StateofNewYork))SS:CountyofNewYork)TERENCERILEY,beingdulysworn,deposesandsays:
1.Iamanarchitectandprincipalofthefirmof
KlR
ArchitectPCwithofficesinNewYorkCityandMiami,Florida.AsthePhilipJohnsonChiefCurator,IledtheDepartment
ofArchitectureandDesignattheMuseumofModernArtinNewYorkCity,from1992to2006.
IthenbecamedirectoroftheMiamiArtMuseumbeforeresumingprivatepracticewith
KlR
in2010.2.IamintimatelyfamiliarwiththeInternationalStyleofarchitecture,ofwhichthe
ManufacturersHanoverTrustbuildingatFifthAvenueand43
rd
StreetinManhattanisaprime
example,indeedamasterpieceofthisschool.
3.Completedin1954,thebuildingwasimmediatelyrecognizedasabreakthrough
inbankingarchitectureandatriumphoftheInternationalStyle.Itbrokethetraditionoffortress-likemasonrybankarchitecturebytransparentlyexposingthebankingfloors,andeventhesafedepositvaultentrance,topublicviewthroughaglassfacade.Itsglassandsteelconstructionall
buteliminatedthedistinctionbetweeninsideandoutside.Aseeminglyfloatingmezzanineabovethefirstfloorcontributestotheairinessoftheentirebuilding.
4.Thebuildingwasdesignedbythewell-knownfirmofSkidmoreOwings
&
Merrill,withitspartnerGordonBunshaftasleadarchitect.SOMwasalargeandverysuccessful
commercialfirmthatachievedenormousartisticstaturewithitsLeverHousein1952.TheManufacturersHanoverTrustbuildingbecameitssecondgreatInternationalStylesuccess.
5.Theapparentparadoxofatransparentbuildingtosafeguardpeople'smoney,thepresenceofagreatsteelsafevisuallyaccessibletothepassers-bybutofcoursenotactually
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accessible,theapparentabsenceofa"frontdoor"butthesubtleyetdefinitivedesignationofitslocationonthesidestreettowardswhichthefree-standingescalatorspoint,andtheelevationupstairsofpeoplewholookprudentlyaftertheirmoney,areallfeaturesofthebuildingthatmadeitandstillmakeitmuchdiscussed.Itisalsosignificantforitsingenuityinaccommodatingpublicbanking,back-officework,andapenthousefortopofficialswithinaremarkablyconstrictedurbansite.Thestructure'sprecisedesignanddetailingmarkthebuildingasanoutstandingworkofart.6.Thebuildingisnotableforitspioneeringstructuralinnovations.Theentire
structureissupportedbyonlyeightverticalpierswhichcarrytheweightofboththefloorslabsandtheexteriorcurtainwallwhichishungfromtheslabs.Thelargefloorandceilingplanesuninterruptedbypartitionsarevitaltothebuildingsstructuralexpressionismanditsaesthetic
intent.CeilingsaremadeoftranslucentthincorrugatedplasticsupportedbyasuspendedaluminumgridwhichconcealsHVACductwork,publicaddresssystems,acousticalmaterialsandfluorescentluminaires.Thecorrugatedplasticpanelsevenlydiffuseartificiallightoverthe
entireceilingplane.Thisoriginalluminousceilinggridwithitscombinationofmaterialswastechnologicallyinnovativeatthetimeofconstructionandishistoricallysignificantasanexampleofmachine-agetechnology,asitisamongtheearliestinstallationsofitskindsurviving
intact.7.Thehandsomecontrastofmaterials---glasswithsteel,marblewithmanufacturedmaterials-andthelightweightpunctuationoffull-floor,open-planbankingroomsbywhite
columnstogetherwithasculptural,freestandingescalatorparalleltoandvisiblefromFifthAvenue,andacontrastingcubicalblackgranite-cladvaultareotheraestheticfeaturesworthnoting,inadditiontothenow-removedmetalscreenandthemobilebyHarryBertoia.The
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oblique,43rdStreetsideentrypairedwith,eescalatorplacedparalleltoFifthAvenuedefines
thebuilding'sinternalcirculationpath,andinconjunctionwiththeBertoiaartworks,visually
engagedvisitors,anddrewthemuptotheselondlevelthroughasubtle,carefully-composedsequenceofgraduallyunfoldinginteriorspJes.ThebuildingisconsideredaniconofAmericancorporatemodernism,significantlocally,naionallyandinternationally.Widelypublishedandtalkedaboutwhenitopened,thebuildingre
I
ainsillustratedanddiscussedincontemporaryarticlesandbooksonModemarchitecture.
8.Theproposedalterationstothefirstandsecondfloorinteriorstogetherwiththeproposedalterationstotheexteriorfacades
1
boththeFifthAvenuefacadeandthe43Streetfacade-wouldmateriallyimpairtheqUalitirthatmakethebuildingsooutstandingandidentify
itarecognizableworkofarchitecturebyGOrOnBunshaft.Thesealterationsinclude:(a)Partitioningoftheoriginalopenspaceonthegroundfloorbyaneweast-westdividingwall.A~thOUghthewallwillbecappedbytransparentglass,
itspresencewillseVerrlYcompromisethesenseofopenspaciousnessthat
characterizestheorigTaldesign.Relocationofthehistoricescalatorsninety-degreestotheiroriginalaxisandplacingthemdeeJwithinthecenterofthefloorplate,farawayfrom
theexteriorfacadewh~retheycurrentlyformanessentialpartoftheFifthAvenuefacade'sCareflY-balancedarchitecturalcomposition.CuttingtheescalatorsrfffrOmthebuilding'shistoric43rdStreetentry
sequenceandinternalcirculationasconceivedbyitsarchitect.ConvertingtheOrigin~143rdSt,entrytoshowwindowsanddemolishingitsoriginalaluminum-cladvestibule.2)3)4)
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