The Story of a Building, 1958 [Seagram Building in New York City]

Summary

The video script details the creation of 375 Park Avenue, a landmark office building in New York City. Designed by architects Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, it was envisioned as a singular, aristocratic structure. The building's construction involved innovative techniques and materials, such as pinkish gray glass and bronze sheathing. It introduced a human touch with its neighborliness and quiet construction process, using high tensile bolts instead of rivets. The Seagram Building, as it came to be known, is celebrated for its architectural beauty, pioneering innovations, and the integration of a tree-lined plaza, setting a new standard in 20th-century architecture.

Takeaways

• 🏢 The Seagram Building, located at 375 Park Avenue, is described as a unique landmark with aristocratic qualities and a new standard of architectural quality.
• 🏗️ The transformation of the site from residential to a business address was a vision of industrialist Samuel Bronfman, who aimed to create a skyscraper that would become a landmark.
• 👥 Designed by renowned architects Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, the Seagram Building was the result of close teamwork and the use of large machinery.
• 🛠️ Bethlehem Steel Mills contributed to the project by producing 25 million pounds of steel for the building's framework, which is equivalent to a ribbon around Manhattan Island.
• 🔨 The construction process was innovative, using high tensile bolts (190,000 of them) instead of rivets, making it quieter and earning an award from the New York Committee for a Quiet City.
• 🌟 The building introduced several design innovations, including pinkish gray heat and glare-resistant glass windows for occupant comfort.
• 🛡️ The building's facade was tested with man-made hurricanes, using 120 mile an hour winds to ensure its durability.
• 🎨 The Seagram Building was the first to use bronze extensively in its construction, setting it apart from other New York skyscrapers that used aluminum, steel, and glass.
• 🗝️ The building's design includes a concrete spine for structural support and a facade that deepens in tone over time without changing its appearance.
• 🚗 The building also features an ultra-modern garage with mechanical aids for safe and speedy parking.
• 🏞️ Italian marble was used extensively in the building's interior and exterior, covering 46,000 square feet inside and 17,000 square feet on the plaza.
• 🌃 The Seagram Building was the first New York skyscraper to be fully illuminated at night, with a regal mixture of black and gold reflecting its architectural significance.

Q & A

What makes 375 Park Avenue unique according to architectural leaders?

375 Park Avenue is considered a singular landmark with aloof and aristocratic qualities, which architectural leaders believe is unlikely to be often repeated in any city.

Who had the vision for the Seagram Building and what was their goal?

The vision for the Seagram Building came from an industrialist who wanted to create something special for his company's headquarters, aiming to build a skyscraper that would become a landmark.

What was the initial site of the Seagram Building before construction began?

The initial site was a 60,000-square-foot piece of choice real estate on Park Avenue.

How much steel was used in the framework of the Seagram Building?

The framework of the Seagram Building used 25 million pounds of steel, enough to form a ribbon around Manhattan Island.

What innovations were pioneered by the Seagram Building in office building design?

The Seagram Building pioneered the use of pinkish gray heat and glare-resistant glass windows, which are easier on the eyes for those who work in the building.

What was unique about the materials used in the exterior of the Seagram Building?

The Seagram Building was sheathed in bronze, which was chosen for its special dignity and design, making it unique compared to other New York skyscrapers that use aluminum, steel, and glass.

How were the bronze panels and vertical columns constructed and fitted in the Seagram Building?

The bronze panels were cut to exact size by machines, and then skilled craftsmen had to fit them into their proper places. The vertical columns, referred to as 'volumes' by construction men, had to perform architectural tasks such as separating floor-to-ceiling windows and multiplying the vertical lines.

What was the significance of the marble used in the Seagram Building and where was it sourced from?

The marble used in the Seagram Building was sourced from the mountains of northern Italy, 3,000 miles away, to lend its particular beauty to the building.

How did the construction of the Seagram Building impact the surrounding community?

The construction of the Seagram Building was designed to minimize impact on the community. For example, riveting was done at the mills to avoid the noise of riveters' guns in the neighborhood, and the building was bolted together using high tensile bolts to eliminate the risks of hot rivets.

What awards or recognitions did the Seagram Building receive during its construction?

The Seagram Building received a citation from the New York Committee for a Quiet City for being one of the tallest bolted buildings in the world, which contributed to a quieter urban environment.

How does the Seagram Building contribute to the architectural beauty of the Manhattan skyline?

The Seagram Building has been acclaimed as the most beautiful tower on the Manhattan skyline, and its design, including an open fountain and tree-lined Plaza, illustrates how sacrificing building space in crowded areas can enhance the architectural beauty of the community.

