<< Back
Landmarks
Paramount Hotel, 235-245 West 46th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue
WHEREAS, The Paramount Hotel, located at 235-245 West 46th Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue), was built in 1927-28, during a period of tremendous expansion of the Broadway theaters and the activity of the Times Square theater district; and
WHEREAS, The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission ("LPC") advised Community Board Five on May 22, 2009 that there will be a public hearing on June 23, 2009 regarding the proposed designation of The Paramount Hotel, located at 235-245 West 46th Street as an individual Landmark; and
WHEREAS, The hotel was designed by the renowned theater architect, Thomas Lamb, originally from Scotland but trained in New York, who became one of this country’s most prolific theater designers, and whose work included movie theaters, including the Capitol Theater, Keith’s Theater, and theaters for Loews and Fox; and
WHEREAS, The Paramount Hotel was Lamb’s only hotel design, built to address the specific needs of visitors to Times Square and was one of his rare non-theater projects which originally included its own theater, the Century; and
WHEREAS, The design was built to reflect the street-theater nature of its setting, and includes fanciful ornamentation on the lower and upper stories, a double-height arcade faced with marble, elaborate terra cotta ornamentation on the third story, and many significant details that allow it to stand out on its narrow street, leading up to a deep, copper mansard roof with richly ornamented dormers with broken pediments, volutes and cartouches of terra cotta; and
WHEREAS, Its exuberant Renaissance Revival style complements the dramatic atmosphere of the theater district; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board 5 recommends approval of Landmark designation for the Paramount Hotel, recognizing its distinguished position in the Times Square area with its outstanding details which allow it to be enjoyed by those viewing it at a distance as well as those at street level, and its unique position as the only example of hotel design by the architect.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 35 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining.