The Barker, Levin & Company Office Pavilion. Image Credit: LPC.
On December 19, 2023, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate two buildings as individual landmarks. The Barkin, Levin & Company Office Pavilion in Queens and the Modulightor Building in Manhattan, were the final designations of 2023.
The Barker, Levin & Company Office Pavilion is located at 12-12 33rd Avenue in Long Island City and was designed in 1957 by Ulrich Franzen. The building is a great example of mid-20th century commercial architecture; the minimalist pavilion sits on a small, landscaped parcel consisting of low brick walls, concrete walkways and grass laws. The pavilion features nine steel pillars supporting an umbrella-like ceiling that extend past the building’s glass walls to provide extra shade. The facility was originally constructed as a manufacturing facility for women’s coats which included all stages of production.
The Modulightor Building. Image Credit: LPC.
The Modulightor Building is located at 246 East 58th Street in Manhattan and was designed by Paul Rudolph in 1989. The building was constructed in two phases on a 20-foot wide lot, with the first phase completed in 1993 four years before Rudolph’s death, and the remainder completed in 2018 under architect Mark Squeo. The building’s front and rear elevations consist of overlapping vertical and horizontal rectangles. The building features a multi-level roof terrace and three cantilevered steel balconies facing a rear patio. The building is named after the architectural lighting company Rudolph founded in 1976. Rudolph was known for his modern sculptural aesthetic featuring industrial materials like steel and concrete. The building features ground floor commercial space, and an expanded duplex apartment, which is occupied by the Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture.
Landmarks Chair Sarah Carroll stated, “New York City’s streetscape has always served as a canvas for some of the world’s most creative minds, and the buildings designated today highlight two exceptionally innovative designs by internationally prominent modern architects, one at the start of his career, and the other towards the end of it. I’m pleased that the Commission has chosen to recognize these modern architectural gems, and grateful that they’ll be preserved for future generations to come.”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the Editor of CityLand and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)