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608 Fifth Avenue

January 20, 2023

608 Fifth Avenue
Alternative namesGoelet Building, Swiss Center Building
General information
Architectural styleArt Deco
Location608 Fifth Avenue, Midtown Manhattan
Town or cityNew York City
CountryUnited States
Coordinates40°45′29″N 73°58′42″W / 40.75806°N 73.97833°W / 40.75806; -73.97833Coordinates: 40°45′29″N 73°58′42″W / 40.75806°N 73.97833°W / 40.75806; -73.97833
Construction started1930
Completed1932
Height132 feet 11 inches (40.51 m)
Technical details
Floor count10
Design and construction
Architect(s)Victor L.S. Hafner
DesignatedJanuary 14, 1992
Reference no.1810
Designated entityExterior
DesignatedJanuary 14, 1992
Reference no.1811
Designated entityLobby interior
References
[1]
Buildings of Rockefeller Center
[Interactive fullscreen map]

Buildings and structures in Rockefeller Center:
1
1 Rockefeller Plaza
2
10 Rockefeller Plaza
3
La Maison Francaise
4
British Empire Building
5
30 Rockefeller Plaza
6
International Building
7
50 Rockefeller Plaza
8
1230 Avenue of the Americas
9
Radio City Music Hall
10
1270 Avenue of the Americas
11
75 Rockefeller Plaza
12
600 Fifth Avenue
13
608 Fifth Avenue
14
1271 Avenue of the Americas
15
1251 Avenue of the Americas
16
1221 Avenue of the Americas
17
1211 Avenue of the Americas

608 Fifth Avenue, also known as the Goelet Building or Swiss Center Building, is an office building at Fifth Avenue and West 49th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, adjacent to Rockefeller Center. It was designed by Victor L. S. Hafner for the Goelet family, with Edward Hall Faile as structural engineer. The facade uses elements of both the Art Deco style and the International Style, while the lobby was exclusively designed in the Art Deco style.

The building consists of a two-story base and an eight-story upper section, with a facade of green and white marble. The base includes storefronts while the upper stories contain offices. The second story is cantilevered from the bottom of the third story so the storefronts could be combined into a large department store if necessary. The building's elaborately designed lobby is divided into an entrance vestibule, an "S"-shaped outer lobby, and an elevator lobby. These spaces are decorated extensively with marble and aluminum, and the outer and elevator lobbies also include the Goelet family's crest. The three elevator cabs contain ornate marble and aluminum decorations.

608 Fifth Avenue was built in 1930–1932 for Robert Walton Goelet on the site of Ogden Goelet's old mansion. The structure was built while the construction of Rockefeller Center was ongoing, and its design was meant to complement that of the other buildings in Rockefeller Center. During the 1960s, the building was sold to the Korein family and was renovated. 608 Fifth Avenue was renamed the Swiss Center Building in 1966 after several Swiss companies leased space there. Both the lobby interior and the exterior were designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as official city landmarks in 1992. The leasehold was sold to RFR Holding in 1998, and Vornado Realty Trust operated the retail space from 2013 to 2020.

Site

608 Fifth Avenue is in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, on the southwestern corner of Fifth Avenue and 49th Street. The land lot is slightly "L"-shaped, covering 13,150 square feet (1,222 m2).[2] The lot measures 70 feet (21 m) on Fifth Avenue to the east and 161.6 feet (49.3 m) on 49th Street to the north.[3][4] The longer leg of the "L" extends west–east along 49th Street, while a shorter leg extends north–south along the western portion of the site.[5]

608 Fifth Avenue is one of three buildings on the western side of Fifth Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets. Directly to the south is the Childs Restaurants building at 604 Fifth Avenue.[6] The southern side of the block, 600 Fifth Avenue, was built in 1949–1952 and was later incorporated into Rockefeller Center.[7][6] Other nearby buildings include 600 Fifth Avenue to the south, 1 Rockefeller Plaza to the west, the British Empire Building to the north, the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store to the northeast, and 597 Fifth Avenue to the southeast.[2]

Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and Central Park South (59th Street) was relatively undeveloped through the late 19th century.[8] In the latter half of that century, mansions and other residences were constructed along the avenue.[9] Among these were two country mansions that Edward H. Kendall designed for brothers Robert and Ogden Goelet, within one block of each other.[9][10] The brothers were part of the Goelet family, a wealthy Dutch family[11] that had founded the Chemical Bank.[9][12] Robert's estate was at 589 Fifth Avenue, near present-day 48th Street, while Ogden's estate was at 608 Fifth Avenue one block north.[9]

Architecture

608 Fifth Avenue is a ten-story building in the Art Deco style, with elements of the International Style.[3][4][13] It was designed by Victor L. S. Hafner[14] and built by structural engineering firm E. H. Faile & Co.[3] The planning application to the city's Department of Buildings was submitted by Roy Clinton Morris on behalf of Edward Hall Faile, leading to occasional disputes over who was the building's architect. Hafner worked for Faile for one and a half years.[15] Although Hafner had worked on several projects in New York City, the Goelet Building was the only such design mentioned by name in his New York Times obituary in 1947.[16][17]

Form and facade

 
Entrance on Fifth Avenue

The facades at the first story and the second-level mezzanine are composed of glass curtain walls. Green marble fills the spaces between each floor.[4] From the outset, 608 Fifth Avenue was designed as a commercial structure that would maximize the rapidly rising land value of the area, with retail on the lower floors and office stories above.[9] At the time, retail space was more profitable per square foot than office space was. The retail space required large display windows facing the street, which were extremely profitable. To maximize the surface area of these show windows, Faile designed the third and higher stories on two-story-tall columns that are recessed 5 feet (1.5 m) from the facade.[16] An archway surrounded with green marble is placed along the western end of the 49th Street facade.[4][13] A metal screen, painted bronze, is at the second story.[18]

The building has a recessed light court above the second story on 49th Street, allowing additional windows to be placed further inside the building.[4][13][19] Faile engineered the building's columns to be strong enough to accommodate a possible conversion of the light court into additional office space.[4][19]

The exterior of the upper stories is made of two main types of marble. The horizontal spandrel panels between each story are made of white marble, and the vertical piers are made of green marble.[4][13][15] On both Fifth Avenue and 49th Street, the piers divide the facade into sets of three bays, each with multiple windows. The Fifth Avenue elevation contains one set of three bays, while the 49th Street elevation includes two sets of three bays (one on either side of the light court). Most of the building is nine stories high, but the central bay of each set rises to a dormer on the tenth story. The central bays' windows are separated by four green-marble "ribs", which frame the tenth-story dormers. The tenth story and penthouse are sheathed in green marble, and the penthouse has white trim lines.[4]

Ornamentation on the exterior includes aluminum mullions on the windows and at the corners. Other decorative elements include a monogram consisting of interlocked letters "G", as well as the Goelet family crest of a swan. These elements are displayed above the second story on the Fifth Avenue elevation. The crest and monogram were hung above the original main entrance arch on Fifth Avenue, demolished in 1965, as well as the arched entryway on 49th Street.[18] The original main entrance had a bronze door with the Goelet family's crest and reportedly cost $14,000 (equivalent to $278,054 in 2021).[15]

Interior

According to the New York City Department of City Planning, 608 Fifth Avenue has 127,558 square feet (11,850.5 m2) of gross floor area, with 55 units.[2]

