Landmark permit issued for 768 FIFTH AVENUE, MANHATTAN
Landmark building permit details
| Location | 768 FIFTH AVENUE, MANHATTAN |
|---|---|
| Issue date | August 9, 2007 |
| COFA | COFA 08-1655 |
| Docket | 07-4994 |
| Historic district | N/A |
| Landmark name | PLAZA HOTEL |
| Expiration date | August 8, 2012 |
| Text | ISSUED TO: Miki Naftali Elad Properties 575 Madison Avenue, 23rd floor New York, NY 10022 Pursuant to Section 25-307 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, at the Public Meeting of August 8, 2006, following the Public Hearing and Public Meeting of May 23, 2006, voted to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposed work at the subject premises, as put forward in your application completed April 27, 2006, and as you were informed in Status Update Letter 07-1138 (LPC 06-7150), issued August 8, 2006. The proposed work, as approved, consists of removing projecting glass display windows and display vitrines at the northern and southern walls of the Fifth Avenue Lobby; creating one new masonry opening at the northern wall and installing a pair of wood and glass doors within the new opening; installing two new pairs of wood and glass doors at masonry openings, exposed by the removal of the projecting glass display windows; replacing an existing pair of metal and glass doors at the southern wall of the Fifth Avenue Lobby with new wood and glass doors; installing paired bronze and glass doors, with side lights and grilled transoms, at two existing masonry opening at the southern side of the South Corridor; removing an existing stair, connecting the South Corridor at the first floor and the Terrace Room Corridor at the mezzanine; replacing the removed stair with a balcony railing at the Terrace Room Corridor and new stairs leading down from the South Corridor to the level beneath the Terrace Room Corridor; installing plaster, masonry and related finishes at the walls, adjoining the area of the stair removal to match the decorative ornamentation existing throughout the South Corridor; replacing existing paired doors with new paired hollow metal doors, featuring porthole windows, and removing an exit sign at the southern end of the western wall at the Palm Court; creating a new masonry opening at the northern end of the western wall at the Palm Court by removing masonry and a wrought iron ventilation grille and installing paired doors; replacing existing commercial infill and signage at the southern side of the North Corridor with new marble panels, finished to match the masonry throughout this corridor; creating a new masonry opening at the western end of the southern side of the North Corridor by removing a portion of the marble clad wall to provide access for a proposed stair outside that portion of the building which is a designated New York City Interior Landmark; replacing an existing wood paneled half-door with a paneled, full-height, wood door at the western end of the southern side of the North Corridor; installing decorative bronze grilles at the reception desk, adjoining the northern side of the North Corridor; replacing existing infill at the masonry openings between the North Corridor and the 59th Street Lobby with monumental paired, wood and glass doors, fan-light transoms and associated spandrel panels; creating a new stealth door opening at the 59th Street Lobby reception desk; replacing an existing vitrine and surrounding masonry at the eastern wall of the 59th Street Lobby with a fire command station, featuring a mirrored glass panel door and decorative bronze grille frame; creating a new masonry opening at the intermediary area between the 59th Street Lobby and the Edwardian Room by removing an existing fire command station and the masonry wall beneath the command station to provide access for a proposed escalator outside that portion of the building which is a designated New York City Interior Landmark; and installing a new door at an existing opening at the northeastern corner of the balcony of the Grand Ballroom. The approved work also includes exterior alterations at the 59th Street façade and adjoining paving, including eliminating a sunken areaway and creating an at grade entrance by raising the placement of existing paired doors and the associated marquee by 12" and modifying an existing grille above the marquee, as well raising the grade of the adjoining paving; and replacing existing infill and one-over-one, double-hung windows at three arched bays at the third floor with new tripartite bronze-clad one-over-one double-hung windows and associated bronze spandrels. The approved work was shown on fifty-one presentation boards, labeled P1 through P45, P48, A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2 and B-3, dated May 2006 and prepared by Walter B. Melvin LLC; three presentation boards, labeled P46, P47 and P49 by the Commission staff, dated May 2006 and prepared by Costas Kondylis and Partners LLP, Architects; and twenty-eight