History and architecture
The Rizzoli Building, unlit in 1901-08, is not only a significant reminder of fifth Avenue at the turn of the century, when the avenue, south of 59th Street, was shifting from residential to commercial use, but the building, as designed by Albert S. Gottlieb, is also a distinguished example of the elegant neo-French Classic style which recalls 18th-century Parisian town houses. Commissioned by the adjacent Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church as a commercial venture, the building has always housed prestigious commercial tenants.
Despite its commercial purposes, it is, nonetheless, residential in height, scale, and design details in deference to its then residential neighbors. Its style, form, and materials, create a building of the type, which now characterizes fifth Avenue as an elegant boulevard of shops, department stores, hotels, and clubs. Today the urbane quality of its design continues to enhance Fifth Avenue as the city's and the nation's premier shopping street.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.