Lobby

The building's lobby was designed in a full Art Deco style, as Victor Hafner was not constrained by the need to conform the building's interior to those of nearby buildings.[19][20] The lobby is reached from a doorway on the southernmost portion of the Fifth Avenue facade.[20] Various marbles are used, including what The New York Times described as "aurora rossa, samosa golden, American pavonazzo, bleu belge, numidian red and Belgian black".[15] The lobby is composed of three primary spaces: an entrance vestibule to the southeast, an "S"-shaped outer lobby, and an elevator lobby to the west.[19][21]

The entrance vestibule has strips of veined gray marble, running diagonally toward the room's corners. The floor is surrounded by a rectangular band of white-and-black marble. The bottoms of the entrance vestibule's walls contain red-marble baseboards. Above those are black-marble wall panels with white veining, which are placed at regular intervals. Vertical aluminum battens hold these panels in place.[21] The ceiling is made of aluminum painted in a bronze color.[15][20] Art Deco motifs, inspired by both natural and geometric patterns, are placed on the ceiling and walls. Illumination is provided by four aluminum grilles, one at each corner of the vestibule, which are decorated with curving foliate patterns.[19][21]

A set of three swinging silver doors leads from the vestibule to the outer lobby. The doors contain symmetrical patterned designs, with three triangles at the top of each door and stepped patterns at the bottom. The outer lobby's travertine floor is surrounded by a black marble band and a deep-red marble band. The west and east walls contain reeded dark-marble pilasters. The walls contain wide horizontal bands of beige marble with white and brown veins, interspersed with narrower bands of brown marble with yellow veins. These bands are separated by aluminum battens. Stylized motifs are cast into the aluminum cornices above each wall. Lighting fixtures are placed behind the cornices. The outer lobby has a coved plaster ceiling with aluminum-leaf decorations.[21] Inlaid in the middle of the ceiling is a depiction of the Goelet swan, surrounded by geometric patterns.[19][20]

The floors, walls, and ceiling of the elevator lobby are similar to those in the outer lobby, with a floral motif at the center of the ceiling. The elevator lobby contains three openings for elevators, as well as a staircase to the floors above. Each elevator opening is recessed from the wall surface and flanked by reeded dark-marble pilasters. The soffits of the elevator openings contain indirect lighting sources, which shine onto the cast-metal doors. The elevator doors themselves are decorated with stylized leaves atop vertical bands of white and yellow metal. The centers of the doors contain octagonal medallions, which depict a gazelle and two maidens. The elevator openings and the staircase are all topped by decorative octagonal medallions made of metal.[21] Each elevator cab has baked enamel wall panels, held in place by aluminum bands, as well as stylized aluminum motifs.[19][21]

Retail space

The construction of Rockefeller Center made it difficult to forecast whether numerous small stores or a single large retailer would be more suitable for the site.[15][19] 608 Fifth Avenue included features such as wide staircases and fire sprinklers, as well as a 17-foot-tall (5.2 m) ceiling in the rear of the first floor.[3] This allowed the retail space to be converted into a department store easily.[22] When the second story was built, it was cantilevered from the third-story slab instead of being supported by columns above the first floor, thus maximizing the first-floor retail space.[15][16] In total, the retail space covers 44,000 square feet (4,100 m2).[23]

History

 
Ogden Goelet's mansion at 608 Fifth Avenue, designed by E.H. Kendall

By the beginning of the 20th century, most of the area's mansions had given way to office and commercial buildings. When Ogden Goelet died in 1897, his widow inherited his property at 608 Fifth Avenue, while his brother Robert became the trustee, a role later passed to Robert's son Robert Walton Goelet.[9] In 1920, Robert Walton Goelet commissioned the construction of an art gallery at 606 Fifth Avenue, directly south of Ogden's estate.[9][24] Ogden's widow Mary R. Goelet continued to live in the 608 Fifth Avenue mansion until 1926.[9]

Development

By the time Mary died in February 1929, the house had been unused for three years.[25][26] By then, the construction of Rockefeller Center was ongoing in the area immediately surrounding the Goelet lots.[9] Rockefeller Center's developers allowed Robert Walton Goelet to keep the lots at 2–6 West 49th Street because the company considered his "interest and concern" to be a significant factor. However, Goelet could not yet develop the western part of his site due to an easement that a neighbor held on the land.[27] Goelet started selling the objects in the house in December 1929,[28] hosting four such sales.[9]

The house and adjacent art gallery were demolished in March 1930.[29][30] Plans for a commercial building were filed with the New York City Department of Buildings the same month.[31] By that May, Goelet was still deciding between two different plans for a 15-story building. Though both options included office space above a two-story retail area, only one of the options provided space for a showroom.[32] In November 1930, the East River Savings Bank gave Goelet a $1 million mortgage for the project.[33][34] The plans for the current 10-story commercial building were announced the next month.[3] At the beginning of 1931, Fifth Avenue was experiencing high demand for storefront space, with only 12 of 224 stores being unoccupied. 608 Fifth Avenue, along with 500 Fifth Avenue and the Empire State Building, were expected to add a combined 11 stores.[35][36] In June 1930, Robert Walton Goelet hosted a ceremony to give craftsmanship awards to 23 workers who were involved in the project.[37]

Early years

 
View of the Fifth Avenue facade

The building was completed by 1932 but, due to a lack of interest from large tenants, the ground-floor space was divided into smaller units.[38] Within the area bounded by Sixth and Fifth Avenues between 48th and 51st Streets, the Goelet Building was among the few plots that was not owned outright by Rockefeller Center's developers by the end of 1932.[39] According to contemporary photographs of 608 Fifth Avenue, the ground floor was first occupied by several small stores.[15] These included brokers Cowan & Co.,[40] restaurant operator Susan C. Palmer,[41] the Tecla Pearl Company,[42] and a Manufacturers Hanover Corporation bank branch.[43] The earliest office tenants included jewelry firm Theodore A. Kohn & Son Galleries,[44] photography studios Underwood & Underwood,[45] and several gem dealers.[46] The Kohn Galleries also hosted art exhibitions in its offices.[47] Goelet had his offices in the tenth-floor penthouse.[4]

In 1935, Robert W. Goelet bought Charles J. Coulter's house at 6 West 49th Street for $82,000, initially to preserve the Goelet Building's exposure to natural light.[48][49] The next year, Goelet filed plans for a western annex on that site.[18][50] E. H. Faile designed the annex, while the Starrett Corporation received the general construction contract. The four-story annex was built as an extension of the Goelet Building, with all access being through the main building, but it could also be arranged as its own structure, with provisions for the installation of separate elevators and stairs.[50] Banks Custom Tailors leased most of the second-floor retail space in 1937,[51] and J.S. Bache & Co. moved into a portion of the second story the same year.[52] At the end of the decade, jewelers Rimler and Horning took a large portion of the retail space.[53] The building's tenants in the 1940s included watch dealers Louis Manheimer & Brothers[54] and gem importers Lieberman & Bienenfeld.[55] After Manufacturers Hanover announced its intention to relocate its bank branch in 1941,[56] men's store John David Inc. leased the bank's three-story former space in 1945.[57] John David continued to occupy the building through for the next two decades.[15]

Tenants during the 1950s included the Jewelry Industry Council,[58] wool-trade group Woolens and Worsteds of America,[59] the Institute of Boiler and Radiator Manufacturers,[60] and airline Avianca.[61] Diamond dealers Eichberg Co.[62] and the Colombian Tourist Board also leased offices in the early 1960s.[63] The Space Design Group redesigned one of the building's offices for Pakistan International Airlines in 1962, decorating the offices with green-and-blue wall tiles sprayed with cork, as well as green-and-white onyx chips embedded in the concrete floor.[64] The Fifth Avenue Association, a local civic group, recognized the Pakistan International Airlines office as the area's "best storefront alteration" during 1962–1963.[65] The Korein family acquired the building and its underlying land during the 1960s.[66]

