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Coty Building
The Coty Building is a building at 714 Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The six-story building contains a French-inspired facade and mansard roof, which are integrated into the base of the adjoining skyscraper at 712 Fifth Avenue. The third through fifth floors contain 276 decorative glass panes, the only documented architectural work by René Lalique in the United States.
Built as a brownstone rowhouse in 1871, it was redesigned in 1907–1908 by architect Woodruff Leeming. It was commissioned by owner and real estate investor Charles A. Gould, who, foreseeing the neighborhood shift from residential to commercial use, wished to replace the facade of the brownstone. Upon its completion in 1910, the building was leased to perfumer François Coty, who occupied the building until 1941. During the mid-20th century, the building had a variety of tenants. With the development of 712 Fifth Avenue, the Coty Building was proposed for demolition in the early 1980s. The Coty Building's facade was preserved in 1985 as a New York City designated landmark. The Coty Building's original interiors were completely removed, and the skyscraper was completed behind the older facade in 1990.
The design of the Coty Building's six-story facade dates to a 1907–1908 renovation from Woodruff Leeming. The facade is a glass wall surrounded by a frame. The first two stories have limestone-faced piers and a cornice supported by corbel brackets; they are treated as a single continuous section of the facade. The third through fifth stories are also treated as a single wall of glass, surrounded by a limestone frame with architrave motif at the top and bellflower pendants motifs on each side. Cast-steel spandrels are above the third and fourth stories.
There are five vertical bays of windows, separated by thin vertical steel mullions. The general articulation remains unchanged from its original construction, although the original casement windows were removed and replaced with windows by René Lalique. These windows comprise the only documented Lalique architectural work in the United States. Each bay consists of a multi-paned casement separated by a transom. The central bays contain clear glass, though decorative glass is located in the side bays. There is an arched, scallop-shaped pediment with small brackets above the third floor. Each pane is about 0.5 inches (13 mm) thick, surrounded by metal frames; the exterior of each frame is raised. There are 276 panes in total, each measuring 14 by 14 inches (360 mm × 360 mm).
The third- through fifth-story facade contains intertwining vine and flower designs, which according to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission are tulips. The top floor is set off by a modillioned cornice with console brackets supporting a balustrade. The sloping metal-covered roof with its arched dormers allowed the building to harmonize with its neighbors.
Originally, 714 Fifth Avenue contained a storefront on its ground story and offices on the other stories. During the development of the skyscraper at 712 Fifth Avenue in the late 1980s, all of the original interiors were removed. A four-story atrium was installed behind the facade of the Coty Building. A 79,000-square-foot (7,300 m2) Henri Bendel store was built on the lower stories of the atrium. The store was designed with iron-railed balconies surrounding the atrium, and it was arranged so all stories of the building could have a direct view of the atrium.
Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and Central Park South (59th Street) was relatively undeveloped through the late 19th century. 714 Fifth Avenue was built in 1871 as a brownstone rowhouse, one of several on the western side of Fifth Avenue between 55th and 56th streets. By the early 1900s, that section of Fifth Avenue was becoming a commercial area. The Coty Building, along with the Gorham, Tiffany, Charles Scribner's Sons, and Demarest buildings, is among the few surviving stores that were erected for smaller retailers on Fifth Avenue during the early 20th century.
By the first decade of the 20th century, owner and real estate investor Charles A. Gould, foreseeing the neighborhood shift from residential to commercial use, wished to replace the facade of the brownstone. Consequently, in 1907, architect Woodruff Leeming was hired to remodel the house. Donald M. Mitchell received the general contract to remodel the town house, A side extension was to be erected at the rear, one story was to be added over the main building, and the interior would be renovated with electric lighting, an electric passenger elevator, partitions, and plumbing fixtures. The Real Estate Record and Guide wrote in December 1908 that the remodeled building had "a maximum of light and air on each floor, the general composition being good and at the same time securing the effect of proper supports for the upper stories by means of the side piers carried all the way down to the sidewalk level".
