THE CITYSPIRE CENTER , NEW YORK CITY - 248 m / 814 ft - 75 fl - by Murphy/Jahn Inc.

It's not pretty, but it's not exactly ugly either. The flanges make this building look acceptable, IMHO. But they have the effect of making it look like a cheap-ass condo thats 800 feet tall, with a bald pate as an excuse for a spire.

But that's just my opinion.

It is famous however for many reasons, including being built 11 feet too tall as this NY TIMES article from 1989 identifes:

It is true that the builder gained no additional useful floor space from the 11 feet. Nor can anyone seriously contend that the discrepant height is noticeable. The benefit to the builder is an additional two inches of ceiling height per floor, possibly slightly facilitating leasing and higher rents. These are indirect, minor advantages. Even so, for New York to tolerate this naked violation of its zoning law is to encourage others. The city would be entirely within its rights to demand that the height of the building be reduced to the statutory limit.

The City Planning Commission proposes that the Board of Estimate grant a zoning waiver if the developer dedicates rehearsal space in the building to public use. That's a better idea, but not good enough. The space is too scanty to compensate for the violation. The Queens Borough President, Claire Shulman, suggests extracting financial compensation - to be spread around the city in artistic grants-in-aid. That seems more sensible, provided that the amount approximates the costs of removing the offending height.

The Cityspire episode offers the city another lesson. Legislation is needed to require the managing partner or chief executive of a builder-owner to sign the basic plans submitted to the Buildings Department for a proposed building. And the Commissioner of Buildings needs authority, in the case of deviations, to refuse plans with the same signature.

I had no idea just how tall CitySpire was until we walked under it and noticed just how big it is.

How tall is it?

It's the 3rd tallest building in Manhattan.

That's how tall.

It's underrated.

Janberg's photo of CitySpire shows the building in its best light.

In ordinary viewing conditions from the street close up or at night, apart from it's dome, I would say that it has ordinary visual impact. The aspect of CitySpire that saves it is it's sheer size and volume, and it's distinctive Battlestar Galactica shape.

What? No El Magnifico! reactions here in the forum?

It's not that bad! It does have its own charm in a way.

It's underrated.

-tikinyc

And it's one of those silent behemoths in the city that oft goes unnoticed by many.

One thing you can't say about the CitySpire Building - it aint small.

What? No El Magnifico! reactions here in the forum?
It's not that bad! It does have its own charm in a way.
-thenarrator

Well the CitySpire Center does have some interesting features:
Tallest residential structure in New York City for many years
Tallest Mixed Use residential and office for many years
Interesting use of space and setbacks in what is a non symmetrical design

Moorish dome inspired by the nearby New York City Center with its Moorish Revival roof
It's sheer volume, matched by few other buildings in the city (Pan Am / MetLife Building at 200 Park Avenue comes to mind as a good comparison) - CitySpire is not as voluminous as the MetLife Building but it does have some heft to it with its wide shoulders.

It's the only building in New York that looks like it's a standing guard with a bald pate - it does - trust me on this!

The building does creep up on you and when it does, you realize how large it is.

The CitySpire Center
West 56th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue, Midtown
The tallest mixed use skyscraper in Manhattan
Second tallest concrete tower in the world (as of 2010)
Designed by Murphy/Jahn, Inc. Architects
Completed 1987
248 meters (814 ft)
75 floors
-thenarrator

TN, now The CitySpire Center (mixed use - office, residential apartments) is the second tallest (by more than 50 feet) mixed use skyscraper in Manhattan after the Beekman Tower (which has a public elementary school, ambulatory care center, and residential apartments).

@ArchNYer - Is The CitySpire Center really asymmetric ?

I had no idea just how tall CitySpire was until we walked under it and noticed just how big it is.
How tall is it?
It's the 3rd tallest building in Manhattan.
That's how tall.

-stagehand