Swiss Center Building

608 Fifth Avenue became the Swiss Center Building in 1964 when fourteen Swiss-owned enterprises formed a coalition to "foster commercial, cultural, travel and financial activities identified with Switzerland".[67] The companies signed a 17-year lease for the structure with options for a 45-year extension.[67] Following that announcement, Robert Goelet signed a lease for space in another building, relocating from 608 Fifth Avenue.[68] Lester Tichy was hired to redesign both the interior and exterior of the first and second floors.[18] Former Swiss president Friedrich Wahlen dedicated the new Swiss Center on June 23, 1966,[69][70] during a citywide "Swiss Week".[71] The ground-floor tenants were replaced by offices for the Swiss National Tourist Office, Swiss Bank Corporation, and Swissair.[67] By 1970, the Swiss Center Restaurant had opened within the building at 4 West 49th Street;[72] the eatery was sponsored by the Swiss government.[73]

 
49th Street facade

In the early 1980s, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and the American Society of Interior Designers examined the Swiss Center Building's lobby as part of a citywide survey of historic interiors. A volunteer for the survey described the lobby as "one of the richest Art Deco spaces anywhere".[74] The LPC first considered the building and its lobby for New York City landmark status in 1983.[18][75] The building's then-owner Sarah Korein objected, as she wanted to expand the building by several stories once the Swiss Center's lease expired in 1996.[15] Despite this, 608 Fifth Avenue and its interior were designated as official city landmarks in 1992; the LPC noted in its reports that "the owner and long-term lessee are not opposed to the designation".[14][76] Jewelry retailer Mikimoto occupied a large retail space on the ground floor until 1995.[77] Two years later, Garrison & Siegel renovated the lower floors to their original design.[7][78]

RFR and Vornado operation

The leasehold was sold to RFR Holding, a company held by German investors, in 1998 for about $22 million, though Korein retained ownership of the land.[79][80] Aby Rosen of RFR planned to renovate the building for $1.5 million. Although the building was fully occupied, Rosen wished to seek higher rents; at the time, average rents at 608 Fifth Avenue were around $45 per square foot ($480/m2), compared with $55 per square foot ($590/m2) for similar Midtown buildings.[80] Switzerland Tourism continued to operate an office in the building,[81] as did confectionery Minamoto Kitchoan.[82] Clothing company Lacoste opened a store at 608 Fifth Avenue in 2003,[83] and Japanese jeweler Niwaka opened a store in 2006.[23][84] Lacoste expanded its store into the Niwaka space in 2011.[85][86] This was part of a southward expansion of retail on Fifth Avenue in the early 2010s.[87]

Vornado Realty Trust assumed RFR's mortgage in 2013 and paid $8.5 million that RFR owed on the mortgage. At that point, the Korein family still owned the land under 608 Fifth Avenue.[88][89] The next year, clothing retailer Topshop announced that it would lease the retail space[90][91] for $15 million, replacing the Lacoste store.[23] However, the Topshop store closed in 2020 because Topshop went bankrupt.[66] In June 2020, Vornado gave up its lease on the building.[66][92] The deal generated $70 million for Vornado, which at the time was experiencing financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.[93] By 2021, the empty storefront was being used to advertise HBO Max's release of the film No Sudden Move.[94]

