History and architecture
Designed by Raymond Hood, among the most prominent American architects of the twentieth century, and built in 1929-30, The Beaux-Arts Apartments is one of the earliest examples in New York City to reflect the trend toward horizontal emphasis in the aesthetic of modern European architecture of the 1920s. Conceived as a corollary to the neighboring Beaux-Arts Institute of Design (a designated New York City Landmark), the Beaux-Arts Apartments at 307 East 44th Street and its twin building on the opposite side of the street were intended to provide residential and studio accommodations for architects and artists, as well as others interested in living in what was anticipated as a midtown artistic community.
The Beaux-Arts Development Corporation, a syndicate of architects associated with the Institute and allied professionals, joined forces to finance, build, and manage their own real estate venture. A striking horizontal composition of alternating brick spandrels and distinctive industrial steel casement windows separated by brick bands, Hood's exterior design employs some of the vocabulary of the then contemporary Art Moderne phase of the Art Deco movement, such as bold massing, streamlined geometric metal railings and corner windows, while it also reflects the influence of European modernism.
Kenneth Murchison, who designed the innovative interior spaces, created duplex-style studios in the upper four stories which are articulated on the exterior as staggered set-back terraces.
The paired Beaux-Arts Apartments create an harmonious residential streetscape, reflecting the development of Turtle Bay during the 1920s as a neighborhood of modern apartment complexes.
The buildings and addresses
These related addresses share the history above.
View 2 addresses and reports
307 East 44th Street, New York, NY
310 East 44th Street, New York, NY
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.