Tours Details
Dates: Every Sunday
Start time: 10am EST
Duration: 2 hour
Meeting Point: Apple Store 5th Avenue
End Point: Harvard Club of NY
Participants limit: 10
New York Midtown North
Art and Architecture Tour
Situated at the heart of New York City, Midtown and its surrounding neighborhoods are the dynamic epicenter of the metropolis. This locality’s frenetic energy finds physical translation in the dazzling lights of Time Square and the ascendant skyscrapers of the business district. During this Midtown Manhattan Architecture Tour, we will chart the history of Midtown through its architecture, starting with examples from the early twentieth century and culminating with the latest additions to this area’s urban landscape. Among the buildings we will visit and discuss are Grand Central, the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, the Sony Building, Austrian Culture Center, MoMA, Rockefeller Center and many others.
Important Projects Featured on this Tour
Apple Store 5 Avenue, Foster + Partners, 2019
General Motors Building, Edward Durell Stone & Associates, 1967
Bloomberg Tower, César Pelli & Associates, 2004
Lever House, SOM, 1953
Racquet & Tennis Club, McKim Mead & White, 1918
Seagram Building, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe & Philip Johnson, 1958
Citicorp Center, Hugh Stubbins, 1978
GE Building, Raymond Hood, 1933
Sony Building, Philip Johnson, 1983
Louis Vuitton Tower, Christian de Portzamparc, 2003
Rafael Vinoli, 432 Park Avenue Condominiums, 2015
IBM Building, E. Larrabee Barnes, 1982
Steinway Tower, ShoP Architects, 2022
One 57 St, Christian de Portzamparc, 2014
Central Park Tower, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, 2023
University Club, McKim, Mead & White, 1899
MoMA, Yoshio Taniguchi, 2004, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, 2019
53 West 53, Jean Nouvell, 2007-19
CBS Tower, Aero Saarinen & Associates, 1965
Austrian Cultural Center, Raimund Abraham, 2002
Villard Houses, McKim Mead & White, 1886
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, James Renwick, Jr., 1879
Rockefeller Center, Henry Hofmeister, H.W. Corbett, Raymond Hood, 1930-39
JP Morgan Chase, Norman Foster, 2025
NY Yacht Club, Warren & Wetmore, 1899
Harvard Club, McKim Mead & White, 1894
Languages
Public tours are in English. Private tours are available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Russian, Bulgarian and Catalan.
Apple Store 5th Avenue
Your PhD Architect Guide
Ivan R. Shumkov, PhD
Dr. Ivan Shumkov is a New York based architect, urban planner, entrepreneur, and professor with more than 20 years of experience across the private, public, and academic sectors. He is the founder of Build World and Build Academy, organizations dedicated to providing professional solutions and education for the built environment.
Ivan combines his experience of practicing and teaching architecture with his passion for discovering and sharing the history and secrets of New York. His tours provoke curiosity, show hidden urban gems, and provide opportunities for experiencing and understanding art and architecture in a unique way. He helps his guests to see and connect the city through the eyes of an architect. They are activated and transformed by these immersive experiences and view the city in a new way.
Ivan is a licensed NYC tour guide. Being fluent in multiple languages, he can conduct tours in English, Spanish, Catalan, Bulgarian, French and Italian.
Semi-Private Walking Tour
You’ll expperience NY with a small group of up to 10 other Art and Architecture professinals, enthusiasts and lovers.
Exclusive Private Tour
You’ll experience NY by yourself or with a group of your family, freinds and colleagues. Call or email us to customize your tour experience.
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.