Reception

Robert Goelet felt that "the building had to be one of beauty and of durability in addition to being modern".[22] Christopher Gray, writing for The New York Times in 1990, referred to 608 Fifth Avenue as "one giant Art Moderne cigarette case of marble".[15] Joseph Giovannini, another Times writer, listed 608 Fifth Avenue's lobby in 1984 as part of a walking tour of the "city's best lobbies".[95] The New Yorker architectural critic Lewis Mumford sarcastically described 608 Fifth Avenue as "an excellent period reproduction — Modernique, 1925", regarding it as little more than a parody of the earlier Childs Restaurant building.[6] Robert A. M. Stern, in his book New York 1930, called the building "a luxuriously detailed but bastardized interpretation of the International Style".[13] In 2017, architectural historian Anthony W. Robins wrote that the Goelet Building's lobby was "one of New York's best-kept Deco secrets".[19]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ . Emporis. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "608 5 Avenue, 10020". New York City Department of City Planning. from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Building Designed for Future Needs – Goelet Business Edifice on Fifth Avenue Planned for Long Serviceability – Marble Facade Finish – Second Floor Hangs From Cantilever Girders – In Rockefeller Development Block". The New York Times. December 7, 1930. p. RE1. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992, p. 4.
  5. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1992, p. 9.
  6. ^ a b c Gray, Christopher (July 25, 2010). "The History of 3 Midtown Neighbors". The New York Times. p. RE9. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  7. ^ a b White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 327. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
  8. ^ Bridges, William (1811). Map of the city of New York and island of Manhattan :with explanatory remarks and references /. T&J Swords. hdl:2027/nnc2.ark:/13960/t6ww9pp9g. OCLC 40023003.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992, p. 2.
  10. ^ Rider, F.; Cooper, F.T.; Hopkins, M.A. (1916). Rider's New York City and Vicinity, Including Newark, Yonkers and Jersey City: A Guide-book for Travelers, with 16 Maps and 18 Plans, Comp. and. H. Holt. pp. 198–199. from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  11. ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. 35. 1930. p. 417 – via HathiTrust.
  12. ^ History of the Chemical Bank, 1823–1913. Country life Press. 1913. p. 104. from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  13. ^ a b c d e Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987). New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars. New York: Rizzoli. p. 531. ISBN 978-0-8478-3096-1. OCLC 13860977.
  14. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992, p. 1.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gray, Christopher (December 16, 1990). "Streetscapes: The Goelet Building; A Facade Rich in Marble". The New York Times. p. R7. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  16. ^ a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992, p. 3.
  17. ^ "Victor L Hafner, an Architect, 54; Navy Veteran of 2 World Wars Die—Once Warned Vatican on Dome of St. Peter's". The New York Times. April 28, 1947. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  18. ^ a b c d e Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992, p. 5.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i Robins, Anthony W. (2017). New York Art Deco: A Guide to Gotham's Jazz Age Architecture. Excelsior Editions. State University of New York Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-4384-6396-4. OCLC 953576510.
  20. ^ a b c d Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1992, p. 3.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1992, p. 4.
  22. ^ a b "Good Craftsmanship Praised by Goelet – Was Important Factor, He Says, in Construction of New Edifice of 608 Fifth Avenue". The New York Times. June 14, 1931. p. RE1. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  23. ^ a b c "608 Fifth Avenue | TRD Research". from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  24. ^ Field, H.E.; Watson, F. (1920). The Arts. Hamilton Easter Field. p. 9. from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  25. ^ "Mrs. Ogden Goelet Buried From Home – Services in Fifth Avenue House at Her Wish, Though Unoccupied for Three Years – Bishop Stires Officiates – Only Relatives and Close Friends Present – Crowds Stop for Funeral in Shopping District". The New York Times. February 26, 1929. p. 20. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  26. ^ "Mrs. Goelet's Funeral Held at 5th Ave. Home: Old Mansion at 49th St., Long Closed, Re-opened at Services for Owner Crowds Hall on Sidewalk Sermon Preached by Rev. Dr. Stires; Relatives Attend". New York Herald Tribune. February 26, 1929. p. 23. ProQuest 1111418198.
  27. ^ Okrent, Daniel (2003). Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center. London: Penguin Book. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-14-200177-6.
  28. ^ "Goelet Furnishings Sold – Antiques and Rugs Bring $12,000 at First Day's Auction". The New York Times. November 14, 1929. p. 27. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  29. ^ "Wreckers Claim Goelet House in Fifth Avenue: Home Built in 1888 Gives Way to Ten-Story Office Building". New York Herald Tribune. March 2, 1930. p. E1. ProQuest 1113138698.
  30. ^ "Goelet Home Being Razed; Old Fifth Av. Residence to Be Replaced by Office Building". The New York Times. March 2, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  31. ^ "Goelet Estate Plans New Midtown Building". The New York Times. March 7, 1936. p. 31. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  32. ^ "Goelet Building Plans – Two Types of Commercial Structure Considered for Fifth Av. Corner". The New York Times. May 18, 1930. p. S10. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  33. ^ "Goelet Borrows $1,000,000 on New Building: Bank Arranges Financing on Southwest Corner of Fifth Ave. at 49th Street". New York Herald Tribune. November 1, 1930. p. 30. ProQuest 1113727934.
  34. ^ "Manhattan Mortgages". The New York Times. November 1, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  35. ^ "Few Shops Vacant on Fifth Avenue; Survey Discloses Only Twelve Stores Available in the Business Blocks". The New York Times. February 8, 1931. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  36. ^ Dailey, John A. (February 8, 1931). "Fifth Avenue Still Leading Shopping Center: Few Stores Are Available North of Forty-Second St., Recent Survey Indicates $3,750 Foot Top Rental Shoe Healers Predominate, There Being 28 Such Shops". New York Herald Tribune. p. E1. ProQuest 1114167981.
  37. ^ "Good Craftsmanship Praised by Goelet; Was Important Factor, He Says, in Construction of New Edifice of 608 Fifth Avenue". The New York Times. June 14, 1931. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  38. ^ "Fifth Av. Chances in Midtown Section – New Foreign Units for Rockefeller Frontage – Jewelry Firm in Goelet Building – Union Club Moving Plans Northward Expansion of Trade Shown by Recent Building and Leasing Activity". The New York Times. June 12, 1932. p. RE1. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  39. ^ "Rockefeller Buys Last Lots For Site – Purchase of Six From Fox Rounds Out Holdings of Center to Carry Out Full Project – 31-Story Building Planned – Complete Architectural Balance Is Assured – Price of Sixth Av. Property Not Disclosed". The New York Times. December 9, 1932. p. 23. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  40. ^ "Real Estate News and Transactions in the New York City and Suburban Field Reviewed: Apparel Dealer Leases Larger Midtown Space Kruger Firm Gets Quarters 5 Times as Large as Old in Rockefeller Area". New York Herald Tribune. August 30, 1933. p. 28. ProQuest 1221960853.
  41. ^ "Large Midtown Quarters Taken By Restaurant: Chicago Operator Will Pay Rent Exceeding $200,000 in Roekefeller Center Zone". New York Herald Tribune. September 30, 1932. p. 33. ProQuest 1221305266.
  42. ^ "Tecla Pearl Co. Leases Space on Fifth Avenue: Jewelry Firm Takes Quarters Near Rockefeller Center". New York Herald Tribune. October 23, 1933. p. 30. ProQuest 1221366096.
  43. ^ "Hanover Opens Branch Today". The New York Times. November 13, 1934. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  44. ^ "$3,690,000 Is Loaned on 7th Av. Buildings; Garment Center Capitol, Inc., Obtains Extension of Mortgage Placed Ten Years Ago". The New York Times. June 1, 1932. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  45. ^ "Real Estate News and Transactions in City and Country: Photographers Rent Quarters On 5th Avenue Underwood & Underwood Take Portrait Studio in New Goelet Building". New York Herald Tribune. July 21, 1933. p. 30. ProQuest 1221351104.
  46. ^ "Oil Firm Rents New Offices in Midtown Area: Pennzoil Company Leases in Rockefeller Center; Gem Importers Move". New York Herald Tribune. February 6, 1936. p. 34. ProQuest 1243470679.
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Sources

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 608 Fifth Avenue.
  • Official website

