One of several similar patterned glass chandeliers that illuminate the lobby
There are some really fine building lobbies in Manhattan, almost all of them dating to the ’30s at the latest, and this is one of the best.
The architects used Babylonian motifs, visible here in the barrel-vaulted ceiling of the lobby and portal as well as in the bronze panels and moldings.
The 5th Avenue entrance to the Fred F. French Building
The Fred F. French Building (551 Fifth Avenue) is one of the less-well-known Art Deco skyscrapers in New York City. And that’s a shame, because it’s one of the better designs of that era.
I’ll have more photos and more to say about this building, but for now, I want to introduce you to its exuberant 5th Avenue entrance.
In designing the impressive bronze portal, the architects clearly had the Ishtar Gate of ancient Babylon in mind. Ishtar Gate was built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC.) The Gate, a marvel of its time, announced to anyone approaching it that he had come to the greatest city of its day.
Perhaps Mr. French’s architects were saying the same thing about Babylon-on-the-Hudson?
Atlas from St. Patrick's
Emerging from the quiet of St. Patrick’s Cathedral around sunset, I was greeted by this pre-Christmas rush as I looked across Fifth Avenue.
I’m not particularly a fan of The Donald, nor have I ever watched The Apprentice, but I give Mr. Trump props for this handsome 68-story mixed-use skyscraper on Fifth Avenue. The five-story atrium, complete with waterfall, is an impressive public space and worth a visit. The building uses the air rights over Tiffany’s without ruining the street-level impact of the iconic jewelry store.
Here’s what I think is the best angle for photographing the building, taken from Fifth Avenue at 56th Street.
