Tiffany and Company Building

The Tiffany and Company Building is a historic commercial building at 401 Fifth Avenue, in Manhattan, New York City.[3] Completed in 1905, it was built for Tiffany and Company, whose headquarters it served as until 1940. Designed by Stanford White of McKim, Mead, and White, its design is inspired by the Palazzo Grimani di San Luca in Venice, Italy. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978 for its association with Tiffany, one of the world's leading jewelry firms.[2][4]

This article is about the building at Fifth Avenue and 37th Street in New York City. For the building at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York City, see Tiffany & Co. flagship store. For the building at Union Square in New York City, see 15 Union Square West. For the building in San Francisco, see Tiffany & Co. Building (San Francisco).
Tiffany and Company Building
NYC Landmark No. 1624
Location401 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York
Coordinates40°45′00″N 73°58′53″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1905 (1905)
ArchitectStanford White of McKim, Mead, and White
Architectural styleRenaissance
NRHP reference No.78001886[1]
NYCL No.1624
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 2, 1978[1]
Designated NHLJune 2, 1978[2]
Designated NYCLFebruary 16, 1988

Description

The former Tiffany and Company Building is located in Midtown Manhattan, at the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 37th Street. It is a seven-story masonry structure, its exterior finished in iron, marble, and terra cotta. The exterior's monumental appearance makes it look like it only has three stories, with tall window groupings creating this illusion. The bottom tier bays are articulated by square Corinthian columns, which rise to an entablature and cornice which has a balustrade above. The second and third tier bays have engaged round Corinthian columns, also rising to an entablature and cornice; the top tier columns rise to the building cornice, which is studded with modillions. The interior of the building has been extensively altered since the Tiffany period of ownership, and only traces of its former grandeur survive on the top floor, as does the original Tiffany vault in the basement.[4]

History

Tiffany and Company was founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young, and was by the time of the American Civil War one of the nation's leading jewelry makers. In 1868 the company built a headquarters at Union Square, which it was outgrowing by the end of the 19th century. Charles Lewis Tiffany hired McKim, Mead, and White to design the new building, but died in 1902 before plans were drawn. His successor as company president, Charles T. Cook, is said to have told the firm to "build me a palace". The resulting design is a near copy of the Palazzo Grimani di San Luca in Venice, Italy, designed by Michele Sanmicheli and completed in 1559. The building cost $600,000 to complete, on a lot that at $2 million was then the highest price paid for such a lot in Manhattan.[4] Tiffany occupied this building until 1940, when it moved to 57th Street.[5]

Today, a TD Bank branch occupies the ground level. The People's Court and The Chris Gethard Show have filmed inside the building.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Tiffany and Company Building". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. 2007-09-19.
  3. White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot (2000). AIA Guide to New York City (4th ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press. p. 228. ISBN 978-0-8129-3107-5.
  4. George R. Adams (December 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Tiffany and Company Building" (pdf). National Park Service. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 4 photos, exterior, from 1976 and 1905 (1.44 MB)
  5. Gill, John Freeman (2020-08-21). "For Tiffany & Co., a Rooftop Addition Wrapped in Glass". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  6. Getting tickets to TV shows – Big Apple Visitors Center
  7. "Be a Part of the Studio Audience at These NYC TV Shows". NYCgo.com. 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
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