Outlines

00:00

🏢 The Genesis of a Landmark: 375 Park Avenue

This paragraph introduces 375 Park Avenue as a unique architectural landmark, designed by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. The building's conception was driven by an industrialist's vision to create a distinctive headquarters. The site's acquisition, demolition, and initial construction phases are highlighted, emphasizing the transformation from a residential building to a business address. The construction process involved significant innovation, such as the use of pinkish gray heat and glare-resistant glass, and rigorous testing against man-made hurricanes. The building's facade, made of bronze, stands out for its dignified design and the use of over three million pounds of the material, setting it apart from other New York skyscrapers.

05:01

🛠️ Construction Innovations and the Human Touch

This section delves into the construction techniques and innovations of 375 Park Avenue, focusing on the human element and craftsmanship involved. The building's construction was facilitated by the coordination of men, materials, and equipment. The use of high tensile bolts for assembly, making it one of the tallest bolted buildings, is noted for its innovation and neighborliness. The absence of riveting noise during construction is highlighted as a thoughtful consideration for the surrounding community. The building's design is praised for its ability to withstand strong winds and accommodate the flow of materials without causing traffic congestion. The facade's precision and the building's overall rise to a height of 38 stories are emphasized, showcasing the progress and skill involved in its construction.

10:03

🏞️ The Seagram Plaza and Architectural Excellence

The final paragraph discusses the completion of 375 Park Avenue and its integration into the New York skyline. It details the building's innovative features, such as its fully illuminated facade at night and the use of Italian marble for aesthetic enhancement. The building's plaza and lobby are highlighted for their beauty and the meticulous finishing touches, including the specially designed window plates. The paragraph also mentions the building's state-of-the-art underground facilities, such as the power plant and an ultra-modern garage. The Seagram Building is acclaimed for its architectural beauty, the sacrifices made for aesthetic purposes, and its contribution to the community's architectural landscape. The New York Museum of Modern Art commends the building for illustrating the enhancement of architectural beauty through the thoughtful use of space.

Keywords

💡Architectural Landmark

An architectural landmark refers to a building or structure that is recognized for its architectural significance and distinctiveness. In the video, 375 Park Avenue is described as a 'singular landmark' with qualities that make it stand out, signifying its importance and uniqueness in the urban landscape.

💡Industrialist

An industrialist is a person who owns or manages an industry or a large business. In the context of the video, the industrialist is the visionary behind the creation of 375 Park Avenue, who had a dream to build a skyscraper that would become a landmark, reflecting his influence and ambition.

💡Demolition and Construction

Demolition is the process of tearing down buildings or structures, while construction is the process of building something new. The video describes the transformation of the Park Avenue site from a residential building to a business address, involving both demolition of the old and construction of the new, highlighting the cyclical nature of urban development.

💡Steel Framework

A steel framework refers to the structural system made of steel that supports a building. The script mentions that 25 million pounds of steel were used for the framework of the Seagram building, emphasizing the scale and strength of the material used in constructing this architectural marvel.

💡Innovation

Innovation in the context of the video refers to the introduction of new ideas, designs, or methods. The Seagram building is noted for pioneering dozens of innovations in office building design, such as the use of pinkish gray heat and glare-resistant glass, showcasing the forward-thinking approach in its creation.

💡Bronze Sheathing

Bronze sheathing is the process of covering a building's exterior with bronze panels. The video highlights that the Seagram building is unique for being sheathed in bronze, which was chosen for its special dignity and design, setting it apart from other New York skyscrapers that typically use aluminum, steel, or glass.

💡Vertical Columns

Vertical columns are tall, slender structural members that run vertically from the base to the top of a building. The script describes these columns as 'volumes' that perform architectural tasks, such as separating floor-to-ceiling windows and multiplying vertical lines, contributing to the building's majestic appearance.

💡Facade

A facade refers to the exterior face of a building, often the front side that presents itself to the public. The video discusses the precise panels of the Seagram building's facade, which are designed to deepen in tone over the years without changing, showcasing the attention to detail and aesthetic considerations in the building's design.

💡High Tensile Bolts

High tensile bolts are a type of fastener designed to withstand high stress and are used in construction to secure structural elements. The script mentions that 190,000 high tensile bolts were used to lock the building's skeleton together, making it one of the tallest bolted buildings in the world and eliminating the need for noisy riveting.

💡Italian Marble

Italian marble is a high-quality stone material known for its beauty and durability, often used in construction for aesthetic purposes. The video describes the shipment of Italian marble used for the plaza and lobby of the Seagram building, adding to its elegance and reinforcing the building's status as a work of art.

💡Electrostatic Filter System

An electrostatic filter system is a type of air purification technology that uses an electric charge to remove particles from the air. The script mentions this system being used in the Seagram building to create one of the cleanest and healthiest buildings in the world, emphasizing the building's commitment to occupant well-being.

