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Fifth Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

The former Coty Building, built in 1907-08 is a significant reminder of Fifth Avenue at the turn of the century, when the avenue, south of 59th Street, was shifting from residential to commercial use. Designed by Woodruff Leeming, the building employs French design details which visually link it and harmonize it with its Fifth Avenue neighbors.

Commissioned by real estate investor Charles A. Gould, the entire building was leased to perfumer Francois Coty in 1910 to serve as his American headquarters. Shortly after acquiring the building, Coty commissioned the great 20th-century glassmaker René Lalique to design a set of decorative glass windows which extends from and unifies the third through fiftn floors, creating an overall composition. These windows, in their form and design are an extraordinary survivor and are unique in New York.



These windows are unique in New York City. Intrinsically linked with Coty, they are an important architectural feature of the building which give it special character and significance.

While Coty occupied three floors of the building, it in turn subleased the ground floor and mezzanine and the attic floor to other tenants. Coty's original lease ran until 1931; this was extended until 1952 but cancelled in 1941 when Coty consolidated its operations at 423 West 55th Street.

Thus, the architectural design and the history of No. 714 exenplifies the character of Fifth Avenue as an exclusive shopping street. Only seven years after the building was completed, Fifth Avenue was described as:

. . . one of the world's famous streets. What Regent and Bond Streets are to London, the Rue de la Paix to Paris, the Unter den Linden to Berlin, the Ringstrasse to Vienna, irifth Avenue is to New York. It is the most aesthetic expression of the material side of the metropolis . ... from 34th to 59th Streets, department stores and exclusive shops new predominate, having either swept away or flowed around churches, clubs, hotels and residences. . . . establishments wherein may be found products of the greatest ancient and modern artisans make this part of Fifth Avenue one of the most magnificent streets in the world.
No. 714 remains as an excellent example of the type of building which led to of Fifth Avenue originally made in 1915, and causes Fifth Avenue still to be perceived "as one of the most magnificent streets in the world. "

Description

The six-story former Coty Building is designed as a frame, setting off a wall of glass, This composition proclaims the commercial use of the building while retaining a basic residential height and scale. The first two stories are designed as a unit framing a shopfront. The current shopfront is a recent installation.

Flanking limestone-faced piers set on paneled bases support a modillioned cornice carried on console brackets which flew over simple capitals. The third through the fifth stories are also handled as a unit, surrounded by an overall limestone enframement with architrave motif and bell-flower pendants.

Crisply modelled cast-steel spandrels separate the third and fourth, and forth and fifth stories. Keystones in the spandrels accent several of the windows. Each floor contains five window bays, separated only by vertical steel mullions; the outer mullions have decorative motifs. The central bay at the third floor is accented by an arched pediment with scallop motif, carried on diminutive brackets.

This window bay articulation is original to the building, but the original casements were removed for the insertion of the Lalique glass windows. Each bay contains a multi-paned casement set be lew a multi-paned transom. The central bays contain clear glass, while the side bays contain the decorative glass. The glass forms a continuous overall design extending up through all three floors and is composed of intertwining vines and tulips, recalling Lalique's earlier Art Nouveau work. Only from the exterior can the overall effect of the design as it extends upward be perceived.

The glass itself is approximately one-half inch thick, set in metal frames, with the raised portion of the design facing the exterior. A modillioned cornice with console brackets which supports a balustrade sets off the sixth, attic story. The sloping metal-covered roof of this story contains two segmental arched dormers which flank skylights set flush with the roof.

The roof features are a major element linking No. 714 with its neighbors, while the slope of the roof creates a sense of depth for the building An elevator penthouse rises slightly above the roof at the south. The northern party wall is partially exposed and has been painted.

Conclusion

Today the former Coty Building survives as a reminder of that period when this section of Fifth Avenue was shifting from a prestigious residential precinct to an elegant shopping street. Its overall form was specially designed to enhance

In 1733 St George's Hospital was opened in Lanesborough House which had originally been built in 1719 by the 2nd Viscount Lanesborough in what was then open countryside at the site of Hyde Park Corner. The new St George's Hospital was arranged on 3 floors and accomodated 30 patients in 2 wards, one for men and one for women.

Gradually the hospital was extended and by 1744, it had 15 wards and over 250 patients.

However, by the 1800's the hospital was falling into disrepair. Funds were raised to build a new 350 bed hospital and a competition was held for its design which was won by William Wilkins

The old Lanesborough House had to be demolished to make way for the new premises; building began in 1827 and the new hospital was completed by 1844.

When the bed situation in 1859 again became critical an attic floor was added and by 1868 The Medical School first established in 1834 in Kinnerton Street was incorporated into the south west corner of St George's

By the turn of the century it was suggested that St George's should again be rebuilt but this time on a new site which happened to be in Tooting with work commencing in 1973 and in 1980 St George's Hospital at Hyde Park Corner closed its doors for the final time

In 1987 the building was again subject to major renovation while retaining it's original façade it was opened as the Lanesborough Hotel on December 30th 1991

As a small boy I was taken to this building when it was still a hospital and seen by various doctors and students who got excited when they saw something bright on my eye that in the end came of easily and dashed their hopes of a medical discovery !! :D

Standing in front of this grand looking building on the south side of the Royal Artillery Memorial is a second bronze soldier of the First World War holding his great coat with a gas mask holder around his neck a water drink canteen and a pair of Binocular telescopes also known as field glasses on his rear left hip