Location: Fifth Avenue between West 38th and West 39th Streets, New York, NY
Landmark Status: NYC Individual Landmark
Original Architect: Starrett & Van Vleck
Date of Construction: 1914
Date of Restoration: 2018-2023
Scope of Work: Masonry Repairs & Restoration, Balcony Reconstruction, Wood Window Replacement, Architectural Metals Restoration
Awards: Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award (New York Landmarks Conservancy), Preservation Award (Victorian Society in America)
Once the flagship store for Lord & Taylor, 424 Fifth Avenue has been restored and repurposed as a modern workplace for more than 2,000 Amazon employees. The building was designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style by Starrett & Van Vleck and construction was completed in 1914. Located on the west side of Fifth Avenue between West 38th and West 39th Streets, it is an L-shaped building, 11 stories tall, with a prominent chamfered corner. It was designated an individual NYC landmark in 2007. Long one of the city’s preeminent department stores, Lord & Taylor remained at 424 Fifth Avenue until early 2019, when it closed its doors and left NYC altogether. A year later, Amazon purchased the building for use as its new Midtown Manhattan office.
Following WBMA’s up-close survey of existing conditions, the new owner commissioned a restoration that cleaned and repaired the granite, limestone, brick, and terra cotta facades; rebuilt lost balconies; replicated terra cotta eagles at the 11th floor colonnade capitals; installed wood replacement windows to match originals; and repaired the projecting copper cornice. At the ground floor, the bronze entrance doors and display windows were restored to house retail and community spaces. The rooftop was reimagined with a new two-story glass addition and landscaped areas, set back from the street facades. The project also included the rehabilitation of the adjacent historic Dreicer Building.
The project team worked closely with the Landmarks Preservation Commission throughout planning and construction to receive approvals for the substantial scope of façade and storefront restoration, as well as the installation of new building entrances, pedestrian level upgrades, and creation of contemporary features at the top of the building to support its new use.
Completed in 2023, the yearslong rehabilitation effort breathed new life into the historic building, connecting it once again to the urban fabric and pedestrian bustle of Midtown Manhattan.
Photo credit: Bilyana Dimitrova