36 West 20th Street

 office building  Add category

143-foot, 11-story Renaissance-revival office building completed in 1907. Designed by Neville & Bagge as a store-and-loft building, it is clad in buff-colored brick and terra-cotta. Flanking pilaster strips support a terra-cotta frieze and cornice that caps the base above the 2nd floor. The original metal cornice has been retained above the altered storefront. The 2nd floor is divided into three bays by metal mullions. The two western bays each contain three plate glass windows with transoms, with casement windows flanking a larger fixed pane; the metal framing is original. The middle window of the eastern bay has a three-over-three paned window, while the flanking windows are two-over-two. All three windows have transoms. Although there are no transoms, the windows of the upper stories continue this pattern.

Floor 3-9 are clad in buff-colored brick, with brick piers articulating the bays. The 9th floor culminates in another terra-cotta cornice, decorated with cartouches. The 10th and 11th floors contain bays separated by pilasters, with terra-cotta ornament in the spandrel panels. The cornice at the roof line has been removed. The eastern bay is covered by a fire escape that runs from the top to the 2nd floor. The ground floor is occupied by Set 2 photographic/theater set shop.