59 West 12th Street Building vs 1585 Broadway Building

59 West 12th Street Building
1585 Broadway Building

Comparing the 59 West 12th Street Building and the 1585 Broadway Building is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in New York, NY, and were both designed by Emery Roth & Sons. However, they were completed more than 59 years apart.

This offers a unique perspective on how the architect's style and the city's architecture evolved over time.

Height
m
Floors
17

Height & Size

Height
209m
Floors
42

The 1585 Broadway Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 686ft (209m) with 42 floors above ground, while the 59 West 12th Street Building reaches 0ft (m) with 17 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Style
Art Deco

Architectural Style

Style
Postmodernism

The 59 West 12th Street Building was designed in the Art Deco style, while the 1585 Broadway Building reflects the principles of Postmodernism.

At the time of their completion, both styles were well established. This makes the comparison especially interesting, because both buildings represent a dominant aesthetic at a particular point in time.

Built 59 years apart (1931 vs 1990), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

Main use
Residential

Uses

Main use
Commercial

The 59 West 12th Street Building is primarily residential, while the 1585 Broadway Building is primarily commercial.

The 59 West 12th Street Building offers 103 residential units.

Structure
Facade

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.

59 West 12th Street Building 1585 Broadway Building
Emery Roth & Sons Architect Emery Roth & Sons
1929 Construction Started 1989
1931 Year Completed 1990
Art Deco Architectural Style Postmodernism
Residential Current Use Commercial
17 Floors Above Ground 42
Bricks Main Facade Material Aluminum, Glass
Bing & Bing Developer Solomon Equities
NY State NY
New York City New York
59 West 12th Street Address 1585 Broadway