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Landmarks
390 Park Avenue, aka: Lever House, Application to alter main plaza, 3rd Floor, and 4th Floor
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, July 08, 2021, the following resolution passed with a vote of 26 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, Lever House is an office building located at 390 Park Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets, built in the International Style in 1952 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as one of the early curtain-wall skyscrapers in New York City; and
WHEREAS, It stands at 307 feet tall (24-stories) with a glass and steel vertical base rising above a horizontal slab, which is elevated by set-back columns allowing it to appear “floating” over the plaza at street level, and tt was designated a NYC Landmark in 1982; and
WHEREAS, The bulk of the plaza level is open to the public, with some open-air gardens, and various limestone and glass enclosed commercial and lobby areas; and
WHEREAS, The applicant is proposing several changes which include:
PLAZA LEVEL
RESTORATION
- removal of non-original seating
- repair and replacement of light fixtures and ceiling material with in-kind materials
- replacement of original deteriorating terrazzo flooring as well as non-original pavers
- stainless steel and stone restorations
ALTERATIONS
- removal of original black limestone in the rear wall for the introduction of two new openings into the commercial space
- additional signage underneath the original “Lever House” sign as well as new tenant signage for commercial spaces and lobby entrances
THIRD FLOOR
RESTORATION
- replacement of non-original square pavers on terrace
ALTERATIONS
- addition of a perimeter guardrail to meet DOB safety codes along the planter perimeter
- addition of ‘fritted’ glass to replace various other non-original wall surfaces, some of which will be visible from 54th Street
FOURTH FLOOR
- addition of a terrace visible from the street
- addition of a visible steel and wire handrail on proposed terrace
- creation of an opening in the façade for access to the proposed terrace
- removal of existing skylights; and
WHEREAS, The repair and replacement of portions of the plaza terrazzo floor and ceiling with in-kind materials, as well as new lighting and furniture are all acceptable changes to be deemed original upon completion; and
WHEREAS, The 3rd floor paver replacement to a paver shape that is more closely related to the originally designed flooring plan (although proposed to be gray in color versus red), the handrail addition, and ‘fritted’ glass are also deemed acceptable changes; and
WHEREAS, The additional signage on the commercial spaces and lobby appear to be more numerous than desired, but the Committee understands the need for commercial buildings to remain attractive and relevant within our district; and
WHEREAS, The original black limestone walls serves as an intentional backdrop to further accentuate the depth of the plaza as well as the “floating” slab and is in color contrast to the stainless steel columns, and removal of original limestone for two large openings into the commercial space at the plaza level is mutilating and detracts from the original intent; and -
WHEREAS, The addition of a 4th floor raised terrace with a visible steel and wire handrail detracts from the purity and simplicity of the minimalist design of the building; Therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends denial of the application for alteration of 390 Park Avenue aka Lever House.