Highlights

375 Park Avenue is described as a singular landmark with aloof and aristocratic qualities, setting a new standard of architectural quality.

The building was envisioned by an industrialist as a special headquarters that would become a landmark.

The site was purchased, consisting of 60,000 square feet of prime real estate on Park Avenue.

Construction began with the demolition and transformation from a residential building to a business address of distinction.

World-renowned architects Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson designed the building.

25 million pounds of steel were used for the framework, enough to form a ribbon around Manhattan Island.

The Seagram Building pioneered numerous innovations in office building design, including pinkish gray heat and glare-resistant glass windows.

Special walls of glass and metal were tested against 120-mile-an-hour winds in a man-made hurricane.

The building's facade is sheathed in bronze, a unique choice compared to other New York skyscrapers that use aluminum, steel, and glass.

Over three million pounds of bronze were used, with panels cut to exact size and fitted by skilled craftsmen.

The building features narrow, vertical columns that separate floor-to-ceiling windows and multiply vertical lines, contributing to its majestic appearance.

The i-beam mullions were extruded in lengths of 26 feet, marking the longest bronze sections ever extruded.

The building's construction used high tensile bolts, making it one of the tallest bolted buildings in the world and eliminating the need for hot rivets.

The building's design and construction earned it a citation from the New York Committee for a Quiet City for its quiet bolting method.

The building's concrete spine aids in withstanding strong winds at great heights.

The facade is designed to deepen in tone over the years without changing, and is resistant to weather, dirt, and soot.

The building houses a powerplant, air conditioning, and air purifying equipment, including an electrostatic filter system.

An ultra-modern garage with mechanical aids for safe and speedy parking is located in the basement.

Italian marble was imported to adorn the building's lobby, corridors, and plaza, covering a total of 63,000 square feet.

The building's window plates are specially designed, with each weighing 109 pounds and the lobby window plates weighing 500 pounds each.

Samuel Bronfman's vision for the building is realized, with the Seagram Building earning architectural acclaim as one of the most beautiful towers on the Manhattan skyline.

The building was the first in New York to be fully illuminated at night, with a regal mixture of black and gold replacing the sunlight's refreshing bath on bronze.

Transcripts

[Music]

375 Park Avenue not just another New

York office building but in the words of

architectural leaders a singular

landmark with aloof and aristocratic

qualities not likely to be often

repeated in any city anywhere a new

standard of architectural quality out of

the dreams of one industrialist this

great new edifice came into being he had

the vision of something special for his

company's headquarters the skyscraper

that would become a landmark the Park

Avenue site had been bought 60,000

square feet of choice real estate then

in the chill of a February day giant

shovels began chewing at rock and mud

[Music]

it takes big men big machines to make

big dreams come true and close teamwork

[Music]

out of this humble origin rock mud and

water Vasseur a great bronze tower these

are the very beginnings of the change

the transformation from a famous

residential building to an address a

business distinction designed by

world-renowned architect Mies van der

Rohe and Philip Johnson and even at this

beginning point curious eyes look on as

the realization of the dream follows a

pattern first demolition then

construction from its very origins any

major skyscraper makes an impact on

business and life in its community yes

even on the nation as the Park Avenue

site was made ready bethlehem steel

mills were playing their part turning

out 25 million pounds of steel for the

framework enough steel to form a ribbon

around manhattan island

[Music]

