- Olympic Tower
-
Olympic Tower 
Olympic TowerGeneral information Location 645 Fifth Avenue, New York City, New York Coordinates 40°45′33″N 73°58′34″W / 40.7592°N 73.9760°WCoordinates: 40°45′33″N 73°58′34″W / 40.7592°N 73.9760°W Construction started 1972 Completed 1976 Height Roof 620 ft (190 m) Technical details Floor count 51 Floor area 92,900 m2 (1,000,000 sq ft) Design and construction Architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill The Olympic Tower is a 51-story building in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City on Fifth Avenue, between East 51st Street and East 52nd Street. The exact address is 641 Fifth Avenue. Built in 1975, it was constructed on a site that was occupied by a Best & Company Store that was built in 1947.[1] It contains 225 condominium apartments and more than 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) of office space and retail space. Situated next to St. Patrick's Cathedral, it offers views of the cathedral's flying buttresses and Fifth Avenue. Upon construction, it became a prime real estate location for the glitterati of that time.
The planned use of the building was a groundbreaking concept at that time because it was the first mixed use zoned for Fifth Avenue, which had 21 floors of offices, 30 of condominiums and high-end retail on the first floor. It was constructed as a joint venture with Aristotle Onassis and his company, Victory Development, in partnership with Arlen Realty and Development.
It was designed by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who also designed the Willis Tower and John Hancock Center in Chicago, as well as many other high-rise buildings in the U.S. and worldwide.[2]
The completed building housed some of the most luxurious condos in the world at that time. Adnan Khashoggi had a swimming pool installed in his after the building was constructed; and other notables also lived there.
The NBA offices are located in the tower between the 14th and 19th floors.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Alpern, Andrew. New York's Fabulous Luxury Apartments: with Original Floor Plans from the Dakota, River House, Olympic Tower, and Other Great Buildings. New York: Dover Publications, 1987. Print.
- ^ Alpern, Andrew. Apartments for the Affluent: a Historical Survey of Buildings in New York. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Print.
External links
Categories:- Skyscrapers in New York City
- Skyscrapers between 150 and 199 meters
- Buildings and structures completed in 1976
- Apartment buildings in New York City
- Residential skyscrapers in New York City
- Office buildings in New York City
- New York City building and structure stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
