General Electric Building

The 570 Lexington Avenue is a skyscraper in New York City borough of Manhattan. It has 50 floors and a height of 195 meters. The architect was John W. Cross.

The building was built in 1930-1931 as the RCA Building for the Radio Corporation of America. It is worth mentioning especially its tip, the Art Deco stylization represents a culmination of this style. The ornaments are made of stone, brick and glazed ceramic and are clearly reminiscent of the forms of European High Gothic. The individual elements have partially symbolic meaning: The zigzag peaks refer to the radio waves that are sent by the transmitter and go around the world. As is customary in New York skyscrapers, the top hides various technical facilities such as water tanks or elevator gear.

Designation

After the RCA left the building, it was named after the new owner, General Electric Building. The RCA moved into a new building in the Rockefeller Center complex, which in turn was later taken over again by General Electric and was named GE Building. To avoid confusion, the first RCA or GE Building is now named after its address, 570 Lexington Avenue.