January 20, 2023
fifth, avenue, alternative, namesgoelet, building, swiss, center, buildinggeneral, informationarchitectural, styleart, decolocation, midtown, manhattantown, citynew, york, citycountryunited, statescoordinates40, 75806, 97833, 75806, 97833, coordinates, 75806, . 608 Fifth AvenueAlternative namesGoelet Building Swiss Center BuildingGeneral informationArchitectural styleArt DecoLocation608 Fifth Avenue Midtown ManhattanTown or cityNew York CityCountryUnited StatesCoordinates40 45 29 N 73 58 42 W 40 75806 N 73 97833 W 40 75806 73 97833 Coordinates 40 45 29 N 73 58 42 W 40 75806 N 73 97833 W 40 75806 73 97833Construction started1930Completed1932Height132 feet 11 inches 40 51 m Technical detailsFloor count10Design and constructionArchitect s Victor L S HafnerNew York City LandmarkDesignatedJanuary 14 1992Reference no 1810Designated entityExteriorNew York City LandmarkDesignatedJanuary 14 1992Reference no 1811Designated entityLobby interiorReferences 1 Buildings of Rockefeller Center Interactive fullscreen map viewtalkeditBuildings and structures in Rockefeller Center 1 1 Rockefeller Plaza2 10 Rockefeller Plaza3 La Maison Francaise4 British Empire Building5 30 Rockefeller Plaza6 International Building7 50 Rockefeller Plaza8 1230 Avenue of the Americas9 Radio City Music Hall10 1270 Avenue of the Americas11 75 Rockefeller Plaza12 600 Fifth Avenue13 608 Fifth Avenue14 1271 Avenue of the Americas15 1251 Avenue of the Americas16 1221 Avenue of the Americas17 1211 Avenue of the Americas 608 Fifth Avenue also known as the Goelet Building or Swiss Center Building is an office building at Fifth Avenue and West 49th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City adjacent to Rockefeller Center It was designed by Victor L S Hafner for the Goelet family with Edward Hall Faile as structural engineer The facade uses elements of both the Art Deco style and the International Style while the lobby was exclusively designed in the Art Deco style The building consists of a two story base and an eight story upper section with a facade of green and white marble The base includes storefronts while the upper stories contain offices The second story is cantilevered from the bottom of the third story so the storefronts could be combined into a large department store if necessary The building s elaborately designed lobby is divided into an entrance vestibule an S shaped outer lobby and an elevator lobby These spaces are decorated extensively with marble and aluminum and the outer and elevator lobbies also include the Goelet family s crest The three elevator cabs contain ornate marble and aluminum decorations 608 Fifth Avenue was built in 1930 1932 for Robert Walton Goelet on the site of Ogden Goelet s old mansion The structure was built while the construction of Rockefeller Center was ongoing and its design was meant to complement that of the other buildings in Rockefeller Center During the 1960s the building was sold to the Korein family and was renovated 608 Fifth Avenue was renamed the Swiss Center Building in 1966 after several Swiss companies leased space there Both the lobby interior and the exterior were designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as official city landmarks in 1992 The leasehold was sold to RFR Holding in 1998 and Vornado Realty Trust operated the retail space from 2013 to 2020 Contents 1 Site 2 Architecture 2 1 Form and facade 2 2 Interior 2 2 1 Lobby 2 2 2 Retail space 3 History 3 1 Development 3 2 Early years 3 3 Swiss Center Building 3 4 RFR and Vornado operation 4 Reception 5 See also 6 References 6 1 Citations 6 2 Sources 7 External linksSite Edit608 Fifth Avenue is in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City on the southwestern corner of Fifth Avenue and 49th Street The land lot is slightly L shaped covering 13 150 square feet 1 222 m2 2 The lot measures 70 feet 21 m on Fifth Avenue to the east and 161 6 feet 49 3 m on 49th Street to the north 3 4 The longer leg of the L extends west east along 49th Street while a shorter leg extends north south along the western portion of the site 5 608 Fifth Avenue is one of three buildings on the western side of Fifth Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets Directly to the south is the Childs Restaurants building at 604 Fifth Avenue 6 The southern side of the block 600 Fifth Avenue was built in 1949 1952 and was later incorporated into Rockefeller Center 7 6 Other nearby buildings include 600 Fifth Avenue to the south 1 Rockefeller Plaza to the west the British Empire Building to the north the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store to the northeast and 597 Fifth Avenue to the southeast 2 Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and Central Park South 59th Street was relatively undeveloped through the late 19th century 8 In the latter half of that century mansions and other residences were constructed along the avenue 9 Among these were two country mansions that Edward H Kendall designed for brothers Robert and Ogden Goelet within one block of each other 9 10 The brothers were part of the Goelet family a wealthy Dutch family 11 that had founded the Chemical Bank 9 12 Robert s estate was at 589 Fifth Avenue near present day 48th Street while Ogden s estate was at 608 Fifth Avenue one block north 9 Architecture Edit608 Fifth Avenue is a ten story building in the Art Deco style with elements of the International Style 3 4 13 It was designed by Victor L S Hafner 14 and built by structural engineering firm E H Faile amp Co 3 The planning application to the city s Department of Buildings was submitted by Roy Clinton Morris on behalf of Edward Hall Faile leading to occasional disputes over who was the building s architect Hafner worked for Faile for one and a half years 15 Although Hafner had worked on several projects in New York City the Goelet Building was the only such design mentioned by name in his New York Times obituary in 1947 16 17 Form and facade Edit Entrance on Fifth Avenue The facades at the first story and the second level mezzanine are composed of glass curtain walls Green marble fills the spaces between each floor 4 From the outset 608 Fifth Avenue was designed as a commercial structure that would maximize the rapidly rising land value of the area with retail on the lower floors and office stories above 9 At the time retail space was more profitable per square foot than office space was The retail space required large display windows facing the street which were extremely profitable To maximize the surface area of these show windows Faile designed the third and higher stories on two story tall columns that are recessed 5 feet 1 5 m from the facade 16 An archway surrounded with green marble is placed along the western end of the 49th Street facade 4 13 A metal screen painted bronze is at the second story 18 The building has a recessed light court above the second story on 49th Street allowing additional windows to be placed further inside the building 4 13 19 Faile engineered the building s columns to be strong enough to accommodate a possible conversion of the light court into additional office space 4 19 The exterior of the upper stories is made of two main types of marble The horizontal spandrel panels between each story are made of white marble and the vertical piers are made of green marble 4 13 15 On both Fifth Avenue and 49th Street the piers divide the facade into sets of three bays each with multiple windows The Fifth Avenue elevation contains one set of three bays while the 49th Street elevation includes two sets of three bays one on either side of the light court Most of the building is nine stories high but the central bay of each set rises to a dormer on the tenth story The central bays windows are separated by four green marble ribs which frame the tenth story dormers The tenth story and penthouse are sheathed in green marble and the penthouse has white trim lines 4 Ornamentation on the exterior includes aluminum mullions on the windows and at the corners Other decorative elements include a monogram consisting of interlocked letters G as well as the Goelet family crest of a swan These elements are displayed above the second story on the Fifth Avenue elevation The crest and monogram were hung above the original main entrance arch on Fifth Avenue demolished in 1965 as well as the arched entryway on 49th Street 18 The original main entrance had a bronze door with the Goelet family s crest and reportedly cost 14 000 equivalent to 278 054 in 2021 15 Interior Edit According to the New York City Department of City Planning 608 Fifth Avenue has 127 558 square feet 11 850 5 m2 of gross floor area with 55 units 2 Lobby Edit The building s lobby was designed in a full Art Deco style as Victor Hafner was not constrained by the need to conform the building s interior to those of nearby buildings 19 20 The lobby is reached from a doorway on the southernmost portion of the Fifth Avenue facade 20 Various marbles are used including what The New York Times described as aurora rossa samosa golden American pavonazzo bleu belge numidian red and Belgian black 15 The lobby is composed of three primary spaces an entrance vestibule to the southeast an S shaped outer lobby and an elevator lobby to the west 19 21 The entrance vestibule has strips of veined gray marble running diagonally toward the room s corners The floor is surrounded by a rectangular band of white and black marble The bottoms of the entrance vestibule s walls contain red marble baseboards Above those are black marble wall panels