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Coty Building
The Coty Building is a building at 714 Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The six-story building contains a French-inspired facade and mansard roof, which are integrated into the base of the adjoining skyscraper at 712 Fifth Avenue. The third through fifth floors contain 276 decorative glass panes, the only documented architectural work by René Lalique in the United States.
Built as a brownstone rowhouse in 1871, it was redesigned in 1907–1908 by architect Woodruff Leeming. It was commissioned by owner and real estate investor Charles A. Gould, who, foreseeing the neighborhood shift from residential to commercial use, wished to replace the facade of the brownstone. Upon its completion in 1910, the building was leased to perfumer François Coty, who occupied the building until 1941. During the mid-20th century, the building had a variety of tenants. With the development of 712 Fifth Avenue, the Coty Building was proposed for demolition in the early 1980s. The Coty Building's facade was preserved in 1985 as a New York City designated landmark. The Coty Building's original interiors were completely removed, and the skyscraper was completed behind the older facade in 1990.
The design of the Coty Building's six-story facade dates to a 1907–1908 renovation from Woodruff Leeming. The facade is a glass wall surrounded by a frame. The first two stories have limestone-faced piers and a cornice supported by corbel brackets; they are treated as a single continuous section of the facade. The third through fifth stories are also treated as a single wall of glass, surrounded by a limestone frame with architrave motif at the top and bellflower pendants motifs on each side. Cast-steel spandrels are above the third and fourth stories.
There are five vertical bays of windows, separated by thin vertical steel mullions. The general articulation remains unchanged from its original construction, although the original casement windows were removed and replaced with windows by René Lalique. These windows comprise the only documented Lalique architectural work in the United States. Each bay consists of a multi-paned casement separated by a transom. The central bays contain clear glass, though decorative glass is located in the side bays. There is an arched, scallop-shaped pediment with small brackets above the third floor. Each pane is about 0.5 inches (13 mm) thick, surrounded by metal frames; the exterior of each frame is raised. There are 276 panes in total, each measuring 14 by 14 inches (360 mm × 360 mm).
The third- through fifth-story facade contains intertwining vine and flower designs, which according to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission are tulips. The top floor is set off by a modillioned cornice with console brackets supporting a balustrade. The sloping metal-covered roof with its arched dormers allowed the building to harmonize with its neighbors.
Originally, 714 Fifth Avenue contained a storefront on its ground story and offices on the other stories. During the development of the skyscraper at 712 Fifth Avenue in the late 1980s, all of the original interiors were removed. A four-story atrium was installed behind the facade of the Coty Building. A 79,000-square-foot (7,300 m2) Henri Bendel store was built on the lower stories of the atrium. The store was designed with iron-railed balconies surrounding the atrium, and it was arranged so all stories of the building could have a direct view of the atrium.
Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and Central Park South (59th Street) was relatively undeveloped through the late 19th century. 714 Fifth Avenue was built in 1871 as a brownstone rowhouse, one of several on the western side of Fifth Avenue between 55th and 56th streets. By the early 1900s, that section of Fifth Avenue was becoming a commercial area. The Coty Building, along with the Gorham, Tiffany, Charles Scribner's Sons, and Demarest buildings, is among the few surviving stores that were erected for smaller retailers on Fifth Avenue during the early 20th century.
By the first decade of the 20th century, owner and real estate investor Charles A. Gould, foreseeing the neighborhood shift from residential to commercial use, wished to replace the facade of the brownstone. Consequently, in 1907, architect Woodruff Leeming was hired to remodel the house. Donald M. Mitchell received the general contract to remodel the town house, A side extension was to be erected at the rear, one story was to be added over the main building, and the interior would be renovated with electric lighting, an electric passenger elevator, partitions, and plumbing fixtures. The Real Estate Record and Guide wrote in December 1908 that the remodeled building had "a maximum of light and air on each floor, the general composition being good and at the same time securing the effect of proper supports for the upper stories by means of the side piers carried all the way down to the sidewalk level".