Seagram Building, (Manhattan, New York); 1956-58; Mid-Century Modernism


The Seagram Building was constructed in 1956-58 by Ludwig Mies Van De Rohe. The Seagram Company was a liquor company which was based in Canada. During the 1950’s they decided that they want to build a headquarters in New York. When they visited New York City they loved the Lever House that was built and wanted something of that nature. As they searched for architects the ended up with commissioning Mies Van De Rohe. He was known for his modernist buildings such as the Barcelona Pavilion and his service as a director in the Bauhaus. This was his first project at this scale as well as an unlimited budget for construction. The Seagram Tower was the first to have a public space in front of the building for the community to hang-out and mingle. This was due to the building being pushed back on the lot in order to give tribute to the racquet and tennis club building. As it featured Romanesque architectural style. As Rohe was a big fan of classical architecture he wanted to preserve and make sure the architecture is not overwhelmed by the tower. The Seagram tower is attributed to the modernist movement and the Modern architectural style. Even though the building uses many classical elements adapted through modern materials and design. For example, the tower is cladded with bronze unlike many of the towers that were being constructed then with steel or aluminum. The tower is designed very symmetrically as it should for a modern tower, but the materials like the use of travertine to encase the elevators was a node to classical architecture like the Greeks. The pillars have some resemblance of fluted columns. As well as the decorative I-beam that gives the building some depth and texture. As the interior is expressed on the exterior with the functional steel beams inside expressed as scaled down decorative bronze beams on the shell of the building. Same with the elevators that puncture through the bottom glass box from the outside in. Rohe also use reflective pools in front of the building in his open public space. This is one of the reasons why he pushed the building to the edge of the lot. The Seagram Tower is an iconic New York classical modern building. The Seagram Tower also hosts the Four Seasons Restaurant at the bottom. The cost of this tower was over $36 million dollars.   

Work Cited
Seagram Building, New York, New York, 1958 : Mies Van Der Rohe." A & U: Architecture & Urbanism, no. 10, Oct. 2017, pp. 84-89


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