Banks Building

 office building  Add category

214-foot, 17-story Neo-Classical office building completed in 1922. Designed by Necarsulmer & Lehlbach, it is a near-twin of the neighboring building to the west at 66-70 West 40th, which is slightly narrower and has subtle design differences at the base and crown. Both are clad in brown brick above 3-story limestone bases, with 2-story limestone crowns. No. 58, the Banks Building, has white-painted entrances at both ends. The main entrance is at the east end, with slightly-recessed glass doors; above them is a carved panel with the words "BANKS BUILDING" and some modest ornament. The west end has a service entrance with metal doors, and a similar panel, only without the words; the center has a modernized storefront. The 2nd floor has large seven plate-glass windows; the two in the end bays are widely separated; the five in the center are in a joined band, with the outer two set slightly apart by black iron piers. Two projecting flagpoles extend from outside the middle band of windows. The 3rd floor has single-windows in the end bays, and four bays of paired windows in the middle. A band course with a Greek-fret motif caps the base. In the 1950's, it served as the offices for the noted fabric company F. Schumacher & Co. (now Schumacher).

The brick upper floors continue the organization of the 3rd floor, and have simple stone sills at the middle windows, and a band course setting off the 2-story crown. Faced in limestone, it has the same window division, with ornamented carved spandrels between the two floors. Above a crowning band course rises a slightly-set back penthouse level, faced in stone, with similar windows. The ground floor is occupied by FedEx Office.

www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2019/frank-lloyd...