The Citi Group Center is a hub for business and innovation, located in the heart of a major financial district. It's a place where ideas are born and businesses thrive.
This state-of-the-art facility offers a range of amenities and services designed to support entrepreneurs and small business owners. From high-speed internet to meeting rooms and event spaces, everything is in place to help businesses succeed.
One of the key features of the Citi Group Center is its business incubator program, which provides resources and support to startups and small businesses. This program has helped numerous businesses get off the ground and achieve success.
The Citi Group Center is also home to a range of networking events and workshops, designed to help businesses connect with each other and with industry experts. These events are a great way to learn new skills, make valuable connections, and stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends.
Location
The Citi Group Center is located in the heart of downtown Manhattan, New York City. Specifically, it can be found at 399 Park Avenue.
This prime location provides easy access to major transportation hubs, including Grand Central Terminal and several subway lines.
Its proximity to iconic landmarks like the New York Public Library and St. Patrick's Cathedral makes it an ideal spot for both business and leisure activities.
Site
The Citigroup Center is located at 601 Lexington Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.
It takes up the majority of a city block bounded by Lexington Avenue to the west, 54th Street to the north, Third Avenue to the east, and 53rd Street to the south. The land lot covers 70,572 sq ft with a frontage of 200 ft on Lexington Avenue and a west–east length of 325 ft.
The building shares the block with 880 Third Avenue, an 18-story structure at 53rd Street and Third Avenue. Other nearby buildings include 599 Lexington Avenue to the south, 100 East 53rd Street and the Seagram Building to the southwest, 399 Park Avenue to the west, the Central Synagogue to the northwest, and the Lipstick Building to the east.
The New York City Subway's Lexington Avenue/51st Street station is directly underneath the building.
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan is Manhattan's central hub and its largest and most prominent office market, with roughly 242 million square feet of office space to choose from.
You'll find several submarkets to consider in this expansive, diverse area, making it a great place to find the right office space for your needs.
Midtown's office space is a major draw for businesses, with various options to suit different needs and budgets.
The area's central hub status makes it a convenient location for many professionals, with easy access to public transportation and other amenities.
Design and Architecture
The Citigroup Center's design and architecture are truly impressive. The tower was designed by architect Hugh Stubbins, along with associate architects Emery Roth & Sons, for the First National City Bank (later Citibank).
The building's structure is made of 24,000 short tons of steel, two-fifths of the amount used in the Empire State Building. This massive amount of steel was used to create the tower's trussed-tube construction, which allows for a strong and stable structure.
The tower's facade is made of anodized aluminum and reflective glass panels, with each facade segment measuring 12 by 9 ft. The aluminum is silver-colored, and the windows are double-glazed to conserve energy.
The building's design was influenced by the need to accommodate a church at its base, St. Peter's Church. The church's final design, with a diagonal skylight, was announced in April 1974.
Architecture
The Citigroup Center's architecture is a masterclass in innovative design. The building consists of the office tower and its annex, with a structure for St. Peter's Church at the base of the office tower.
The tower was designed by architect Hugh Stubbins, along with associate architects Emery Roth & Sons, for the First National City Bank (later Citibank). Hugh Stubbins' team was responsible for the building's design, with Peter Woytuk being the most involved architect and W. Easley Hammer overseeing the construction.
The Citigroup Center is 59 stories high, with its roof about 915 ft (279 m) above ground level. Excluding unused floor numbers, it contains 46 office stories.
The structural engineer William LeMessurier gave the solution to settle the building on four huge columns of 35 m high, placed in the center of each side of the building. This allowed the church to keep its location, separating the new building by 22 meters.
Each of the tower stories measures 157 by 157 ft (48 by 48 m), or 24,600 sq ft (2,290 m) in total. The tower contains approximately 1.3×10^ sq ft (120,000 m) of rentable space.
Design Process and Approvals
The design process for the Citicorp Center was a complex and iterative one. The architects studied at least six alternate proposals for the tower before settling on the final design.
Early plans called for installing stilts underneath each corner of the tower, but these plans were scrapped due to concerns about the structural integrity of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, which was located nearby.
The architects had to make several changes to the design in order to meet the approval of the New York City Department of City Planning. For example, they rotated the roof southward to accommodate flat-plate solar collectors.
The project was publicly disclosed on July 24, 1973, with plans calling for a 910 ft-tall tower with stilts under the center of each side. The tower would rise 112 ft above street level.
The city government approved plans for Citicorp Center in 1974, after several revisions to the original design.
Features and Amenities
The Citi Group Center is a great place to work, with plenty of amenities to make your day more enjoyable. The center has a fitness center, where you can stay active and healthy during your work hours.
You can also grab a bite to eat at the on-site café, which serves a variety of delicious meals and snacks. The center's location in the heart of the city makes it easy to get out and explore during your breaks.
The Citi Group Center has a range of meeting rooms and event spaces, perfect for hosting clients or colleagues.
Street Furniture
The street furniture around the Citigroup Center is designed to be functional and visually appealing. Custom-designed pylons with a cruciform cross-section and street lamps at the top are placed along the streets surrounding the block.
Seven lighting pylons are strategically located to provide adequate lighting. The pylons were initially designed with a glossy black finish that contrasts with the tower's aluminum facade.
At the northwest, northeast, and southwest corners of the block, custom pylons include pedestrian and vehicular traffic lights, making it easier for people to navigate the area.
Reception
Citicorp Center received a lot of media attention during its construction in 1974.
The architectural writer Ada Louise Huxtable initially criticized the design in The New York Times, saying it lacked romanticism and structural rationalism.
Huxtable later took a less harsh tone, noting that the building contained a "clear desire for design quality" despite its drawbacks.
A writer for the New York Daily News described the building as a typical New York City office structure that would only attract notice if it were built elsewhere.
The building's rooftop and base were considered wasteful with space by Suzanne Stephens, a writer for New York magazine.
After the building's completion, architectural critic Paul Goldberger wrote that the roof was unusual and the building had a reflective facade and varied form.
However, Goldberger didn't think the overall design was particularly innovative.
The plaza was regarded as an architectural success by Ada Louise Huxtable, but she noted in 1978 that very few people used it.
August Heckscher II, a former New York City parks commissioner, praised the interior as an "amenity in which we can all rejoice".
Despite the praise, Heckscher believed the atrium's silver cladding and light fixtures were unwelcoming.
The historian and writer John Tauranac described the tower as the "most dramatic new skyscraper" in New York City since the completion of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
The architect and writer Robert A. M. Stern said Citicorp Center was the summation of the "unique architectural and urbanistic character that made Fifty-third Street at once an enclave within midtown and a microcosm of midtown itself".
The urbanist and sociologist William H. Whyte spoke positively of the structure for its juxtaposition of design elements, such as the exterior plaza and sidewalk.
Publications outside New York City also praised the building, with The Baltimore Sun describing it as being simultaneously sophisticated and simple-looking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What companies are in the 601 Lexington Ave?
LibreMax Capital, State Street Bank, and Kirkland & Ellis are notable tenants in the 601 Lexington Ave building. This prestigious address is also home to other prominent companies, with 27 lease comps available from 2010 to 2024.
Sources
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