| Mid-Century Architecture |
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| NEW YORK: MISC. BUILDINGS |
| Guggenheim Bandshell Lincoln Center New York, NY |
Vivian Beaumont Theater Lincoln Center New York, NY |
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The Guggenheim Bandshell was built in 1969 as part of Lincoln Center in Damrosch Park. The structure is made of concrete. Visible in the photo just next to the Bandshell is the Metropolitan Opera House completed in 1966. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Vivian Beaumont Theater was designed by Eero Saarinen and built in 1965. There are other 1960s buildings at Lincoln Center including Alice Tully Hall from 1969 by Pietro Belluschi. For more, see this website. |
| Joseph Curran Building New York, NY |
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| The Joseph Curran Building was designed by Albert Ledner and completed in 1964. It was originally built as the headquarters for the National Maritime Union. Now known as the O'Toole Building, it is occupied by St. Vincent's Hospital. The hospital would like to demolish the building and replace it with an office tower. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Guggenheim Museum New York, NY |
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| The Guggenheim Museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built from 1956-1959. As the exterior suggests, the interior features the unique spiral ramp exhibition space inside. It was intended to resemble the interior of a nautilus shell. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| Whitney Museum New York, NY |
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| The Whitney Museum was designed by Marcel Breuer and built in 1966. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| Empire State Plaza Albany, NY |
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| The Empire State Plaza was built between 1965-1978. It was designed by designed by Wallace Harrison, famous for Rockefeller Center in New York City, the U.N. Building and the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center. Perhaps the most famous and interesting building of the complex is "The Egg" which is shaped somewhat like half of a sphere. The building functions as a performing arts center with two theatres. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. There is some resemblance between the Empire State Plaza and Oscar Niemeyer's National Congress buildings in Brazil. |
| TWA Terminal 5 JFK Airport Brooklyn, NY |
Control Tower LaGuardia Airport Queens, NY |
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TWA Terminal 5 was designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1962. It closed in 2001 and was threatened with demolition. As of 2005, it is now being restored by Jet Blue Airways. The concrete building features a wing-like, vaulted roof and an expressionistic interior. It is stunning both inside and out. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
The LaGuardia Control Tower (aka Building 88) is 150' tall and was built in 1964. Its porthole windows remind me of the Wonder Bread design. For more, see this website. |
| New York State Pavilion Flushing, NY |
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| shelter structures Flushing Marina, NY |
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The New York State Pavilion was created for the 1964-1965 World's Fair. It still stands, in ruins, in limbo between destruction and potential reuse. The steel and concrete Pavilion was designed by Philip Johnson. Included in the Pavilion was the Tent of Tomorrow which features sixteen 100' tall towers that once supported a canopy. On the ground underneath it was a huge map of New York State (now barely detectable) made of terrazzo panels. The Pavilion also includes three observation towers (90', 185' and 250' tall). These towers were reached by capsule-shaped elevators which are still visible. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
These two shelter structures were designed by Felix Candela for the 1964-1965 World's Fair. For similar Candela designs, see this website. |
| Lassie Coats Long Island City, NY |
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| The Lassie Coats building was constructed in 1958. It now houses the Structural Display Co. For more, see this website. |
| Touch of Italy Tonawanda, NY |
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| The round Touch of Italy restaurant appears to be mid-century. Does anyone know what this place was originally? |
| European Health Spa Scarsdale, NY |
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| This mushroom-shaped Jack LaLanne's European Health Spa was built in 1969 and has been closed for many years. I don't know if there were other round buildings in the chain. Three abstract shapes and a statue of Atlas are installed in front of the building. Parts of Atlas' globe are scattered at the statue's base. Office plants or outdoor plants have taken over the spa's interior. There was talk of demolishing the building in 2001, however, as of 2009, it still remains. Many former Jack LaLanne's locations are now used by other health clubs but have kept their Atlas statues such as this one in Reno, NV. For more, see this website. |
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More NY Mid-Century Buildings:
Madison Square Garden: 1, 2 (New York) United Nations: 1, 2 (New York) |
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