Quick Facts
|
Attribute |
Details |
|
Location |
375 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City |
|
Year of Completion |
1958 |
|
Height |
515 feet (157 meters) |
|
Floors |
38 stories |
|
Key Architect |
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe with Philip Johnson |
|
Primary Use |
Commercial office space |
|
Material |
Steel frame with bronze-tinted glass and bronze I-beams |
|
Cost |
Estimated around $38 million at the time |
Many still ask: How much did the Seagram Building cost? Adjusted for inflation, the cost would amount to well over $350 million today—demonstrating just how ambitious and high-quality the design and construction were.
The History of the Seagram Building
The Seagram Building's history dates back to the early 1950s when Phyllis Lambert, the daughter of the chief executive of the Seagram Company, Samuel Bronfman, hired Mies van der Rohe to design the company's headquarters in New York City. Her passion for architectural integrity inspired Lambert's choice of Mies, revolutionizing corporate design in the United States.
Prior to that time, office buildings were usually ornate or functional. The Seagram Building in NYC presented a new vocabulary of simplicity, transparency, and proportion. With its open plaza and glass façade in a simple style, it redefined the relationship between buildings and the urban world.
It was not only a corporate property—it was a public gesture. The 100-foot-wide open public square at the street-level façade, now so ubiquitous in skyscraper design, was revolutionary in its day.
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Key Architectural Features of the Seagram Building
The Seagram Building architecture demonstrates architectural ideas that belong to the modernist tradition. These elements distinguish the Seagram Building from others:
1. Bronze I-Beam Façade
One stands out prominently among all the features that define the Seagram Building facade. Mies integrated non-structural bronze I-beams into the glass curtain wall to show how the structure functioned as he pursued “skin and bones” architectural designs.
2. Setback and Open Plaza
The Seagram Building in NYC separated itself from the other buildings by creating space between the street and its perimeter. At a time when commercial high-rise buildings lacked plazas, the designer decided to separate the building from the lot line so that a granite-paved public square would emerge.
3. Uniform Grid and Structural Clarity
Every level utilizes a central service core to organize its design and presents open-plan offices throughout its interior space. The building design reveals its structural components to create an adaptable workspace that maintains a uniform look across all floors.
4. Proportion and Rhythm
Mies implemented the golden ratio throughout the building structure, which is his architectural signature. The entire building uses proportional elements, which begin at the minute spaces between beams up to the elevator areas to emphasize his passion for proportion.
The complete discussion about how architectural proportions and materials contribute to excellence can be found at 10 Sustainable Building Materials and Famous Designers Who Use Them.
Structural Innovation in the Seagram Building Design
The Seagram Building achieved its most important design impact through its strategic combination of structural elements with building materials for practical and communicative purposes.
1. Steel Frame Construction
The building relies on its steel framework, which enables big, clear glass and interior areas without structural obstructions.
2. Bronze-Tinted Glass
This decision to use a glass curtain wall served design and utility purposes. The dark appearance of the Seagram Building resulted from tinted glass, which also regulated solar gains within the architectural structure.
3. Bronze Mullions
In contrast to many modernist structures that conceal their building components, Seagram’s architects decided to present their bronze mullions on the exterior, which allowed the underlying construction logic to become visible to viewers.
4. Fireproofing Innovation
As non-combustible facades became mandatory according to building codes, the building designers implemented modern fireproofing solutions for a steel frame construction system.
Technical materials served to minimize energy consumption in buildings before sustainability became a commonly used concept. The relation of these concepts with contemporary environmental modeling can be studied through the article titled How Can Sustainable Building Design Be Improved With BIM?.
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