History and architecture
Rockefeller Apartments, built in 1935-37 and designed by the firm of Harrison & Fouilhoux, are a major example of the International Style. Commis-sioned by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Nelson Rockefeller, they represent Wallace K. Harrison's first independent foray into contemporary architecture as well as his first of many collaborations with Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller. Rockefeller Apartments changed the current standards in apartment house planning, giving 15 percent more space to light and air than required by the building codes.
Other apartment house plans sought only to provide the maximum number of livable and rentable rooms using every available inch. These two buildings, designed as a unit, are a major and early example in this country of an architecture that synthesized the new currents in Europe, the functional and biological aesthetic, new building techniques, and the concern for public housing, propounded by Le Corbusier, J.J. Oud, and Otto Haesler, among others.
This commission offered Harrison the opportunity to present an architectural expression particular to his own time. In their simplicity, use of industrial materials, smooth wall surfaces, and especially their fenestration these buildings are undeniably characteristic of the International Style. As such, Rockefeller Apartments occupy a place in the continuity of significant urban work in this city, in this country and in this century.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.