| Gainsborough Studios | |
|---|---|
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Gainsborough_Studios_222_Central_Park_South.jpg) | |
 | |
| Alternative names | The Gainsborough |
| General information | |
| Type | Residential |
| Address | 222 Central Park South |
| Town or city | Manhattan, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°46′02″N 73°58′50″W / 40.767180°N 73.980480°W |
| Groundbreaking | 1907 |
| Opened | 1908 |
| Height | 177.21 feet (54 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 16 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Charles W. Buckham |
| Other information | |
| Number of units | 34 |
| Designated | February 15, 1988 |
| Reference no. | 1423 |
The Gainsborough Studios, also known as 222 Central Park South, is a residential building on Central Park South, just east of Columbus Circle, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Designed by Charles W. Buckham, the building is 16 stories tall with 34 apartments. Named after English painter Thomas Gainsborough, the building is one of several in Manhattan that were built in the early 20th century as both studios and residences for artists.
The Gainsborough Studios' name and design indicated its artistic connotations. The facade contains a bust of Gainsborough above the main entrance; a bas-relief across the third floor, designed by Isidore Konti; and tile murals by Henry Chapman Mercer's Moravian Pottery and Tile Works at the top stories. Some studios have 18-foot (5.5 m) ceilings with double-height spaces, while others are smaller units that occupy part of a single floor. Artists generally rented the studios as a combination residence and working space.
The Gainsborough Studios corporation built the structure between 1907 and 1908 as artists' cooperative housing, although it gradually became a standard residential development. The lobby was restored in the 1950s and in 1981, and a full renovation of the building commenced in 1988. The building was designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1988.