Tours Details
Date: 11/9/2024
Start time: 2pm EST
Duration: 2 hours (30min walking)
Meeting Point: 53St and 3Ave
End Point: MoMA
Participants limit: 10
Midtown Modern Architecture, Art and City Tour
Discover Midtown Manhattan’s transformative role in shaping modern New York City through its art, architecture, and urban planning. This tour focuses on Manhattan’s 53rd Street corridor, a pivotal area in the evolution of the city’s skyline and urban spaces. From the groundbreaking 1961 Zoning Resolution to the creation of iconic public plazas and cultural landmarks, this walking tour offers a deep dive into the post-WWII boom that defined Midtown’s architectural identity.
Explore how this corridor blends cutting-edge commercial design, innovative zoning principles, and vibrant public spaces. Iconic landmarks like the Seagram Building, Lever House, and Paley Park illustrate the development of modernist aesthetics and the enduring impact of open space on urban life.
Tour Highlights: Iconic Buildings and Public Spaces
Landmarks and features on this tour include:
- The Seagram Building – A modernist icon with an innovative open plaza (1958).
- Lever House – A glass-and-steel masterpiece that redefined corporate design (1952).
- Paley Park – A serene “vest pocket” park with a signature waterfall (1967).
- Greenacre Park – Another urban oasis blending nature and architecture.
- Citicorp Center – Known for its distinctive stilt-style design and slanted roof (1977).
- The Lipstick Building – A playful postmodern skyscraper with a unique elliptical shape (1986).
- Baccarat Hotel – A luxurious high-rise blending art and architecture.
- The CBS Building – Eero Saarinen’s striking black granite tower (1965).
- The Racquet and Tennis Club – A classic example of club architecture (1918).
- The Crystal Pavilion – A gleaming example of contemporary design.
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – A world-renowned cultural institution showcasing modern art and design.
- NY Hilton – A symbol of modernist hospitality in Midtown Manhattan.
Urban Planning and Zoning Insights
This tour delves into the 1961 Zoning Resolution, a groundbreaking regulation that reshaped NYC’s urban planning. Learn how this zoning framework introduced the concept of Floor Area Ratio (FAR), redefined building heights and bulk, and emphasized the integration of open spaces. Discover how these principles continue to influence NYC’s architecture today, including recent amendments like the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality and the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity initiatives.
Tour Experience
Stroll through Midtown East’s dynamic urban landscape and witness the convergence of art, history, and architecture. This tour highlights the area’s role as a hub for innovation and a model for modern urban design.
Languages
- Public Tours: Conducted in English.
- Private Tours: Available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Russian, Bulgarian, and Catalan.
Why Choose This Tour?
Perfect for architecture enthusiasts, urban planners, and anyone curious about NYC’s transformation into a global metropolis, this tour offers a comprehensive look at Midtown Manhattan’s architectural and cultural significance. From landmark skyscrapers to tranquil parks, experience the heart of modern NYC like never before.
Meeting Point
Your Architect Guide
William M. Singer, AIA, LEED AP BD + C, NCARB
William M. Singer, AIA, LEED AP BD + C, NCARB, is currently a discerning Code and Zoning Specialist for the NYC Department of Buildings. With a long and rich background in designing and constructing major public facilities—including courthouses, schools, transportation hubs, and cultural landmarks—William brings a wealth of knowledge to our tour. His impressive resume includes being a partner at Gruzen Samton Architects, a leading NYC architecture and planning firm, a Senior Fulbright Scholar in Slovenija, with graduate degrees in both Architecture and English. For the exceptional renovation and modernization of El Museo Del Barrio, he was honored with a City of New York Arts Commission Excellence in Design award (2004), a NYS AIA Merit Design Award for Adaptive Reuse (2011) and a Municipal Arts Society Master Works Award for Community Catalyst (2012).
William blends his passion for architecture, urbanism and history into a love of teaching—sharing information and knowledge. His 13 years of teaching in NYU’s Graduate Program for Real Estate Development, where he created and honed his cycle of walking tours, merge with 10 years of providing tours to One To World, the official Fulbright Programming organization in the NYC Metro area, enhances his knowledge of NYC through active engagement with tour colleagues—questions and discourse about NYC significantly sharpen the focus of observing the city. The way to know a city is through one’s feet.
Experience New York with our PhD Architect-led Tours
Our public tours are 2 hours of transformational experiences that connect people with the city on a deeper level. We focus on 8 areas according to the location, neighborhood and their distinct character - weaving culture, history, architecture, art and design in an engaging, story-telling manner to uncover some of the city’s hidden gems and best-kept secrets.
