New York Times Annex Building (New York City, New York)

 office building, commercial building

266-foot, 18-story Neo-Gothic office building originally completed in 1913 . Designed by Mortimer J. Fox of Buchman & Fox, it had additions in 1922 designed by Ludlow & Peabody and 1932 designed by Albert Kahn. It was originally called the New York Times Annex because it was designed to supplement the One Times Square Times Tower, built in 1905 at Broadway and 42nd Street (which gives Times Square its name). The 1922 addition added 100 feet on the west side, as well as a 5-story setback attic level in the style of the French Renaissance, including the Mansard roofs. The 1932 addition expanded further to the west including a second lobby and roof-top studio. Further expansions by Kahn included a 12-story Art-Deco New York Times North building adjoining it to the north on 44th Street. The building was the headquarters of The New York Times newspaper from 1913 through 2007. In recognition of its importance to the newspaper, the Annex was renamed the New York Times Building in 1942. The New York Times Company sold the building in 2004 to Tishman Speyer Properties for $175 million. Tishman sold it to Africa Israel Investments in 2007 for $525 million, who began a $175 million renovation including adding a new sign on the top and replacing a digital clock in place since 1962 with an analog version. Africa Israel officially calls it "The Times Square Building". Since 2009, the basement has housed Discovery TSX.

The building is faced in Indiana limestone, tan brick, and cream-colored terra-cotta. It is divided into three major parts: a 4-story east section, an 11-story main section, a 5-story set-back attic level and 7-story tower. The south elevation faces West 43rd Street and consists of a 2-story limestone base below a brick shaft and richly-embellished terra-cotta crown. The ground floor is divided into 16 bays, of which 12 were used as delivery bays, and are now enclosed as brass-and-glass storefronts. To the west of the entrances the segmental-arches above each bay have been retained, while to the east they have been squared. Attached to each pier is a globe-shaped lighting fixture. Most of the 2nd-story windows, except for one at the west end and four at the east end, are arranged in pairs and share a common sill. These windows are surmounted by a continuous shell frieze and cornice.

Four entrances are located near the center, with bronze-and-glass doors; the two outer entry doors are also surrounded by bronze-and-glass panes. The piers here have slender bronze-and-glass lighting fixtures. The two middle entry bays are framed piers with stylized Corinthian capitals and entablatures. Above each entrance, at the 2nd floor, are three recessed windows with brass framing, surmounted by a frieze with relief panels, each with a pair of griffins grasping a shield. Two flagpoles extend from each sill above the center entrances, and a single gargoyle projects from between the two center entrances.

The 4-story east section is clad in brick above the 2nd floor, with three single-windows on each floor. The 4th-floor windows are crowned by ogee moldings with finials. Above the 4th floor is a richly embellished terra-cotta cornice supported by four decorative corbels. A terra-cotta parapet extends across the roof.

To the west, floors 3-9 are clad in brick. From east to west, the fenestration is arranged as follows: a single-window with ogee molding, three pairs of recessed windows, two single-windows with ogee molding, three pairs of recessed windows, a single-window with ogee molding, three recessed windows, and a single-window with ogee molding. Between the 9th & 10th floor extends a continuous entablature interrupted by decorative terra-cotta capitals with small cartouches crowning brick pilasters that rise from the base of the 3rd floor.

The 10th & 11th floors are treated as a single composition in terra-cotta, with three groups of three triple-windows framed by arches springing from decorative capitals and flanked by pilasters faced with tablet flowers. To accentuate the southeast corner, these pilasters repeat near the end of the south and east facades. The triple-windows are divided by thin metal columns resting on squat pedestals. At the 11th floor, the windows rest on decorative metal spandrels. Each group of windows is flanked by a single-window at the 10th floor and a single-window with balcony crowned by an ogee molding with finial at the 11th floor. Crowned by a continuous bracketed terra-cotta cornice, the 11th floor is surmounted by a decorative shell frieze that extends onto the east facade. A decorative parapet, alternating three-dimensional decorative relief panels and pedestals, extends across the roof.

Set back from the street is the 5-story attic level with a hipped roof and dormer windows. The 14th floor is faced with fleur-de-lys reliefs within raised interlaced diagonal bands. Directly above is a bracketed terra-cotta cornice, a decorative frieze, and parapet. Atop each of the parapet's pedestals is a small obelisk. Towards the west end of the 14th floor, a section of the parapet has been removed and a small addition has been made into the roof. The hipped roof is covered to give the appearance of standing-seam terne metal.

The tower is divided into three bays. At the 17th floor, each window has a small balcony and is crowned by an ogee molding. In the central bay, a single (sealed) window rises from the 14th-15th floor. The 15th & 16th floors are faced with low fleur-de-lys reliefs set within raised interlaced diagonal bands. The tower sets back at the 18th floor and is enclosed by a terra-cotta parapet with three-dimensional relief panels. Behind the parapet, each facade has three arched windows between pilasters. The 18th floor has a pedimented dorner on each facade, flanked by scrolls and finials. The pyramidal roof, covered to five the appearance of standing-seam terne metal, rises to a slender lantern, enclosed by an arched railing resting on shell-like objects. Directly below the lantern, on all sides, aligned with the pedimented dorner, is a round-arched dormer.

The brick east elevation is visible above the 4-story extension. It has single-windows with ogee moldings at the front and back, and three recessed windows in the center. The upper floors are similar to the south facade, with the attic level setting back at the 12th floor. Obelisks rise from each of the pedestals across the roof. At the north end of the parapet rises a terra-cotta-clad chimney with cap.

The west elevation is visible above the adjacent garage and from Eighth Avenue. Brown and beige brickwork frames the windows, as well as the blind openings, on the 5th-11th floors. At the top of the 11th floor is a terra-cotta parapet and decorative reliefs. The attic level sets back at the 12th floor. The 13th & 14th floors each have a single-window at either end. At the 14th floor, the windows and a wide central panel are decorated with fleur-de-lys reliefs set within raised interlaced diagonal panels. Decorative parapets mark the base of the 15th & 16th floors. Above the 15th floor is a small tower capped by a hipped roof with a metal dormer containing three round-arched windows. Below each window are decorative chevrons. Small finials mark the top of the dormer and roof.

The north facade of the north addition on 44th Street is clad in tan brick above a ground floor of various painted metal-and-glass storefronts, topped by a broad limestone band. At the west end, there are two loading docks and a deeply-recessed service entrance below two small, square windows; the service entrance is framed in grey granite. The upper floors have uninterrupted brick piers dividing the facade into 17 bays. The vertical columns of windows between the piers are divided at each floor by grey-brown metal spandrels, and various signage is attached to the lower floors. The outer bays set back above the 7th floor, while the middle six bays extend to the 9th floor before a full-floor setback. The top floors are also clad in brick, and a large mechanical penthouse rises from the main roof. The ground floor at the east end of 43rd Street is occupied by Los Tacos No. 1, and on 44th Street by Bacall's restaurant, Blue bar, Bowlero Times Square, and the entrance to Discovery Times Square.

The building is largely occupied by Yahoo!

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