Cooper Hewitt Buildings (New York City, New York)

 office  Add category

164-foot, 12-story Chicago School-style twin office buildings both completed in 1910. Designed by Clinton & Russell, the two buildings at 387 and 401 Park Avenue South are together known as the Cooper Hewitt complex. The facade appears as a single building above the 3-story base, where No. 387 has been renovated from its original appearance. It now has newer, flat plate-glass windows between its limestone piers with grey granite bases. Steel spandrels separate the ground floor from the 2nd floor in each bay, and the glass covers the spandrels that separate the 2nd & 3rd floors. The west facade on the avenue spans five bays, with the entrance in the north bay. It has four steel-framed glass doors and a transom covered by a stainless-steel canopy, set in a grey granite surround.

The base of No. 401 more closely resembles its original appearance, although the ground-floor storefronts have been modernized and have stone surrounds. The entrance is in the southern of the five bays, with a revolving door flanked by glass doors, covered by a steel canopy. The 2nd & 3rd floors have tripartite bay windows with end panes that angle back into the facade. The windows have black iron framing and matching spandrels panels between the two floors.

The upper floors present a seamless linking of the two addresses, clad in white brick. The ten bays each have three single-windows very slightly recessed into the facade, with thin stone sills joining each trio, and brick lintels. A white stone band underlines the 5th floor, and another sets off the top floor.

The north facade of No. 401 on 28th Street spans ten bays, and the south facade of N0. 387 on 27th Street spans nine. Both have a freight entrance in the easternmost bay, with metal doors set in a segmental-arched limestone surrround with a scrolled keystone. The ground floor of No. 387 is occupied by Barry's gym, and a CVS pharmacy. The ground floor of No. 401 is occupied by a Duane-Reade pharmacy, and a McDonald's.