with white veining which are placed at regular intervals Vertical aluminum battens hold these panels in place 21 The ceiling is made of aluminum painted in a bronze color 15 20 Art Deco motifs inspired by both natural and geometric patterns are placed on the ceiling and walls Illumination is provided by four aluminum grilles one at each corner of the vestibule which are decorated with curving foliate patterns 19 21 A set of three swinging silver doors leads from the vestibule to the outer lobby The doors contain symmetrical patterned designs with three triangles at the top of each door and stepped patterns at the bottom The outer lobby s travertine floor is surrounded by a black marble band and a deep red marble band The west and east walls contain reeded dark marble pilasters The walls contain wide horizontal bands of beige marble with white and brown veins interspersed with narrower bands of brown marble with yellow veins These bands are separated by aluminum battens Stylized motifs are cast into the aluminum cornices above each wall Lighting fixtures are placed behind the cornices The outer lobby has a coved plaster ceiling with aluminum leaf decorations 21 Inlaid in the middle of the ceiling is a depiction of the Goelet swan surrounded by geometric patterns 19 20 The floors walls and ceiling of the elevator lobby are similar to those in the outer lobby with a floral motif at the center of the ceiling The elevator lobby contains three openings for elevators as well as a staircase to the floors above Each elevator opening is recessed from the wall surface and flanked by reeded dark marble pilasters The soffits of the elevator openings contain indirect lighting sources which shine onto the cast metal doors The elevator doors themselves are decorated with stylized leaves atop vertical bands of white and yellow metal The centers of the doors contain octagonal medallions which depict a gazelle and two maidens The elevator openings and the staircase are all topped by decorative octagonal medallions made of metal 21 Each elevator cab has baked enamel wall panels held in place by aluminum bands as well as stylized aluminum motifs 19 21 Retail space Edit The construction of Rockefeller Center made it difficult to forecast whether numerous small stores or a single large retailer would be more suitable for the site 15 19 608 Fifth Avenue included features such as wide staircases and fire sprinklers as well as a 17 foot tall 5 2 m ceiling in the rear of the first floor 3 This allowed the retail space to be converted into a department store easily 22 When the second story was built it was cantilevered from the third story slab instead of being supported by columns above the first floor thus maximizing the first floor retail space 15 16 In total the retail space covers 44 000 square feet 4 100 m2 23 History Edit Ogden Goelet s mansion at 608 Fifth Avenue designed by E H Kendall By the beginning of the 20th century most of the area s mansions had given way to office and commercial buildings When Ogden Goelet died in 1897 his widow inherited his property at 608 Fifth Avenue while his brother Robert became the trustee a role later passed to Robert s son Robert Walton Goelet 9 In 1920 Robert Walton Goelet commissioned the construction of an art gallery at 606 Fifth Avenue directly south of Ogden s estate 9 24 Ogden s widow Mary R Goelet continued to live in the 608 Fifth Avenue mansion until 1926 9 Development Edit By the time Mary died in February 1929 the house had been unused for three years 25 26 By then the construction of Rockefeller Center was ongoing in the area immediately surrounding the Goelet lots 9 Rockefeller Center s developers allowed Robert Walton Goelet to keep the lots at 2 6 West 49th Street because the company considered his interest and concern to be a significant factor However Goelet could not yet develop the western part of his site due to an easement that a neighbor held on the land 27 Goelet started selling the objects in the house in December 1929 28 hosting four such sales 9 The house and adjacent art gallery were demolished in March 1930 29 30 Plans for a commercial building were filed with the New York City Department of Buildings the same month 31 By that May Goelet was still deciding between two different plans for a 15 story building Though both options included office space above a two story retail area only one of the options provided space for a showroom 32 In November 1930 the East River Savings Bank gave Goelet a 1 million mortgage for the project 33 34 The plans for the current 10 story commercial building were announced the next month 3 At the beginning of 1931 Fifth Avenue was experiencing high demand for storefront space with only 12 of 224 stores being unoccupied 608 Fifth Avenue along with 500 Fifth Avenue and the Empire State Building were expected to add a combined 11 stores 35 36 In June 1930 Robert Walton Goelet hosted a ceremony to give craftsmanship awards to 23 workers who were involved in the project 37 Early years Edit View of the Fifth Avenue facadeThe building was completed by 1932 but due to a lack of interest from large tenants the ground floor space was divided into smaller units 38 Within the area bounded by Sixth and Fifth Avenues between 48th and 51st Streets the Goelet Building was among the few plots that was not owned outright by Rockefeller Center s developers by the end of 1932 39 According to contemporary photographs of 608 Fifth Avenue the ground floor was first occupied by several small stores 15 These included brokers Cowan amp Co 40 restaurant operator Susan C Palmer 41 the Tecla Pearl Company 42 and a Manufacturers Hanover Corporation bank branch 43 The earliest office tenants included jewelry firm Theodore A Kohn amp Son Galleries 44 photography studios Underwood amp Underwood 45 and several gem dealers 46 The Kohn Galleries also hosted art exhibitions in its offices 47 Goelet had his offices in the tenth floor penthouse 4 In 1935 Robert W Goelet bought Charles J Coulter s house at 6 West 49th Street for 82 000 initially to preserve the Goelet Building s exposure to natural light 48 49 The next year Goelet filed plans for a western annex on that site 18 50 E H Faile designed the annex while the Starrett Corporation received the general construction contract The four story annex was built as an extension of the Goelet Building with all access being through the main building but it could also be arranged as its own structure with provisions for the installation of separate elevators and stairs 50 Banks Custom Tailors leased most of the second floor retail space in 1937 51 and J S Bache amp Co moved into a portion of the second story the same year 52 At the end of the decade jewelers Rimler and Horning took a large portion of the retail space 53 The building s tenants in the 1940s included watch dealers Louis Manheimer amp Brothers 54 and gem importers Lieberman amp Bienenfeld 55 After Manufacturers Hanover announced its intention to relocate its bank branch in 1941 56 men s store John David Inc leased the bank s three story former space in 1945 57 John David continued to occupy the building through for the next two decades 15 Tenants during the 1950s included the Jewelry Industry Council 58 wool trade group Woolens and Worsteds of America 59 the Institute of Boiler and Radiator Manufacturers 60 and airline Avianca 61 Diamond dealers Eichberg Co 62 and the Colombian Tourist Board also leased offices in the early 1960s 63 The Space Design Group redesigned one of the building s offices for Pakistan International Airlines in 1962 decorating the offices with green and blue wall tiles sprayed with cork as well as green and white onyx chips embedded in the concrete floor 64 The Fifth Avenue Association a local civic group recognized the Pakistan International Airlines office as the area s best storefront alteration during 1962 1963 65 The Korein family acquired the building and its underlying land during the 1960s 66 Swiss Center Building Edit 608 Fifth Avenue became the Swiss Center Building in 1964 when fourteen Swiss owned enterprises formed a coalition to foster commercial cultural travel and financial activities identified with Switzerland 67 The companies signed a 17 year lease for the structure with options for a 45 year extension 67 Following that announcement Robert Goelet signed a lease for space in another building relocating from 608 Fifth Avenue 68 Lester Tichy was hired to redesign both the interior and exterior of the first and second floors 18 Former Swiss president Friedrich Wahlen dedicated the new Swiss Center on June 23 1966 69 70 during a citywide Swiss Week 71 The ground floor tenants were replaced by offices for the Swiss National Tourist Office Swiss Bank Corporation and Swissair 67 By 1970 the Swiss Center Restaurant had opened within the building at 4 West 49th Street 72 the eatery was sponsored by the Swiss government 73 49th Street facadeIn the early 1980s the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission LPC and the American Society of Interior Designers examined the Swiss Center Building s lobby as part of a citywide survey of historic interiors A volunteer for the survey described the lobby as one of the richest Art Deco spaces anywhere 74 The LPC first considered the building and its lobby for New York City landmark status in 1983 18 75 The building s then owner Sarah Korein objected as she wanted to expand the building by several stories once the Swiss Center s lease expired in 1996 15 Despite this 608 Fifth Avenue and its interior