New York Life Building

The New York Life Insurance Building was built in 1926-1928 by the architect Cass Gilbert in New York City. It is located between 26th Street, 27th Street, Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, and thus takes up a whole block. The building was formerly the headquarters of the New York Life Insurance Company and is the second and final building which was built by Cass Gilbert in neo-gothic style.

The building is 188 meters high and has 40 floors. In addition to 2180 windows can also find 72 gargoyles on the building. The characteristic golden top of the building occupies six floors in possession and was originally a trimmed with gold leaf copper roof. This was replaced due to damage by environmental factors in 1967 by a roof with gold-colored ceramic tiles. The building is still a defining image of the skyline of New York City. The New York Life Insurance Building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978.

History

Beginning of the 19th century was on the block a railway depot of the New York and Harlem Railroad. With the completion of the Grand Central Terminal in 1871 this was moved and bought the old depot building of PT Barnum, who converted it into a circus hall named " Monster Classical and Geological Hippodrome ". 1876 ​​Barnum leased the building to the bandmaster Patrick S. Gilmore, who renamed it " Gilmore 's Garden ". When he could no longer pay the rent, the building was again used by Barnum, who gave him the name " Madison Square Garden ". Since the meanwhile repeatedly converted building has now been used for sporting events and the place soon became insufficient, it had to be demolished to build a larger. From 1890 stood on the block of the second, designed by McKim, Mead, and White, Madison Square Garden, the Tower of the Giralda was modeled. 1925 again a new Madison Square Garden was built, but this time not at the Madison Square Park, but on Eighth Avenue, between 49th and 50th street. The old, second Madison Square Garden was demolished by the New York Life Insurance Building to build.