Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 104, no. 24: [Articles]: December 13, 1919

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December 13, 1919 RECORD AND GUIDE 607 Largest Bank Building in World for Federal Reserve Details of the Structure Designed by York and Sanger To Be Erected Soon as Plot Is Available DIRECTORS of the Federal Reserve Bank have accepted the designs submitted in competition by York & Sawyer for the building- to be erected on the block front in Nassau street, from Maiden Lane to Liberty street, and which will become the largest structure in the world used exclusively for banking quarters. The projected building will be fifteen stories in height and will practically cover the block bounded by Nassau street, William street, Maiden Lane and Liberty street. Plans as accepted by the Federal Reserve Board call for a is estimated that it will require at least two years to complete this structure and it may possibly be another year before work IS actually started. The principal entrance to the Federal Reserve Bank Build¬ ing will be located on the Liberty street side with the service entrance on the Maiden Lane side. Nassau street is too crowded with traffic to allow the main entrance to be located on this thoroughfare and the dip from Liberty street to Maiden Lane is too prominent to allow a good solution of the en¬ trance feature. .^. tj.^ w^., ]rsiii- m-f^^ 1 ■ 'I =ir' «!.■- '/-'m- ■' -"'IW |g^^ ■'": :![\^^A^^ '^'' j'^^'^ ■ i^' '^- ■X-l;;^;^U:^^;j;kr^^^^ .. ...|4^>. r- iiiiititii if*r' *^^ .'- !■■ ta-m>^McuB.*n^ "X.r -I \*UWt' mw. r j*^ rr^ m ~-r-\ ■ J ••■• • %-^ JT—- ^"'rH--V'T'TT-H"'r'-''-h- i^-c-r—r^'-v-^-^r—r- i \rT^.TSZ ■■■ r: :pi . "J' .'A - Jl -r. \'. tr-' ..^ J.J ^^^^1 r^j.i |iMl"P>ll"'uyi"?JjiiiyiJiViV»Vi fji(lia.iUMIJ.U.U)WmijNiWOMlJTSfiTt^flil iiISHZ:;:^n:TN;::^V- •=-TT:i-.. i77"f aE^i^ 73±aSri ,3^—rrirgr:r::xr7rr-.r.r-r:T 3i::xr3 xt-i:;ar;j: XfKX Ji-J. .-J.'-J f.'An'ii: 5^ JZ Lte. ^^;J:„: nr:-^ .. -■'?n*>* - BfHcafT a-JT?" York & Sawyer, Architects. LIBERTY STREET FACADE OF PROPOSED FEDERAL RESERVE BANK. building containing 462,079 square feet of floor space, which is equivalent'to approximately twelve acres, an area one and one-half times that of City Hall Park. At the present time it is not definitely known just what this structure will cost but it is believed that it can be erected for some figure be¬ tween $10,000,000 and $15,000,000, exclusive of the cost of the ground which was nearly $5,000,000. The proposed Federal Reserve Bank Building will be prac¬ tically a loft structure of the highest type. The directors of the institution said that a loft building was exactly what they desired, since the purpose of the structure was to be service of the highest order. They also explained that the structure would have to be dignified, as no sensational type of building would be entertained by the bank. The proposed structure has been designed in a modified Florentine style of architecture^ adapted to American ideas and the peculiarities of the downtown business district. It The main entrance will be about two stories in height and will lead into a great lobby that will run at right angles to it. Toward Nassau street the lobby, or corridor, will open into a general reception room, as it will be at this end of the floor that the executives of the institution will have their oflices. This reception space will be 34 feet wide and 71 feet long and will reach through two floors of the building. It will be a magnificent room. Off this room, toward Nassau street, will be located nine offices, the workshops of the di¬ rectors and their secretaries. Stretching along the Maiden Lane side of the floor will be seven offices and an immense conference room. At the William street end of the first floor about 11,470 square feet will be devoted to working rpace to be used as the directors may later decide. The en¬ tire Nassau street side of the second floor will be a conference room. There will be nine private offices along the Maiden (Continued on page 608)