Theater District hotel’s architect was primarily known as a theater designer. On November 17, 2009, Landmarks voted to designate the Paramount Hotel, located at 235 West 46th Street in Manhattan. Thomas W. Lamb built the 600-room French Renaissance hotel between 1927 and 1928. The Scottish-born Lamb was a prolific theater and cinema architect, having designed more than 300 theaters around the world. The Paramount is one of only a very few hotels he designed. Rising nineteen stories, the building’s facade includes ornate brick, terra cotta, and stone, and it is topped off by a copper mansard roof. The Paramount’s ground floor facade notably features a double-height arcade with twelve marble-faced arches.

At the time of the hotel’s construction, Times Square was peaking in prominence as an entertainment hub, and the Paramount served as a luxury destination for visitors enjoying the City’s nightlife. After a long period of neglect, hotelier Ian Schrager bought the Paramount in the 1990s, repairing the hotel’s exterior and hiring Philippe Starck to redesign its lobby. (read more…)