By Dana Schulz, Thu, September 17, 2020 All photos via Isay Weinfeld
On Monday, SL Green’s office tower One Vanderbilt officially opened. The 1,401-foot building is the fourth-tallest in NYC and the tallest in Midtown. In keeping with its grand accolades, the tower will have a restaurant from Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud. Located directly across from Grand Central and with views of the Chrysler Building, Le Pavillon has soaring, 57-foot ceilings and a nature-inspired design by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, all setting the scene for the locally sourced menu.
See more here
By Dana Schulz, Wed, September 16, 2020 Photo courtesy of CV-19 ESSENTIAL
It was bound to happen–a store selling solely coronavirus-related products. CV-19 ESSENTIAL opened today in Herald Square, selling everything from masks and cell phone sanitizers to plexiglass dividers and UV lights. There’s even a “Safe Zone” Interactive Experience Center where shoppers can try out the gadgets (we’re assuming they’ll be sanitized between uses).
Read more
By Devin Gannon, Wed, September 2, 2020 Illusory Progression, True to Myth, and Rhizogenic Rhythms by artist Thaddeus Mosley; Photo courtesy of Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer
Another free public art installation has opened at Rockefeller Center. In its second year, the Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center opened on Tuesday as an outdoor sculpture garden with works from six major international artists. Originally scheduled to open this past spring as part of art programs offered by Frieze New York, the installation was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Get the details
By Dana Schulz, Mon, August 24, 2020 Rendering: OMA/Bloomimages.de
At the beginning of the year, Tiffany & Company moved after 80 years from its Fifth Avenue flagship to a temporary spot next door while the original location at 727 Fifth Avenue began a renovation. Today, the iconic jewelry company revealed the three-story glass addition that will top their reimagined home, designed by Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).
Read more
By Dana Schulz, Wed, August 19, 2020 Photo courtesy of Lord & Taylor
Despite a national shift towards working from home, Amazon announced a $1.4 billion plan to hire 3,500 employees across six major U.S. cities, a 10-percent expansion of its current corporate workforce of 35,000, according to the New York Times. This includes 2,000 employees in New York City, who will work from the e-commerce behemoth’s newly acquired location at the historic Lord & Taylor building on Fifth Avenue. WeWork bought the landmarked building in 2017 for $850 million, but after a troubling few years, they sold it to Amazon in March for a reported $1.15 billion.
Read more
By Devin Gannon, Mon, August 3, 2020 Courtesy of Tishman Speyer
The iconic flags that surround the Rink at Rockefeller Center got a makeover over the weekend. Public art initiative “The Flag Project” opened on Saturday with 193 new flags designed by the public, as well as a number of well-known artists and designers. Led by Tishman Speyer, the installation aims to celebrate New York City as the city continues its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Find out more
By Dana Schulz, Fri, July 24, 2020 Photo (cropped) by Jazzy Guy via Wikimedia Commons
Ellen’s Stardust Diner has been a Theater District fixture since 1987, famous for its retro ’50s design, subway car entrance, and singing waitstaff. But like so many other restaurants in New York City, Ellen’s may never reopen due to the pandemic. As Broadway World first reported, a photo on Facebook shows a notice posted at the diner from the landlord that says Ellen’s owes $618,459.22 in back rent. If not paid by August 7, the restaurant could close for good.
Read more
By Devin Gannon, Thu, July 9, 2020 All photos by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
After announcing last month that he’d be painting “Black Lives Matter” in front of Trump Tower, Mayor de Blasio today helped paint the mural in bright yellow letters outside the building on Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets. “Let’s show Donald Trump what he does not understand, let’s paint it right in front of his building for him,” the mayor said today.
Details here
By Devin Gannon, Mon, May 18, 2020 Photo by Sharon Mollerus on Flickr
A public art competition launched last week that asks New Yorkers to submit designs for the iconic flags that surround the Rink at Rockefeller Center. Led by the site’s developer Tishman Speyer, “The Flag Project” is looking for artwork that celebrates New York City, whether it be through graphic design, a drawing, or collage. Winning designs will be made into flags and flown from Rockefeller Center’s 192 flagpoles this August as part of a temporary exhibit.
Find out more
By Devin Gannon, Tue, April 28, 2020 Rendering by Gabellini Sheppard Associates courtesy of Tishman Speyer; via Landmarks Preservation Commission
A proposal to renovate Rockefeller Center’s public realm was approved on Tuesday by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Led by Tishman Speyer and designed by Gabellini Sheppard Associates, the project aims to restore the connection between the concourse and the sunken plaza, an element included in the original plans for the historic Midtown site. The design, which was revised following a public hearing in January, focuses on the pools of the channel gardens, the sunken plaza, and new seating and planting to maintain the plaza’s well-defined edges.
More here
