Buildings with distinctive decorative terra cotta landmarked. On April 18, 2006, Landmarks approved 2 Park Avenue and the Stewart & Company Building, at 404 Fifth Avenue, as City landmarks. 2 Park Avenue, designed by Ely Jacques Kahn and built between 1926-28, is a significant example of Art Deco architecture. One of the first Americans to adopt the emergent European Art Deco style, Kahn’s work is characterized by interweaving forms and geometric masses. In 2 Park, these qualities are exemplified by the terra-cotta decoration, meant to evoke the colors of ancient Greek ruins.

The Stewart and Company Building was built in 1914 by Warren & Wetmore, designers of Grand Central Station and the Vanderbilt Hotel, when the area was an upscale shopping district. The building is similar to the Chicago school of loft-style architecture in its color scheme and decoration. In recent years, the unique blue and white terra cotta facade has undergone a facelift, the building’s windows have been replaced, and the building has been threatened by the proposal to construct a development at 400 Fifth Avenue that would include a cantilevered tower over the Stewart Building.

LPC: Item Nos. 4 and 5, 2 Park Avenue, 402 Fifth Avenue (April 18, 2006).