into the framework was built a human

quality the quality of neighborliness

as each girder was formed all the

necessary riveting was done right at the

Mills this sped the construction but it

also spared the neighborhood the

deafening chatter of the riveters guns

the Seagram building pioneered in dozens

of innovations for office building

design one major advance specially

devised pinkish gray heat and glare

resistant glass windows of this glass

are easier on the eyes of those who

inhabit the office building but

innovations and responsibilities the

undeniable need for testing the

skyscrapers special walls of glass and

metal were subjected to the beating of

man-made hurricanes with 120 mile an

hour winds they passed the tests in the

practical laboratory that is now the

finished building the quest for new

materials in modern ways to use standard

materials was on ending in the search

for a special dignity and design age-old

bronze was chosen other New York

skyscrapers where faces of aluminum

steel glass but this building sheathed

in bronze is unique

to accomplish the desired effect

required over three million pounds of

bronze machines cut the panels to exact

size but men skilled craftsmen must fit

them into their proper places in which

there will be no leeway the precise

plates are only half the story

coupled with them to carry out the

spectacular new design our narrow

vertical columns construction men speak

of them as volumes these columns have to

architectural tasks to perform they

separate the floor-to-ceiling windows

and also they multiply the vertical

lines rising majestically from the

glass-walled ground floor to the top of

the building here is accent unrestricted

pure upward movement it said the

building is a dutifully tooled

masterpiece of metal and glass the

i-beam mullions were extruded or forced

through dies in lengths of 26 feet thus

they were the longest bronze sections

ever extruded induced a project from the

building to cast short shadows in

patterns that create a rich

three-dimensional effect

here again the human element attains

taking checked by man of the work of a

machine a long hard look of the knowing

and experienced eye the precise wrap of

the hammer all the things that go to

spell quality old world skill also had

its part to contribute to the maturing

skyscraper 3,000 miles away in the

mountains of northern Italy marble is

hewn from its natural setting to adorn

the new building coordinating men

material and equipment is another of the

constant jobs when a vision is being

turned into reality near the

construction site is building progresses

implementers of the dream meet regularly

to dovetail their various activities

assign work crews make certain

everything goes smoothly and to keep an

eager eye on production schedules

as the months rolled by the structure

takes on form floor by floor the

building Rises it's not long before

steel riggers are operating at dizzying

heights as the frame of the thirty eight

story building nears completion these

men juggle girders hundreds of feet in

the air

[Music]

time is right for a smoke but all the

place this becomes a sort of game of

pitch and catch with steel girders as

the ball only real pros last any length

of time in this league

it's at this stage in the construction

of most skyscrapers that those who live

and work in the immediate area usually

have had it

the constant rat-a-tat-tat of the

riveters guns that is not so with this

building its giant skeleton is locked

together by high tensile bolts 190,000

of them it's one of the tallest bolted

buildings in the world

this innovation eliminated the risks of

hot rivets and the costly and thoughtful

venture and neighborliness brought this

building one of its many awards a

citation from the New York Committee for

a quiet City

[Music]

already this building is taking its

place as one of New York's mild poses

and critics the world over hail the

building for its overall concept details

equipment the buildings concrete spine

helps the structure brush off more

easily those often strong winds at it's

great heights

meanwhile on Manhattan's always busy

streets the flow of material continues

it's time like a railroad schedule get

arranged to cause the city no extra

traffic congestion with the framework

finished the building is now ready to

receive its carefully fashioned facade

the precise panels are eased into place

they snuggle together as closely as

pieces of a jigsaw puzzle

over the years the facade is designed to

deepen in tone but not to change it will

withstand every kind of weather even

hold out steadfastly against the dirt

and soot of a busy city

[Music]

on the ground above the ground and below

the ground the job is pressing toward

conclusion yesterday a massive steel

skeleton stood reveal to a watching

world today another floor Rises and

still another reaching 38 stories into

the sky

[Music]

who can resist the view from this

vantage point only a quick look however

where there's work to be done from the

upper reaches of the building an open

elevator conveys workmen swiftly

downward to ground level and below where

the nerve center of the skyscraper also

nears completion two storeys below

ground were not long ago only a cavern

of rock and mud existed the powerplant

of the skyscraper a maze of tubes ducts

and cables and generators IRA's

generated enough heat to keep the plaza

in the heart of the city free of snow

and ice enough heat to melt 500 tons of

ice a day here also much of the air

conditioning and air purifying equipment

an electrostatic filter system

magnetically removes dirt from the air

circulated throughout the 38 storeys it

becomes one of the cleanest and

healthiest buildings in the world aside

from the vast amount of equipment housed

here the basement of the building holds

an ultra-modern garage it has every

mechanical aid to safe and speedy

parking for the public

[Music]

into the bustling Port of New York comes

a shipment of Italian marble for the

half acre Plaza fronting the building

and its Lobby in corridors from the

mountains of northern Italy 3,000 miles

across the sea this material came to

lend its own particular Beauty to the

dream now rapidly coming true

but still another skillful step is

required here the great blocks of marble

must be sliced and polished then like

everything else

cut to exact size then the delicate

finishing touches this fine marble

covers forty six thousand square feet

within the building and another

seventeen thousand square feet of it

spacious Plaza

[Music]

each of the specially design window

plates weighs 109 pounds the

floor-to-ceiling lobby window plates

weigh 500 pounds each

now the building itself is complete it

remains only for those final painstaking

details that go into design right down

to the last doorknob the last male shoot

now at last the vision of industrialist

Samuel branchman and his family becomes

reality the dream comes true and as the

building takes its place in the profile

of New York a new neighbor sets up house

across the street the Seagram building

has one architectural acclaim as the

most beautiful tower ever derived on

Manhattan skyline in the air a and open

fountain and tree-lined Plaza they

sacrificed rentable space to beauty in

quiet reflection the New York Museum of

Modern Art said it best illustrates how

sacrificing building space in crowded

areas enhances the architectural beauty

of the community

this building is the first New York

skyscraper to be fully illuminated at

night when the refreshing bath of

sunlight on bronze gives way to a regal

mixture of black and gold by day and by

night this skyscraper stands as a great

event the 20th century architecture a

dream come true

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]