were designated as official city landmarks in 1992 the LPC noted in its reports that the owner and long term lessee are not opposed to the designation 14 76 Jewelry retailer Mikimoto occupied a large retail space on the ground floor until 1995 77 Two years later Garrison amp Siegel renovated the lower floors to their original design 7 78 RFR and Vornado operation Edit The leasehold was sold to RFR Holding a company held by German investors in 1998 for about 22 million though Korein retained ownership of the land 79 80 Aby Rosen of RFR planned to renovate the building for 1 5 million Although the building was fully occupied Rosen wished to seek higher rents at the time average rents at 608 Fifth Avenue were around 45 per square foot 480 m2 compared with 55 per square foot 590 m2 for similar Midtown buildings 80 Switzerland Tourism continued to operate an office in the building 81 as did confectionery Minamoto Kitchoan 82 Clothing company Lacoste opened a store at 608 Fifth Avenue in 2003 83 and Japanese jeweler Niwaka opened a store in 2006 23 84 Lacoste expanded its store into the Niwaka space in 2011 85 86 This was part of a southward expansion of retail on Fifth Avenue in the early 2010s 87 Vornado Realty Trust assumed RFR s mortgage in 2013 and paid 8 5 million that RFR owed on the mortgage At that point the Korein family still owned the land under 608 Fifth Avenue 88 89 The next year clothing retailer Topshop announced that it would lease the retail space 90 91 for 15 million replacing the Lacoste store 23 However the Topshop store closed in 2020 because Topshop went bankrupt 66 In June 2020 Vornado gave up its lease on the building 66 92 The deal generated 70 million for Vornado which at the time was experiencing financial losses due to the COVID 19 pandemic in New York City 93 By 2021 the empty storefront was being used to advertise HBO Max s release of the film No Sudden Move 94 Reception EditRobert Goelet felt that the building had to be one of beauty and of durability in addition to being modern 22 Christopher Gray writing for The New York Times in 1990 referred to 608 Fifth Avenue as one giant Art Moderne cigarette case of marble 15 Joseph Giovannini another Times writer listed 608 Fifth Avenue s lobby in 1984 as part of a walking tour of the city s best lobbies 95 The New Yorker architectural critic Lewis Mumford sarcastically described 608 Fifth Avenue as an excellent period reproduction Modernique 1925 regarding it as little more than a parody of the earlier Childs Restaurant building 6 Robert A M Stern in his book New York 1930 called the building a luxuriously detailed but bastardized interpretation of the International Style 13 In 2017 architectural historian Anthony W Robins wrote that the Goelet Building s lobby was one of New York s best kept Deco secrets 19 See also Edit Architecture portal New York City portalArt Deco architecture of New York City List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th StreetsReferences EditCitations Edit Swiss Center Goelet Building Emporis Archived from the original on January 3 2020 a b c 608 5 Avenue 10020 New York City Department of City Planning Archived from the original on July 15 2021 Retrieved March 20 2020 a b c d e Building Designed for Future Needs Goelet Business Edifice on Fifth Avenue Planned for Long Serviceability Marble Facade Finish Second Floor Hangs From Cantilever Girders In Rockefeller Development Block The New York Times December 7 1930 p RE1 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 2 2020 Retrieved January 2 2020 a b c d e f g h i Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992 p 4 Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1992 p 9 a b c Gray Christopher July 25 2010 The History of 3 Midtown Neighbors The New York Times p RE9 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 a b White Norval Willensky Elliot Leadon Fran 2010 AIA Guide to New York City 5th ed New York Oxford University Press p 327 ISBN 978 0 19538 386 7 Bridges William 1811 Map of the city of New York and island of Manhattan with explanatory remarks and references T amp J Swords hdl 2027 nnc2 ark 13960 t6ww9pp9g OCLC 40023003 a b c d e f g h i j Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992 p 2 Rider F Cooper F T Hopkins M A 1916 Rider s New York City and Vicinity Including Newark Yonkers and Jersey City A Guide book for Travelers with 16 Maps and 18 Plans Comp and H Holt pp 198 199 Archived from the original on August 22 2021 Retrieved January 2 2020 The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography Vol 35 1930 p 417 via HathiTrust History of the Chemical Bank 1823 1913 Country life Press 1913 p 104 Archived from the original on August 22 2021 Retrieved December 1 2019 a b c d e Stern Robert A M Gilmartin Patrick Mellins Thomas 1987 New York 1930 Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars New York Rizzoli p 531 ISBN 978 0 8478 3096 1 OCLC 13860977 a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992 p 1 a b c d e f g h i j k Gray Christopher December 16 1990 Streetscapes The Goelet Building A Facade Rich in Marble The New York Times p R7 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 2 2020 Retrieved January 2 2020 a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992 p 3 Victor L Hafner an Architect 54 Navy Veteran of 2 World Wars Die Once Warned Vatican on Dome of St Peter s The New York Times April 28 1947 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 a b c d e Landmarks Preservation Commission 1992 p 5 a b c d e f g h i Robins Anthony W 2017 New York Art Deco A Guide to Gotham s Jazz Age Architecture Excelsior Editions State University of New York Press p 111 ISBN 978 1 4384 6396 4 OCLC 953576510 a b c d Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1992 p 3 a b c d e f Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1992 p 4 a b Good Craftsmanship Praised by Goelet Was Important Factor He Says in Construction of New Edifice of 608 Fifth Avenue The New York Times June 14 1931 p RE1 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 2 2020 Retrieved January 2 2020 a b c 608 Fifth Avenue TRD Research Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 Field H E Watson F 1920 The Arts Hamilton Easter Field p 9 Archived from the original on August 22 2021 Retrieved January 2 2020 Mrs Ogden Goelet Buried From Home Services in Fifth Avenue House at Her Wish Though Unoccupied for Three Years Bishop Stires Officiates Only Relatives and Close Friends Present Crowds Stop for Funeral in Shopping District The New York Times February 26 1929 p 20 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 2 2020 Retrieved January 2 2020 Mrs Goelet s Funeral Held at 5th Ave Home Old Mansion at 49th St Long Closed Re opened at Services for Owner Crowds Hall on Sidewalk Sermon Preached by Rev Dr Stires Relatives Attend New York Herald Tribune February 26 1929 p 23 ProQuest 1111418198 Okrent Daniel 2003 Great Fortune The Epic of Rockefeller Center London Penguin Book p 97 ISBN 978 0 14 200177 6 Goelet Furnishings Sold Antiques and Rugs Bring 12 000 at First Day s Auction The New York Times November 14 1929 p 27 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 2 2020 Retrieved January 2 2020 Wreckers Claim Goelet House in Fifth Avenue Home Built in 1888 Gives Way to Ten Story Office Building New York Herald Tribune March 2 1930 p E1 ProQuest 1113138698 Goelet Home Being Razed Old Fifth Av Residence to Be Replaced by Office Building The New York Times March 2 1930 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Goelet Estate Plans New Midtown Building The New York Times March 7 1936 p 31 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 Goelet Building Plans Two Types of Commercial Structure Considered for Fifth Av Corner The New York Times May 18 1930 p S10 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 Goelet Borrows 1 000 000 on New Building Bank Arranges Financing on Southwest Corner of Fifth Ave at 49th Street New York Herald Tribune November 1 1930 p 30 ProQuest 1113727934 Manhattan Mortgages The New York Times November 1 1930 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Few Shops Vacant on Fifth Avenue Survey Discloses Only Twelve Stores Available in the Business Blocks The New York Times February 8 1931 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Dailey John A February 8 1931 Fifth Avenue Still Leading Shopping Center Few Stores Are Available North of Forty Second St Recent Survey Indicates 3 750 Foot Top Rental Shoe Healers Predominate There Being 28 Such Shops New York Herald Tribune p E1 ProQuest 1114167981 Good Craftsmanship Praised by Goelet Was Important Factor He Says in Construction of New Edifice of 608 Fifth Avenue The New York Times June 14 1931 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 2 2020 Retrieved March 15 2022 Fifth Av Chances in Midtown Section New Foreign Units for Rockefeller Frontage Jewelry Firm in Goelet Building Union Club Moving Plans Northward Expansion of Trade Shown by Recent Building and Leasing Activity The New York Times June 12 1932 p RE1 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 Rockefeller Buys Last Lots For Site Purchase of Six From Fox Rounds Out Holdings of Center to Carry Out Full Project 31 Story Building Planned Complete Architectural Balance Is Assured Price of Sixth Av Property Not Disclosed The New York Times December 9 1932 p 23 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 Real Estate News and Transactions in the New York City and Suburban Field Reviewed Apparel Dealer