Horn & Hardart Building (New York City, New York)

 Art Nouveau / Jugendstil (architecture), interesting place, 1912_construction, commercial building

3-story commercial building completed in 1912. Designed by Stuckert & Sloan, it originally housed New York's first automat - an automatic-style lunchroom featuring coin-operated machines with compartments of food accessed by opening little glass doors. The automat was named Horn & Hardart, after the owners. By 1922 there were 21 Horn & Hardart restaurants in New York City and the chain became a familiar device in stage and screen routines. Conventional food service gradually replaced a pure Automat concept and in the mid-1970s the restaurant at 1557 closed and was replaced by a Burger King. The last automat in the city closed in 1978.

Now 1557 Broadway is occupied by "Grand Slam Stores" sportswear, all plate-glass and aluminum shingles, topped by two tiers of billboards, with additional signage covering most of the two upper floors. Nothing of the original interior or facade can be seen, although the terra cotta and other elements may survive intact. The ground floor is now occupied by Grand Slam New York.

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