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About 857 Fifth Avenue
This 21-story structure has only 17 apartments is one of the city's most stylish white-brick apartment buildings.
Designed by Robert L. Bien for the Frouge Corporation, the building was completed in 1963 and converted to a cooperative five years later.
It is a bit reminiscent of an oceanliner with its very large curved window bays on the top two floors facing the avenue beneath its large enclosed watertank superstructure that has a slightly rakish, abstract facade on the avenue that hints at the sidestreet's quite flamboyant facade.
The central portion of the sidestreet facade has decorative angled piers that give the building a strong sense of upward thrust although they are contained between horizontal bands of large picture windows at the building's corners. The central portion of the avenue frontage consists of balconies with thin railings that are largely recessed but that also protrude slightly and the base on the building on the avenue is recessed behind some landscaping and a grill wall. The composition is quite energetic and a blend of the delicacy of Edward Durrell Stone and the strength of Le Corbusier. While the setback building is not a masterpiece, its setback massing and facade experimentation is vigorous. In sharp contrast with the multitude of white-brick apartment buildings erected in its generation, this building is interesting, although a bit out-of-place for such a choice location across from Central Park.
In his excellent book, "New York's Fabulous Luxury Apartments with Original Floor Plans from the Dakota, River House, Olympic Tower and Other Great Buildings," (Dover Publications, Inc., 1987), Andrew Alpern wrote that this building "represents a return to the privacy of one apartment to a floor and to the distinct separation of the private bedroom area from the more public entertaining rooms." "For parties, the plan affords three very spacious main rooms all of which open onto a large entrance gallery. Two bathrooms are available in this area together with ample closet space," Alpern noted.
Alpern was not, however, enthusiastic about the building's exterior: "It is unfortunate that the exterior of 857 does not approach the quality of its interior. The facade is a gauche assemblage of disparate materials that contrasts sharply with its more sedate neighbors."
Despite such criticism, the building is certainly one of the better post-war buildings on the avenue and its layouts and views are impeccable. It is convenient to cross-town bus service and a local subway station is at 67th Street and Lexington Avenue and many of the world's most famous boutiques are just a block away on Madison Avenue.
The building was erected on the site of the mansion of George Gould, the son of robber baron Jay Gould.
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