Block-Sized City-Beautiful Powerhouse Landmarked after 38 Years

Massive West Side powerhouse, designed by Stanford White, continue to operate as steam-generating plant. On December 5, 2017, Landmarks voted to designate the former Interborough Rapid Transit Powerhouse, at 850 Twelfth Avenue, an individual City landmark.  The structure, which occupies an entire block along the West Side Highway, dates to 1905 and was designed by McKim, Mead and White’s Stanford White. The monumental generating station was built to power the Interborough Rapid Transit subway system, … <Read More>


Court Rules Permit to Disconnect Historic Clock was Irrationally Issued

Landmarks permit that would have seen designated interior converted to inaccessible private residence, and historic clock mechanism disconnected, is ruled to have been issued irrationally and influenced by erroneous legal counsel. The Landmark Preservation Commission designed spaces in the former New York Life Insurance Building, located at 346 Broadway, constructed in 1894 to 1898, as an interior City landmark in 1987. The designation included the 13th floor clock tower, which held the four glass clock … <Read More>


Former Dairy Building Designated an Individual Landmark

Owners asked for exclusion of portion of site due to need for environmental remediation; Landmarks decided to designate property as originally proposed. Landmarks voted to designate as an individual City landmark six buildings constituting the former Empire State Dairy Company complex on December 5, 2017. The complex dates to the early 20th century and occupies an entire blockfront at 2840 Atlantic Avenue. The commission added the property to its calendar in March of 2016, … <Read More>


Postmodern Icon to be Considered as Individual Landmark

Tower’s design, which flamboyantly rejected the precepts of the International Style, generated tremendous publicity and controversy. On November 28, 2017, Landmarks voted to add the former AT&T Building, at 550 Madison Avenue to its calendar, formally commencing the designation process. Designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the building is considered an icon of Postmodernism. The building, built between 1978 and 1884, is just old enough to be considered under Landmarks’ rules mandating that only … <Read More>


Stately Turn-of-the-Century Colonial Revival Home Designated an Individual Landmark

Individual landmark designed for politician and lawyer Peter Huberty by his son, Ulrich Huberty, architect of another potential individual added to Landmarks calendar. On October 24, 2017, Landmarks voted to designate the Peter P. and Rosa M. Huberty House an individual City landmark. The house stands 1019 Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood. The free-standing Colonial Revival building was designed for Peter P. Huberty by his eldest son, Ulrich Huberty.


5Pointz: The Anti-Rebellion Message of the Graffiti Dispute

Graffiti has become much more than spray-painted tags and quickly disappearing pieces on train cars and underpasses. In some quarters it is now high art. Highly prized are works by Shepard Fairey, the artist behind the “Hope” poster Fairey made for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, Jean-Michel Basquiat, who began as a graffiti artist and whose works today command huge prices, and Banksy, whose street works are carefully preserved.  These dramatic changes in the nature and … <Read More>