Begun in the 1930s, this city within a city and National Historic Landmark was the first commercial project to integrate gardens, dining, and shopping with office space. Rockefeller Center is the hub of Midtown Manhattan, busy day and night. The number of buildings has grown to 19, though the newer buildings do not match the Art Deco elegance of the original 14 structures.
NEED TO KNOW
Rockefeller Center extends from 5th to 6th Aves, between 48th & 51st Sts • www.rockefellercenter.comNBC Studios • 30 Rockefeller Plaza • Tours every 15–30 mins 8:30am–5:30pm Mon–Fri, 9:30am–6:30pm Sat, 9:30am– 4:30pm Sun • book on 212 664 3056 or at www.nbcstudiotour.com • Admission charge; reservations advisedToday Show • Rockefeller Plaza at 49th St. • 7–9am Mon–FriTop of the Rock • 30 Rockefeller Plaza • 212 698 2000 • 8am–midnight daily (last lift 11pm) • www.topoftherocknyc.com • Adm $30, seniors $26, kids (6–12) $20- From 5th Ave, walk via the Channel Gardens to the Sunken Garden.
- Pick up a self-guided tour leaflet from the the Comcast Building lobby.
- For 360-degree views, visit the 67th–70th-floor observation deck.
1.Channel Gardens
Named after the English Channel because they separate the French and British buildings, the gardens change with the calendar and are lined with glowing angels at Christmas.
Channel Gardens
2.Prometheus Statue
An 18-ft (5.5-m) gold-leafed bronze statue by Paul Manship presides over the Sunken Garden. The pedestal represents Earth and the ring represents the heavens.
Prometheus Statue
3.Comcast Building
The centerpiece of Rockefeller Center is a slim, 70-story limestone tower. The building, with gradual setbacks as it rises, houses the offices of the Rockefeller family.
Comcast Building
4.Sunken Garden
A skating rink in winter and outdoor café in summer, the Sunken Garden is always popular. It is surrounded by flags that represent the members of the UN.
5.Today Show Studio
This morning-TV show can be viewed live every weekday from the sidewalk. Outdoor concerts by well-known musicians often take place in the plaza.
6.Shopping Concourse
A variety of stores is found in the under ground concourse of the Comcast Building, including a branch of the Met Museum shop.
7.Atlas Statue
Sculpted by Lee Lawrie, this 14,000-lb (6,350-kg), 15-ft (4.5-m) figure is perched on a 9-ft (3-m) pedestal. One of 15 works by Lawrie at the Rockefeller Center, Atlas stands at the entrance to the International Building.
Atlas Statue
8.NBC Studios
Backstage tours of the network’s studios are popular. Visitors can buy tickets online or by phone, or write ahead for shows; tickets are also available in the Comcast building.
NBC Studios
9.Radio City Music Hall
Tours of this Art Deco masterpiece and former movie palace offer a chance to admire the decor, the stage, and the Wurlitzer organ (for further details see Radio City Music Hall).
10.Top of the Rock
Visitors are treated to breathtaking, unobstructed views – and space to move about – on the observation deck’s three levels.
Top of the Rock
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR.
Eminent philanthropist and multimillionnaire John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874–1960) was son and heir to Ohio oil magnate John Davison Rockefeller’s fortunes. John D., as Rockefeller, Jr. was known, strongly believed his inheritance should be used for the public good. Among his philanthropic donations were contributions to the building funds of the Cloisters and the United Nations Headquarters.
Rockefeller Center Artworks
1.American Progress
Jose Maria Sert’s (1876–1945) mural depicts America’s development over 300 years by uniting two forces, brain and brawn. Sert’s Time mural adorns one of the ceilings.
2.Wisdom
The striking central figure of Wisdom by Lee Lawrie (1877–1963) grasps a compass pointing to light and sound waves and is carved on a screen made of 240 glass blocks.
3.Gaston Lachaise’s panels
This two-panel work by the noted American sculptor (1882– 1935) honors the contribution made by workmen to the Rockefeller Center’s construction, depicting them at their labors.
4.News
This heroic sculpture by Isamu Noguchi (1904–88) is cast in stainless steel. The 10-ton panel illustrates the tools of the press, including camera, telephone, pad, and pencil.
5.Industries of the British Empire
Cast in bronze and finished in gold leaf, this panel by Carl Paul Jennewein (1890–1980) depicts nine major industries of the British Commonwealth, including coal, fish, sugar cane, salt, and tobacco. A sun symbolizes the extent of the Empire.
Industries of the British Empire
6.Intelligence Awakening Mankind
Some one million tesserae (pieces of glass enamel) in more than 200 colors create Barry Faulkner’s (1881–1966) mosaic representing spoken and written words.
Intelligence Awakening Mankind
7.Portals
Josef Albers’ 1961 work of thin, highly polished, milky-white and ivory Carrara glass creates a surface of receding squares that gives the mural a sense of depth.
8.Winged Mercury
Lee Lawrie’s stunning 1933 relief of Mercury, the Roman god of trade, profit, and commerce, celebrates the British Empire. The golden figure’s helmet is a sign of protection.
Winged Mercury
9.The Story of Mankind
Another Lawrie piece is a bold 15-block history accented in gold, scarlet, and blue-green. History is topped with a clock, signifying the passage of time.
10.Wall Drawing 896
The Center’s newest mural, a site-specific, geometric design created in 1999 by Sol Lewitt, covers four walls of the entrance to the headquarters of Christie’s on 48th Street with brilliant color.
BUILDING THE ROCKEFELLER CENTER
When the Great Depression made John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s original plan for a new opera house impractical, he instead developed a large, creative-commercial complex. The innovative Art Deco design, led by Raymond Hood, included a mid-block street (Rockefeller Plaza) and an underground concourse. The 14 buildings constructed in 1931–40 provided 225,000 jobs during the worst of the Depression. Artworks were an essential element; over 30 artists contributed work for foyers, fa cades, and gardens as part of the “New Frontiers” program.
Radio City brochure
The Rockefeller Center under construction in 1932
TOP 10 STATISTICS
1. Tallest building: 850 ft (259 m), 70 floors
2. Elevators: 388
3. Passenger rides per day: more than 400,000
4. Fastest elevator speed: 1,400 ft (427 m) per minute (37 seconds non-stop to 65th floor)
5. Number working in the complex: 65,000
6. Telephones: 100,000
7. Office windows: 48,758
8. Restaurants: 45
9. Shops: 100
10. Daily visitors: 250,000