled by Der Scutt in 1987, with a new 2-story lobby and modern two-story base clad in polished brass, dark-tinted glass and red Spanish marble at the water table. The main entrance is centered on Park Avenue, with double-doors flanking a revolving door. The ground floor is occupied by Oxford Cafe, Sherry-Lehmann wine & liquor store, and Mizu Louis Licari hair salon.