945 Madison Avenue: Difference between revisions

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The building resides on a {{convert|13000|sqft|adj=on}} site at [[Madison Avenue]] and 75th Street that was once occupied by six 1880s rowhouses. The structure and surrounding buildings contribute to the [[Upper East Side Historic District]], a New York City and national historic district. The building is usually described as part of the [[Modernist]] art and architecture movement, and is often described as part of the narrower [[Brutalist]] style. The structure has exterior faces of variegated granite and exposed concrete and makes use of stark angular shapes, including [[cantilever]]ed floors progressively extending atop its entryway, resembling an inverted [[ziggurat]]. The design was controversial, though lauded by notable architecture critics at its opening and the building defined the Whitney Museum's image for nearly 50 years, influencing subsequent projects such as the [[Cleveland Museum of Art]]'s north wing and Atlanta's [[Atlanta Central Library|Central Library]]. Breuer's design also impacted the new Whitney Museum in Lower Manhattan by [[Renzo Piano]], with both buildings featuring cantilevering floor plates and oversized elevators.