presentation boards, dated July 2006 and prepared by Walter B. Melvin Architects, LLC, consisting of drawings, photographs, and photo montages, and presented at the Public Hearing and Public Meetings. In reviewing this proposal, the Commission noted that The Plaza Hotel Designation Report describes 768 Fifth Avenue (aka 2-20 Central Park South, 764-778 Grand Army Plaza, 1-19 West 58th Street) as a French Renaissance style hotel, designed by Henry J. Hardenberg and built in 1905-1907; and that that the building was renovated and an addition constructed, designed by Warren and Wetmore and built in 1921. The Commission also noted that Certificate of No Effect 06-7240 (LPC 05-6286) on April 11, 2006 approving a proposal for restorative work at the exterior facades, roof, and the interior designated spaces, including the Fifth Avenue Lobby and vestibules; 59th Street Lobby; Oak Bar; Oak Room; Edwardian Room; Palm Court; Main Corridors; Terrace Room; Terrace Room/Mezzanine Corridor and Foyer; Grand Ballroom; Grand Ballroom Corridor and Foyer; and related stairways, anterooms, hallways and other intermediary areas. With regard to this proposal, the Commission found that the proposed removal of non-historic metal and glass doors, and projecting glass display windows from the Fifth Avenue Lobby will eliminate unsympathetic alterations that detract from the Interior Landmark; that the articulation of the four pairs of proposed wood and glass doors will match the configuration, finish, and appearance of the historic doors at the upper register in the Fifth Avenue Lobby; that the proposed location of the doors, where one pair will be located at the North wall and three pairs will be located at the South wall of the Fifth Avenue Lobby respectively, will recall the historic 1921 door placement and will cause minimal damage to extant historic fabric; that the installation of two sets of paired multi-light doors with decorative grilled transoms at the east end of the South Corridor will match similar doors with grilled transoms located elsewhere within the Interior Landmark; that removing the stair from the South Corridor, which currently accesses the Terrace Room, will not detract from the overall sense of space within this Corridor; that the proposed marble door surround and bronze balcony grille at the western end of the South Corridor will complement the adjacent monumental Corinthian pilasters and will recall similar balcony conditions found elsewhere within this Interior Landmark; that the proposed dual-register marble panels, monumental pilasters, and marble stairs at the South Corridor will harmonize with the style, materials and finishes of the intact historic elements located in the corridor and will preserve the character of this corridor; that removing portions of Caene stone panels, non-historic service doors, and an exit light from the West wall of the Palm Court will not cause the loss of significant protected features of the Interior Landmark; that the historic wrought iron ventilation grille to be removed will be carefully stored on site; that the proposed paired service doors, featuring porthole windows, will fit neatly within the remaining Caene stone panels, and will not call undue attention to themselves; that the removal of non-historic commercial infill and signage at the North Corridor will eliminate unsympathetic PAGE 2 Issued: 8/9/07 DOCKET: 07-4994 alterations that detract from the Plaza Hotel Interior Landmark; that the proposed marble infill panels will be inserted neatly within the existing pilaster enframements and will match the historic marble panels located elsewhere within the building; that the removal of the marble panels at the north end of the North Corridor will not detract from the special architectural and historic character of the Interior Landmark; that the marble tesserae flooring accessing the proposed stair, which will be located in the non-designated portion of the Interior Landmark, will match the adjacent historic condition; that the replacement of the paneled half-door with a paneled full-height wood door at the west end of the North Corridor will be sympathetic with other paneled wood doors located elsewhere within the Interior Landmark; that the insertion of decorative bronze grilles at the reception desk facing the North Corridor will recall the design, materials, and appearance of the 1907 condition at this location; that the proposed monumental wood and glass doors with fan-light transoms and associated marble spandrels, at the South wall of the 59th Street Lobby, will match the configuration, materials, and finishes of the historic doors located within the North Corridor; that the marble reception desk within the 59th Street Lobby will be modified at the joints only, thereby preserving the integrity of the historic marble; that creating a hinged marble panel at the left side of the marble reception desk will not be obtrusive, and will help to