New York

SEAGRAM BUILDING

Mies van der Rohe

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LEVER HOUSE

Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings and Merril, 1952. 390 Park Avenue, New York

The first great skyscraper of the International Style and the first curtain wall skyscraper in New York. Essentially, it’s the workshop building of the 1926 Dessau Bauhaus extended up to 24 floors. A fitting reference since it sits opposite the Seagram Building, 1958, by Mies van der Rohe, who was the last director of the Bauhaus.

Lever House is a finely detailed ensemble of blue/green glass and stainless steel. There are no tenants on the ground floor which is a gardened public space and a refuge from busy Park Avenue. Since its recent restoration, it sparkles like a gem.

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