Manhattan Municipal Building to open rooftop for free tours
Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr
One of New York City’s first skyscrapers will open its rooftop to the public for the first time this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced that the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, the grand Beaux-Arts government building at 1 Centre Street, will offer free guided tours of its 36th-floor cupola starting in June. The mayor also announced a $6 million renovation of the space ahead of its debut as a public observation deck.
After the five boroughs consolidated in 1898, New York needed a structure to accommodate its growing workforce, and held four architectural competitions between 1888 and 1907 to find an architecture firm to design it. The city selected William M. Kendall of McKim, Mead, and White, the firm behind the old Penn Station and the Brooklyn Museum. Construction began in 1909 and took five years to complete.
The building, originally known as the Municipal Building, includes a 25-story main structure and 15 additional stories in the central tower.
With its soaring classical exterior and Roman architecture, including the central arch inspired by the Arch of Constantine, the Municipal Building was intended to be a statement of power and reflects the ideals of the City Beautiful movement, which called for civic buildings to be grand to inspire good government.
At the top of the building is the “Civic Fame” statue, a gilded copper figure designed by Adolph A. Weinman. The 25-foot-tall figure carries a shield bearing the New York City coat of arms, a branch of leaves, and a mural crown, which has five points symbolizing each borough.
The building was also the first in New York to incorporate a subway station at its base, which was modeled on the arched entrance of the Palazzo Farnese in Rome and outfitted with vaulted Guastavino tiles. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated it as a landmark in 1966.
On Monday, Mamdani, joined by the three public officials who work out of the Municipal Building, City Comptroller Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, said opening the rooftop is a way to celebrate the legacy of Mayor Dinkins, whom the building was renamed for in 2015.
Speaking from the 25th floor, Mamdani said the top of the building boasts a “360 degree view of our city, from Midtown towers to the Atlantic Ocean, from the Brooklyn Bridge to New Jersey.” Originally intended to be open to the public, the cupola has been off-limits for nearly 100 years.
Visitors will be able to reserve tickets online for the free guided tours beginning in June. The city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) will lead the six-person tours.
The mayor announced a $6 million improvement of the building, including an investment to “repaint the cupola, repair the rotunda, add glass barriers, and restore this one-of-a-kind civic space to a landmark befitting Mayor Dinkins’ name.”
“It shouldn’t be just the wealthy who enjoy the inspiration of an observation deck. New Yorkers should have an opportunity to look down upon the city they love,” Levine said.
“I’ve been calling for this since serving as a Council Member and then Borough President, because when we open our civic institutions, we not only live up to our welcoming identity, we create a new way for New Yorkers to know and enjoy their home.”
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