preserve the visual presence of the reception desk as a defining element within the 59th Street Lobby; that the proposed removal of the non-historic glass vitrine and masonry surround in the East wall of the 59th Street Lobby will not result in the loss of significant historic fabric; that the proposed mirrored glass panel with decorative bronze grille, which will conceal the new fire command station, will match other mirrored glass panels and decorative bronze grilles located on this wall of the 59th Street Lobby and will not call undue attention to itself; that removing the Fire Command station from the intermediary space between the Edwardian Room and the 59th Street Lobby will not result in the loss of significant historic fabric; that the marble base, which will be removed below the Fire Command station infill, will be stored carefully on-site; that the historic bronze grille and mirrored panel which frame the Fire Command station infill, will be retained and restored; that the historic marble tesserae flooring, which will be located adjacent to the proposed escalator, will be preserved and restored; that the new marble flooring, which will be installed at the base of the proposed escalator, will match similar historic floor treatments within the 59th Street lobby; and that the installation of an egress door, which will be located at the north end of the East Balcony in the Ballroom, will only be minimally visible and will not call undue attention to itself. In addition, with regard to the exterior work included in this proposal, the Commission found that eliminating the sunken areaway, and raising the multi-light bronze doors and associated marquee by 0'-12" at the Edwardian Room entry, will create an at-grade condition and will restore a harmonious relationship between this entry and the Oak Bar entry, all on the West 59th Street elevation; that modifying the bronze grille above the Edwardian Room entry will not eliminate significant architectural fabric, and will not alter the overall appearance of the entry; that removing the three non-historic aluminum windows and portions of the masonry sill at the third floor of the West 59th Street elevation will eliminate alterations that do not harmonize with the openings or the rest of the window infill that dates to this alteration; and that the proposed tripartite bronze-clad one-over-one double-hung windows and associated bronze spandrels will complement the arched masonry openings, the cast-iron spandrels, and the tripartite one-over-one double-hung bronze-clad windows below. Based on these findings, the Commission determined the work to be appropriate to the Landmark, both interior and exterior, and voted to approve the application. The Commission authorized the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness upon receipt, review and approval of two sets of signed and sealed Department of Building filing drawings showing the approved design. Subsequently, on July 11, 2007 and July 26, 2007, the Commission received final drawings 0A0, 0AB, 0AC, 0AE, A002, A003, A004, A005, A006, A102, A103, A104, A105, A106, A106a, A107, A108, A201, A205, A207, A301(E), A601, A602, A603, A801, A802, A803, AR-00-001, AR-5A- 101, AR-5A-102, AR-5A-201, AR-5A-202, AR-5A-203, AR-5A-204, AR-EC-102, AR-EC-201, AR-EC-202, AR-NC-102, AR-NC-201, AR-NC-202, AR-SC-102, AR-SC-201, AR-SC-202, AR-SC-203, AR-PC-102, AR-PC-201, AR-PC-202, AR-PC-203, AR-PC-204, AR-59-101, AR-59-102, AR-59-201, AR-59-202, AR-59-203, AR-59-204, AR-GE-601, and AR-GE-602, dated revised July 2, 2007; drawing A206, dated revised October 24, 2006; drawing A208, dated revised April 5, 2007; drawings A001 and A101, dated revised July 23, 2007 and prepared by Frederic Matthew Strauss, RA; drawings M100R, M201R, M203R, M204R, M205R, M206R, M207R, PAGE 3 Issued: 8/9/07 DOCKET: 07-4994 M505R,M509R, M701R, E100R, E101R, E201R, E203R, E204R, E304R, E404R, E405R, E406R, E500R, E550R, FP100R, FP204R and FP205R, dated revised July 2, 2007; and drawings E401R and E403R, dated revised March 19, 2007 and prepared by David Cooper, PE. Accordingly, staff reviewed these materials and noted that they include modifications to the approved work, consisting of modifying the existing and proposed masonry openings at the northern and southern walls of the Fifth Avenue Lobby, including enlarging the height of the openings and creating door surrounds, without decorative crowns, instead of retaining existing crowns and installing one matching crown; modifying the proposed infill at southern side of the South Corridor, including reversing the placement of the doors and side-lights and installing the doors as fixed, inoperable panels, rather than functional doors, at the eastern infill and installing a mirrored panel and flush-mounted louver above the western infill; installing a stealth door at an existing masonry opening within the North Corridor; installing faux marble on plaster, instead of real marble, at the