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City Designates Citicorp Center, Saint Peter's Church as Landmarks

By Noah Hurowitz | December 8, 2016 8:53am
 The former Citicorp Center, now known as 601 Lexington Ave., became the city's youngest landmark on Monday.
The former Citicorp Center, now known as 601 Lexington Ave., became the city's youngest landmark on Monday.
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Landmarks Preservation Commission

MIDTOWN — The 1970s-era former Citicorp Center became the city’s youngest landmarked building as the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously this week to designate it, part of a larger push to protect historic buildings in east Midtown, according to a spokeswoman.

The newly landmarked site at Lexington Avenue and East 53rd Street, now known as 601 Lexington Ave., includes Saint Peter’s Church as well as a six-story building housing retail and office space. The complex, commissioned by the former First National City Bank — now known as CitiBank — was built between 1973 and 1978, and is distinctive for its slanted, 45-degree roof, which was originally intended to house solar panels, according to a statement from LPC.

The church, which along with the office tower was designed by the architecture firms of Hugh Stubbins and Emery Roth, is clad in granite rather than aluminum, and was built with a prismatic structure to distinguish it from the tower, according to LPC.

The vote came on the heels of LPC designating 11 other buildings in the neighborhood, part of a push to protect historic buildings in the area ahead of the city’s plan to rezone east Midtown and encourage development of new office buildings.

According to LPC Chairwoman Meenakshi Srinivasan, the commission recognized the building as an integral part of the city’s skyline and its designation will help enshrine preservation as a key part of the neighborhood’s future.

"The Commission is very proud to add the former Citicorp Center to our collection of landmarks in Greater East Midtown," Srinivasan said in a statement. "The Citicorp Tower's distinctive features make it one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in New York City, and today we ensured that future generations will enjoy this irreplaceable part of our skyline.”

Other buildings landmarked last month in the earlier round of designations included the Yale Club, at 50 Vanderbilt Ave. between East 44th and East 45th streets; the Pershing Square Building, at 125 Park Ave. at East 41st Street; and the Hampton Shops Building at 18-20 E. 50th St.