La Maison Francaise (Rockefeller Center)
Building in Rockefeller Center, New York City / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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La Maison Francaise (French: La Maison Française, literally French House), also known by its address 610 Fifth Avenue, is a commercial building at Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1933, the six-story structure was designed in the Art Deco style by Raymond Hood, Rockefeller Center's lead architect. La Maison Francaise, along with the nearly identical British Empire Building and the high-rise International Building to the north, comprise a group of retail-and-office structures known as the International Complex. La Maison Francaise and the British Empire Building are separated by Channel Gardens, a planted pedestrian esplanade running west to the complex's Lower Plaza.
La Maison Francaise | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Office building |
Location | 610 5th Avenue New York, NY 10112 |
Coordinates | 40.75856°N 73.97792°W / 40.75856; -73.97792 |
Completed | 1933 |
Owner | Tishman Speyer |
Height | |
Roof | 90 ft (27 m) (excluding penthouse) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 6 (+1+1⁄2-story penthouse) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Associated Architects, including Raymond Hood |
Developer | John D. Rockefeller Jr. |
Structural engineer | Post & McCord |
La Maison Francaise | |
Area | 22 acres (8.8 ha) |
Architect | Raymond Hood |
Architectural style | Modern, Art Deco |
Part of | Rockefeller Center (ID87002591) |
NYCL No. | 1446 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | December 23, 1987[1] |
Designated CP | December 23, 1987[2] |
Designated NYCL | April 23, 1985 |
The facade is made of limestone, with a main entrance along Fifth Avenue and secondary entrances on 49th Street and Channel Gardens. The top of La Maison Francaise contains setbacks, a rooftop garden, and a partial seventh-story penthouse. The building's entrances contain ornate decorations by Lee Lawrie, Alfred Janniot, and Rene Paul Chambellan. The entire Rockefeller Center complex is a New York City designated landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
La Maison Francaise and the British Empire Building were developed as part of the construction of Rockefeller Center after a proposal for a single building on the site was scrapped. Work began in February 1932 and French companies agreed to occupy the building the next month. The building was completed in 1933 and initially mainly hosted French companies. Over the years, the building has contained a variety of tenants, including stores and travel companies.