- The Paramount Hotel at 235 West 46th Street in Manhattan. Photo: CityLand.
Theater District hotel’s architect was primarily known as a theater designer. On November 17, 2009, Landmarks voted to designate the Paramount Hotel, located at 235 West 46th Street in Manhattan. Thomas W. Lamb built the 600-room French Renaissance hotel between 1927 and 1928. The Scottish-born Lamb was a prolific theater and cinema architect, having designed more than 300 theaters around the world. The Paramount is one of only a very few hotels he designed. Rising nineteen stories, the building’s facade includes ornate brick, terra cotta, and stone, and it is topped off by a copper mansard roof. The Paramount’s ground floor facade notably features a double-height arcade with twelve marble-faced arches.
At the time of the hotel’s construction, Times Square was peaking in prominence as an entertainment hub, and the Paramount served as a luxury destination for visitors enjoying the City’s nightlife. After a long period of neglect, hotelier Ian Schrager bought the Paramount in the 1990s, repairing the hotel’s exterior and hiring Philippe Starck to redesign its lobby.
At the hearing, no one spoke in opposition, and the Commissioners unanimously endorsed designating the hotel. Commissioner Stephen Byrns said the building serves as a reminder “of the elegance of Times Square” in the 1920s, while Commissioner Thomas Moore said the Paramount should have been landmarked “years ago.”
LPC: Paramount Hotel, 235 West 46th Street, Manhattan (LP-2342) (Nov. 17, 2009).