Iconic Art Deco Skyscraper in the Financial District Celebrates Landmark Status with Official Ceremony in Collaboration with Macklowe Properties and the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation
NEW YORK, NY (September 27, 2023) – Today, iconic Art Deco skyscraper One Wall Street celebrated its certification as a landmark by unveiling a plaque presented by the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation. Originally built in 1931 as the Irving Trust Company Headquarters by “the Architect of the Century” Ralph Walker, One Wall Street represents one of the most ambitious examples of adaptive reuse to residential and retail in New York City‘s history while leading the Financial District‘s transformation into a world-class residential neighborhood.
To commemorate the occasion, Landmark plaques were unveiled at the Broadway entrance with a ceremony, with a reception following in the One Club private residential restaurant on the building’s 38th floor. Speakers included Harry Macklowe, developer of One Wall Street, Tom Krizmanic, Chair of the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation, and Sarah Carroll, Chair of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Mayor Eric Adams also issued an official citation to celebrate the occasion.
One Wall Street is regarded as one of New York City‘s premier Art Deco landmarks. In 2001, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the original 1931 portion of the building as a New York City landmark, and in 2007, it was declared a contributing property to the Wall Street Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places district.
The plaque is presented by the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation, which was established in 1980 to foster public awareness of preservation through educational outreach, including the creation of landmark plaques for historic buildings, and supports the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC,) which was created in 1965 through groundbreaking legislation in response to the losses of historically significant buildings in New York City.
The Landmarks Plaque reads: “Built as the headquarters of the Irving Trust Company Bank in 1929-31, One Wall Street is one of New York City’s finest art deco skyscrapers. The 654-foot limestone-clad tower, suggestive of a fluted column or draped cloth, is enlivened by subtle setbacks, chamfered corners, concave windows, and a crystalline crown that originally contained an executive lounge. It is among the most significant works of Ralph Walker, of Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker, whom the American Institute of Architects honored as ‘The Architect of The Century’ in 1957. One Wall Street was designated an individual landmark in 2001 and sensitively converted to residential and retail use in 2022 by Macklowe Properties.”
Architecture and Conversion:
The landmarked original 1931 building at One Wall Street was designed by Ralph Walker of the Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker architecture firm, reaching 56 stories at 654 feet tall, with a primarily limestone facade built in the Art Deco style. The southern annex, designed by the successor firm of the original architecture team, was completed in 1965, reaching 28 stories and 391 feet, and during the conversion was expanded during the restoration to expand to 36 stories and 494 feet, housing new residences and the One Club amenities spaces.
“New York City’s triumvirate of great Art Deco buildings would consist of the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and One Wall Street.” Ada Louise Huxtable, Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic
The exterior of the property was sensitively restored and the interiors completely reimagined, with SLCE Architects serving as the executive architect and interior architects including MdeAs, TenBerke, (formerly known as Deborah Berke Partners,) and Ashe Leandro. Robert A.M Stern Architects served as the architect for the master plan Landmarks approval, and Acheson Doyle Partners Architects served as the historic preservation consultant for the project. All escalators and elevators throughout the building were removed and centralized in the core of the building to best serve the residents and allow for more light and air to reach the interiors, offering residents natural light and sweeping views. New windows were added throughout, with limestone surrounds from the original Indiana quarry to ensure a seamless exterior. Acheson Doyle Partners Architects served as the historic preservation consultant for the project.
“One Wall Street presents a series of rhythmic motifs of different sizes and shapes.
This sense of rhythm becomes clear when one’s eye travels upward along the strongly vertical lines of the building.” Ralph Walker, Original architect of One Wall Street
One Wall Street Residences and Amenities:
One Wall Street was developed by Macklowe Properties in a remarkably complex and intricate restoration, comprising 566 condominiums complemented by 100,000-square-feet of amenities and a residential lifestyle previously unavailable in New York City.
The residences at One Wall Street maintain the elegance of the building’s coveted pre-war proportions and architecture, from which the team meticulously created modern layouts for the residences that reflect the way people live today with the best in contemporary craftsmanship and materiality. Residences feature soaring ceiling heights and breathtaking, unparalleled views of the Manhattan cityscape, New York Harbor, and New York City landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Trinity Church, and the New York Stock Exchange.
One Wall Street is the Financial District‘s first true luxury residential building with full-time door staff, porters, resident manager, and white-glove concierge service, offering The One Club residential amenities space that highlights amenities for wellness, entertainment, leisure and business. Amenities include a 75-foot, glass-enclosed Sky Pool with a wraparound terrace, and the only private residential restaurant in Downtown Manhattan, which offers a gourmet seasonal menu, espresso bar, and craft cocktails in the dining area designed by TenBerke, (formerly known as Deborah Berke Partners,) as well as on an adjoining 4,500-square-foot terrace with stunning views. The building also offers a transformative co-working space, One Works by The One Club, a tech-savvy, 6,500-square foot space that creates an effortless, multifunctional space to support residents with the option of working from home.
The building’s retail space was carefully reconfigured to create a residential center in the neighborhood akin to Rockefeller Center, including the Financial District‘s largest grocer, Whole Foods, and Life Time Fitness Resort, which offers a private entrance and complimentary membership to residents in addition to the 38th floor private fitness center in the amenities space. Luxury French retailer Printemps will open their first U.S. store in a 54,000-square foot space at the base of the building that encompasses the historic Red Room.
About One Wall Street
One Wall Street is a 56-story Art Deco landmark in Lower Manhattan located to the east of Broadway and adjacent to the New York Stock Exchange. Built in 1931 for the Irving Trust company and designed by architect Ralph Walker, One Wall Street has been transformed by Macklowe Properties into a condominium building in the largest office to residential conversion in the history of New York City. One Wall Street offers unobstructed views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty, comprising 566 studio to four-bedroom condominiums and a penthouse, in addition to 174,000 square feet of retail space and 100,000 square feet of amenity space. For more information and current availability, please visit www.onewallstreet.com
About the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation
The New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1980 that raises funds from private sources. The Foundation‘s mission is to support certain activities of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Every Fall, the Foundation sponsors a “Lunch at a Landmark” to raise funds for its programs and to foster a dialogue regarding preservation and architecture through educational outreach. For more information, please visit www.nylpf.org/.