Leases Larger Midtown Space Kruger Firm Gets Quarters 5 Times as Large as Old in Rockefeller Area New York Herald Tribune August 30 1933 p 28 ProQuest 1221960853 Large Midtown Quarters Taken By Restaurant Chicago Operator Will Pay Rent Exceeding 200 000 in Roekefeller Center Zone New York Herald Tribune September 30 1932 p 33 ProQuest 1221305266 Tecla Pearl Co Leases Space on Fifth Avenue Jewelry Firm Takes Quarters Near Rockefeller Center New York Herald Tribune October 23 1933 p 30 ProQuest 1221366096 Hanover Opens Branch Today The New York Times November 13 1934 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 3 690 000 Is Loaned on 7th Av Buildings Garment Center Capitol Inc Obtains Extension of Mortgage Placed Ten Years Ago The New York Times June 1 1932 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Real Estate News and Transactions in City and Country Photographers Rent Quarters On 5th Avenue Underwood amp Underwood Take Portrait Studio in New Goelet Building New York Herald Tribune July 21 1933 p 30 ProQuest 1221351104 Oil Firm Rents New Offices in Midtown Area Pennzoil Company Leases in Rockefeller Center Gem Importers Move New York Herald Tribune February 6 1936 p 34 ProQuest 1243470679 Two Stores Plan Art Exhibitions Contemporary American Work Will Be Shown at Altman s for Next 12 Days The New York Times June 10 1935 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Operators Resell Flats on Heights Two Broadway Terrace Houses Bring Cash Over Mortgage in Investment Sale The New York Times February 15 1935 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Robert Goelet Buys Building In 49th Street Takes C J Coulter House Adjoining 5th Av Corner for Light Protection New York Herald Tribune February 15 1935 p 32 ProQuest 1245306435 a b Goelet Estate Plans New Midtown Building The New York Times March 7 1936 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 Custom Tailors Rent Big Unit On 5th Avenue Banks Organization Takes Space at 49th Street City Plans New Court New York Herald Tribune October 1 1937 p 37 ProQuest 1240445159 J S Bache Opens New Office Wall Street Journal May 3 1937 p 4 ISSN 0099 9660 ProQuest 129820042 Real Estate News in City and Suburbs Building Firm Rents Quarters In East 48th St A J Robinson Co Takes Midtown Floor Many Other Leases Are Closed Even Big Suites Are Leased New York Herald Tribune February 17 1939 p 33 ProQuest 1244707327 Bickford s Rents 505 5th Ave Unit Store Will Be Modernized as a New Outlet for Chain of Restaurants The New York Times March 21 1940 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Gem Importer Leases Suites In 5th Avenue Lieberman Bienenfeld Inc Takes Midtown Offices Bentkamp Rents Space New York Herald Tribune March 9 1940 p 27 ProQuest 1335119628 State Banking Changes Central Hanover Would Move Branch in Midtown The New York Times July 12 1941 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 John David Leases Fifth Ave Corner The New York Times August 1 1945 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Airline Takes Space in 230 Park Avenue The New York Times March 29 1950 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 New Trade Group to Promote Wool Growers and Manufacturers Map Drive to Increase Domestic Sales The New York Times July 15 1958 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 Bradley John A February 26 1956 Business Sought by Boiler Trade Heating Cooling Council Is Formed by More Than Thirty Manufacturers The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 15th Airline Gets Space on Fifth Ave Avianca Is Latest Taking 2 Stores at No 608 Other Rental Deals The New York Times June 4 1958 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Space Is Leased at 608 Fifth Ave Diamond Dealers to Take Quarters July 1 Other Rental Deals Closed The New York Times May 5 1960 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 15 2022 Retrieved March 15 2022 Floor Is Leased at 235 E 42d St Pfizer Building Space Is Taken by Law Firm Other Rental Deals The New York Times March 31 1961 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 Airline to Occupy Exotic Quarters Pakistan Carrier to Employ Native Motifs in Office The New York Times April 15 1962 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 Fowler Glenn April 19 1964 Bankers Trust Regency Hotel Win Top Honors in Competition The New York Times p R1 ProQuest 115785366 a b c Vornado Hands Over 608 Fifth Avenue to Korein Family The Real Deal New York June 1 2020 Archived from the original on December 5 2020 Retrieved March 16 2022 a b c Building on 5th Ave to Be Swiss Center The New York Times May 3 1964 p 123 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 2 2020 Retrieved January 2 2020 2 Tenants Signed at 777 Third Ave Robert Goelet and a New Ad Agency Lease Quarters The New York Times July 28 1964 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 Swiss Center Will Open On Fifth Avenue Today The New York Times June 23 1966 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved March 16 2022 Swiss Offers to Aid Peace New York Daily News June 24 1966 p 71 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 via newspapers com City to Mark Swiss Week New York Daily News June 20 1966 p 511 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 via newspapers com Claiborne Craig September 4 1970 Superb Swiss Restaurants The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 Brock Carol January 14 1976 Trio of treats with foreign flavor New York Daily News p 366 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 via newspapers com Miller Bryan February 18 1982 Volunteers Tracking Down New York s Significant Interiors The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on May 24 2015 Retrieved March 16 2022 Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1992 p 5 Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1992 p 1 Meadus Amanda May 1 1995 Mikimoto Moves Up on Fifth Avenue Women s Wear Daily Vol 169 no 83 p 22 ProQuest 1498771092 New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Dolkart Andrew S Postal Matthew A 2009 Postal Matthew A ed Guide to New York City Landmarks 4th ed New York John Wiley amp Sons p 117 ISBN 978 0 470 28963 1 Ravo Nick August 12 1998 Metro Business Swiss Center Lease Is Sold The New York Times p B9 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 2 2020 Retrieved January 2 2020 a b Croghan Lore July 13 1998 A new watchdog takes over the Swiss Center building Crain s New York Business Vol 14 no 28 p 22 ProQuest 219185124 Travel Advisory The Swiss Celebrate A Heidi Centennial The New York Times May 27 2001 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved March 16 2022 Fabricant Florence July 26 2000 Food Stuff Fruity Japanese Treats The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved March 16 2022 Moin David August 8 2003 Lacoste Corners Fifth Avenue Women s Wear Daily Vol 186 no 28 p 11 ProQuest 1434259359 Tarquinio J Alex January 30 2008 Foreign Retailers Follow Their Shoppers to New York The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 5 2018 Retrieved March 16 2022 LACOSTE expands retail presence at 608 Fifth Ave to 9 955 s f RFR is property owner NYREJ March 21 2011 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 Lacoste building flagship at RFR s 608 Fifth Ave Real Estate Weekly March 2 2011 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved March 16 2022 via Free Online Library Levere Jane L September 4 2012 The Heart of Fifth Avenue Shopping Is Edging to the South The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on October 11 2020 Retrieved March 16 2022 Clarke Katherine June 9 2017 Meet the family that s got Aby Rosen over a barrel at Lever House The Real Deal New York Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 Barbarino Al February 11 2013 Vornado Scoops Ground Lease at Art Deco Gem Swiss Center Commercial Observer Archived from the original on January 3 2020 Retrieved January 3 2020 Gurfein Laura February 5 2014 Topshop to Open Its Largest Stateside Store on Fifth Avenue Racked NY Archived from the original on October 5 2018 Retrieved March 16 2022 Conti Samantha February 5 2014 Topshop Signs Lease for Fifth Ave Flagship WWD Archived from the original on April 16 2021 Retrieved March 16 2022 Vornado Walks Away from Manhattan s 608 Fifth Ave Commercial Real Estate Direct June 2 2020 Archived from the original on September 23 2020 Retrieved March 16 2022 Vornado Sees 306M Loss on Fifth Ave amp Times Square Retail JV The Real Deal New York July 21 2020 Archived from the original on February 17 2021 Retrieved March 16 2022 Sachmechi Natalie July 22 2021 Owners redeploy empty storefronts as ad space Crain s New York Business Vol 37 no 28 p 14 ProQuest 2560348860 Archived from the original on October 8 2021 Retrieved March 16 2022 Giovannini Joseph March 9 1984 The Great Indoors A Stroll Around City s Best Lobbies The New York Times p C1 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on March 13 2022 Retrieved January 3 2020 Sources Edit Goelet Building PDF Report New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission January 14 1992 Goelet Building Interior PDF Report New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission January 14 1992 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to 608 Fifth Avenue Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 608 Fifth Avenue amp oldid 1111633736, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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