spandrel panels of the new entrance infill between the North Corridor and the 59th Street lobby; omitting the creation a new stealth door opening at the 59th Street Lobby reception desk; and interior alterations within areas of the sub-cellar through the third floor levels that are outside that portion of the building which is a designated New York City Interior Landmark. With regard to this work, staff found that the entrances at the north and south walls of the Fifth Avenue lobby were altered in the circa 1930s-1940s, therefore the alterations to the entrance and removal of the door crowns will not eliminate any significant features of the Warren and Wetmore 1919-1921 design for the room; that the scale of the entrances and the detailing of the door surround will be harmonious with the proportions, style and details of the room; that the reversal in placement of the door and side-lights at the South Corridor is based on photographic documentation of the historic conditions of doors that were in place in this location in 1921; that although the doors will be inoperable, they will maintain the appearance of operable doors in the closed position; that although the relationship of the doors and side-lights will not be identical at the two bays to receive infill in the South Corridor, the distance between the two bays and the oblique angle at which the bays are seen together will minimize the perceptibility of the differences; that the installation of a mirrored panel and flush-mounted louver above the infill will be in keeping with similar installations at the North Corridor and harmonious with the character of the South Corridor; that the installation of faux marble will not replace any existing historic marble at these spandrels or be installed in locations that historically featured marble; that the faux marble will replicate the appearance of marble at adjoining walls, thereby helping to integrate this modern infill into the North Corridor and 59th Street Lobby; and that eliminating the creation of a proposed stealth door at the reception desk will not detract from the Lobby or result in the loss of historic fabric elsewhere in the Interior Designated areas of the building. Additionally, staff found that the design approved by the Commission has been maintained. Based on these and the above findings, the drawings have been marked approved with a perforated seal, and Certificate of Appropriateness 08-1655 is being issued. Please note this permit is issued contingent upon the Commission's review and approval of final filing drawings for the creation of the new masonry opening at the intermediary area between the 59th Street Lobby and the Edwardian Room; the installation of the new door at the northeastern corner of the balcony of the Grand Ballroom; and the exterior alterations at the 59th Street façade entrance, windows and sidewalk. Please also note that this permit is being issued in conjunction with Miscellaneous/Amendment 08-1656 (LPC 08-1163), issued on August 9, 2007 for restorative work and the installation of fire alarm, fire suppression and electical work throughout areas designated as an Interior Landmark, amending Certificate of No Effect 06-7240 (LPC 05-6286) on April 11, 2006 approving a proposal for restorative work throughout the exterior facades and portions of the building designated as an Interior Landmark. This permit is issued on the basis of the building and site conditions described in the application and disclosed during the review process. By accepting this permit, the applicant agrees to notify the Commission if the actual building or site conditions vary or if original or historic building fabric is discovered. The Commission reserves the right to amend or revoke this permit, upon written notice to the applicant, in the event that the actual building or site conditions are materially different from those described in the application or disclosed during the review process. PAGE 4 Issued: 8/9/07 DOCKET: 07-4994 All approved drawings are marked approved by the Commission with a perforated seal indicating the date of approval. The work is limited to what is contained in the perforated documents. Other work or amendments to this filing must be reviewed and approved separately. The applicant is hereby put on notice that performing or maintaining any work not explicitly authorized by this permit may make the applicant liable for criminal and/or civil penalties, including imprisonment and fines. This letter constitutes the permit; a copy must be prominently displayed at the site while work is in progress. Please direct inquiries to Bernadette Artus. Robert B. Tierney Chair PLEASE NOTE: PERFORATED DRAWINGS AND A COPY OF THIS PERMIT HAVE BEEN SENT TO: Alex Olsen, Project Manager, Elad Properties cc: Caroline Kane Levy, Deputy Director of Preservation/LPC; Kevin Daly, Walter B. Melvin Architects LLC PAGE 5 Issued: 8/9/07 DOCKET: 07-4994 |
Added to EveryBlock on January 16, 2008.