Pershing Square Building
Encyclopedia
The Pershing Square Building is a 24-story office tower built in 1923 at Pershing Square, Park Avenue
and 42nd Street
in New York City
. The addresses are 100 East 42nd Street, 125 Park Avenue.
The architect of the Romanesque Revival
building was John Sloan of the firm York and Sawyer
; Henry Mandel was the developer.
The building is noted for the elaborate decoration designed by Sloan and produced by the Atlantic Terra Cotta Company
. One of the figures at the fifth-floor level represents a Roman caduceator, or peace commissioner. He holds a caduceus
in one hand as an emblem of office and, in the other, a cornucopia to suggest the benefits of a prospective peace.
The building was erected on the site of the former Grand Union Hotel.
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
and 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The addresses are 100 East 42nd Street, 125 Park Avenue.
The architect of the Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
building was John Sloan of the firm York and Sawyer
York and Sawyer
The architectural firm of York and Sawyer produced many outstanding structures, exemplary of Beaux-Arts architecture as it was practiced in the United States. The partners Edward York and Philip Sawyer had both trained in the office of McKim, Mead, and White...
; Henry Mandel was the developer.
The building is noted for the elaborate decoration designed by Sloan and produced by the Atlantic Terra Cotta Company
A. Hall and Sons Terra Cotta
A. Hall and Sons Terra Cotta was founded in 1846 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey due to Perth Amboy's rich supplies of clay. It was one of the first successful terra cotta plants in the United States. Originally, the manufactory produced porcelain and household wares but transitioned to terra cotta...
. One of the figures at the fifth-floor level represents a Roman caduceator, or peace commissioner. He holds a caduceus
Caduceus
The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings...
in one hand as an emblem of office and, in the other, a cornucopia to suggest the benefits of a prospective peace.
The building was erected on the site of the former Grand Union Hotel.