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New York Architecture
Images- Midtown 130 West 57th Street Landmark |
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architect |
Pollard & Steinam |
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location |
130 West 57th Street, bet. Sixth and Seventh Aves. |
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date |
1907-08 |
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style |
Art Nouveau |
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construction |
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type |
Apartment Building |
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images |
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notes |
Built in
1907-08 to provide living and working facilities for artists, the studio
building at 130 West 57th Street is a rare surviving example of this
unusual building type, and a reminder of the early twentieth century
period when West 57th Street was a center of artistic activities. Designed
by architects Pollard & Steinam, who had previously created several
artists' studio cooperatives on West 67th Street, this building profited
from the experience of the developers and builders who had worked on the
earlier structures.
The artists' studio building type was developed early in the twentieth century, and was an important step toward the acceptance of apartment living for wealthy New Yorkers. The 130 West 57th Street Studio Building, along with its almost identical neighbor at 140 West 57th Street, was built in a prime location, on a wide cross-town street, with other artists' studios, the Art Students League, Carnegie Hall, and many other nearby sites devoted to art and music. The duplex plan of the building allowed for seven double-height stories facing the street, with twelve stories in the rear, and was popular with artists and non-artists alike for the abundant amount of space it provided. Located on the south side of 57th Street, the tall, projecting bay windows set in geometrically-ornamented cast iron frames bring in the north light so prized by artists, and suggest the unique spatial arrangement in this building. This building has been the residence of a number of well-known artists, and its distinctive windows have appeared in several of their works. Special thanks to www.nyc.gov |