126 5th Avenue (New York City, New York)

USA / New Jersey / West New York / New York City, New York / Fifth Avenue, 126
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205-foot, 15-story Beaux-Arts/Neo-Classical office building completed in 1906. Designed by Robert Maynicke as a store-and-loft building, it is faced in buff-colored brick with a 3-story rusticated limestone base and terra-cotta decoration at the crown. On the Fifth Avenue side, four 2-story rusticated limestone piers, set on polished grey granite blocks, define the 3-bay organization which characterizes this facade. In the southern end bay, a large portico supported on grey granite columns with a festoon-carved fascia surrounds a recent corrugated aluminum and glass entrance. The center and northern end bays have a modern show window and multi-door entrance respectively. The two mullions in each window bay of the 2nd floor are carved stone. A stone cornice caps the base.

The facing of the 3rd floor is banded limestone. The mullions are uncarved limestone; a belt course separates the 3rd & 4th floors. The 4th-11th floors are clad in buff-colored brick. The three windows of each bay share a stone lintel and sill. A terra-cotta belt course with decorative brackets separates the midsection from the arcaded 12th-14th floors. Each bay terminates in a segmental-arch embellished with a keystone and decorated impost blocks. There are decorated spandrels between the 12th & 13th floors and a bracketed pediment over the center window of each bay at the 13th floor. A terra-cotta belt course separates the 14th and 15th floors. A cornice has been removed although the decorated brackets remain.

The six bays of the north facade are treated similarly to the Fifth Avenue facade above the ground-floor show windows. The show window configuration is intact including the three transoms and cast decoration inside the frames. The service entrance at the western end bay has its original intricate configuration of transoms and side lights with cast decoration on the face of the frame molding.

The building was converted to offices in the late 20th century. The ground floor is occupied by Athleta women's apparel.

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Coordinates:   40°44'18"N   73°59'32"W
This article was last modified 3 years ago