It was designed by Warren & Wetmore in the Neoclassical style and built in 1924–1925. The Madison Belmont Building has a "transitional" design that deviates from Warren & Wetmore's other commissions, combining elements of the Neoclassical style and more modern influences from the Art Deco style.
183 Madison Avenue's articulation consists of three horizontal sections similar to the components of a column, namely a base, shaft, and capital. The base, comprising the lowest three stories of the facade, contains iron-and-bronze showroom frames, grilles, and doors designed by Edgar Brandt. The shaft contains brick piers, between which are recessed bays that contain windows and spandrels. The upper stories contain architectural terracotta ornamentation and a large cornice. The lobby is finished in bronze and marble, and contains a vaulted ceiling.
183 Madison Avenue was constructed as a showroom building for a development company called the Merchants & Manufacturers Exchange of New York. It originally housed showrooms for silk companies in Manhattan's "Silk District". In 2011, the building's exterior and first floor interior were made New York City designated landmarks.
Site
183 Madison Avenue is in Murray Hill, Manhattan, on the southeast corner of Madison Avenue and 34th Street. The building is shaped like an "L", running 49.4 feet (15.1 m) along Madison Avenue to the west and 153.2 feet (46.7 m) 34th Street to the north. A section extends southward toward 33rd Street, where it has a frontage measuring 24.6 feet (7.5 m). Its official address is 181–183 Madison Avenue, though the building carries alternate addresses of 31 East 33rd Street and 44–46 East 34th Street.[4] Nearby structures include the Grolier Club and 2 Park Avenue to the south, as well as the Collectors Club of New York and the B. Altman and Company Building to the north.
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