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Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m 2) between 48th Street and 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family , span the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue , split by a large sunken square and a private street called Rockefeller Plaza.
The construction of the Rockefeller Center complex in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, was conceived in the late 1920s and led by John D. Rockefeller Jr.. Rockefeller Center is on one of Columbia University 's former campuses and is bounded by Fifth Avenue to the east, Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) to the west, 48th Street to the south ...
- Breaking Ground
- Changing Names
- Establishing Territory
- Family Business
- International Inspiration
- WWII
- From Debt to Profit
- Making Moves
- From Profit to Debt
- Rockefeller’s Mark
Before this center became what it is today, Columbia University owned the land that was leased to John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1928. Originally, it was to build a new Metropolitan Opera house. However, this could no longer be afforded due to the stock market crash in 1929. As a result, plans changed after Rockefeller negotiated with Radio Corporation...
Rockefeller Center certainly came a long way since 1801 when twenty acres of this land were owned by a physician named David Hosack. It was originally opened as Elgin Botanic Garden that ran for ten years before Columbia University assumed ownership of the land in 1923. Originally, David Jr. did not want his family’s name associated with this comme...
The first completed building belonging to the center was the RKO, which was ready for move-in in September 1932. Next was the Music Hall which opened in December. In April 1933, it was the British Empire Building, then the RCA Building in May after a brief delay due to a controversial painting that was displayed in its lobby. Diego Rivera’s Man at ...
Going into 1938, Nelson Rockefeller became president of this newly developed center. His first move was changing its management, as well as moving into the 56th floor of the RCA building. Over time, the family business took up three floors of space inside its sixty-six-foot tower. Even though November 1, 1939, marked the ceremonial date of the fina...
Going into the autumn season of 1934, there were three buildings in development that focused on establishing an international flavor. There were two retail outlets, as well as a thirty-eight-story complex, on the way. One of these buildings was already rented out to Italian tenants. At one point, Germany was interested in renting but was rejected d...
Due to rising tensions that led to World War II, New York City was already facing foreign-related issues. After Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, whatever lease agreements were in place with Germans, Italians, and Japanese tenants at that time were terminated for security reasons. There were also office relocations and evictions among ...
Upon the completion of Rockefeller Center in 1940, it was in debt by nearly forty million dollars. However, the debt didn’t last for long, thanks to so many tenants filing up all the rental space it had available at the time. In fact, it was so popular there was a waiting list just to rent space in the center. As for the Music Hall, this was a favo...
As newer offices throughout New York City were erected that came with upgrades such as air conditioning and improved spacing, some of the existing tenants seeking to relocate. At this time, Columbia University still technically owned the land underneath all this development. As renters themselves, the Rockefeller Center put in the request to have a...
Despite Rockefeller Center’s success, they also had a landlord of their own. Columbia University was still technically a landowner of all the property involved in this urban development. While New York’s economy was thriving, developers were able to cash in. When the 1970s saw a skid that included a proliferation of closed-captioned foreign films, ...
The Rockefellers and Columbia University agreed the center’s buildings were already symbolic landmarks. Also, the university felt it wasn’t making enough lease money from the center. Going into 1983, Columbia looked into selling land underneath the buildings to outside investors. It wound up selling to the Rockefeller Group for $400 million USD. In...
- An investment. First conceived in 1927, Rockefeller Center was intended as a mixed use complex that would house the Metropolitan Opera and assorted retail establishments.
- Cool, unfussy elegance. Raymond Hood’s RCA building (since renamed the GE building and popularly known as 30 Rock) dominates Rockefeller Center. This skyscraper exudes a cool, unfussy elegance.
- Streamlined moderne. The building was as efficient as it was elegant, with floor plans designed to maximize rental values. Proximity to windows was important—tenants demanded daylight and ventilation in their office spaces.
- Art and architecture. The architects did, however, welcome the addition of sculpture and paintings to their buildings, both inside and out. To name but a few examples, Lee Lawrie’s rich Art Deco panels on the RCA building depicted allegorical figures of light and sound; Hildreth Meiere’s panels on Radio City Music Hall rendered stylized theatrical muses in bold colors.
Rockefeller Center, a 22-acre (9-hectare) multipurpose complex of 19 commercial and entertainment buildings located between 48th and 51st streets and between Fifth and Sixth avenues in the heart of Manhattan in New York City. The center is one of the city’s most-visited tourist attractions, and it is a national historic landmark.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Rockefeller Center in New York City is a fascinating 22-acre masterpiece inspired by John D. Rockefeller’s vision to create another city within a city. The perfect blend of low and high-rise buildings coupled with the dazzling array of sculptures, carvings, and architectural styles make it one of the most iconic attractions in New York City.
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Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center. Daniel Okrent Viking. In all likelihood many decades from now, the day will come when New York will no longer be the most powerful city in the world.
