| British Empire Building | |
|---|---|
 Viewed from Fifth Avenue | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Office building |
| Location | 620 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10112 |
| Coordinates | 40°45′30″N 73°58′41″W / 40.75826°N 73.97792°W |
| Completed | 1933 |
| Owner | Tishman Speyer |
| Height | |
| Roof | 90 ft (27 m) (excluding penthouse) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 (+1+1⁄2-story penthouse) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Associated Architects, including Raymond Hood |
| Developer | John D. Rockefeller Jr. |
| Structural engineer | Post & McCord |
British Empire Building | |
NYC Landmark No. 1446
| |
| Area | 22 acres (8.8 ha) |
| Architect | Raymond Hood |
| Architectural style | Modern, Art Deco |
| Part of | Rockefeller Center (ID87002591) |
| NYCL No. | 1446 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 23, 1987[1] |
| Designated CP | December 23, 1987[2] |
| Designated NYCL | April 23, 1985 |
The British Empire Building, also known by its address 620 Fifth Avenue, is a commercial building at Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1933, the six-story structure was designed in the Art Deco style by Raymond Hood, Rockefeller Center's lead architect. The British Empire Building, along with the nearly identical La Maison Francaise to the south and the high-rise International Building to the north, comprise a group of retail-and-office structures known as the International Complex. La Maison Francaise and the British Empire Building are separated by Channel Gardens, a planted pedestrian esplanade running west to the complex's Lower Plaza.
The facade is made of limestone, with a main entrance along Fifth Avenue and secondary entrances on 50th Street and Channel Gardens. The top of the British Empire Building contains setbacks, a rooftop garden, and a partial seventh-story penthouse. The building's entrances contain ornate decorations by Lee Lawrie and Carl Paul Jennewein, while the windows include decorations by Rene Paul Chambellan. The entire Rockefeller Center complex is a New York City designated landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
La Maison Francaise and the British Empire Building were developed as part of the construction of Rockefeller Center after a proposal for a single building on the site was scrapped. After the British government signed a lease for the building in January 1932, work began the next month with a groundbreaking ceremony in July 1932. The building was completed in 1933 and initially mainly hosted British companies. Over the years, the building has contained a variety of tenants, including stores and travel companies.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Rockefeller Center". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 18, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012.