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A Tower of Light

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As everyone keeps their fingers crossed that Con Edison can keep the power flowing during this week’s heat wave, we thought we’d take a look at the history of its monumental headquarters building on Irving Place. Though situated on the north side of 14th Street, the tower of the Consolidated Edison Building looms over the East Village to its south and has served as neighborhood place marker for decades. The complex of buildings including the tower we see today actually took almost two decades to arrive at its final form. Designated a New York City landmark in 2009, the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s designation report contains a wealth of information. You can read it all here.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the headquarters of the Consolidated Gas Company (an earlier iteration of what we know today as Consolidated Edison—Con Ed) was based in a warren of buildings on Irving Place near East 15th Street. When it was decided to consolidate into a single new building, the company tasked architect Henry Hardenbergh with creating a new design.

The new 12-story structure on Irving Place between East 14th and 15th Streets was completed in 1911. The company soon realized it would require additional office space, and with the purchase of addition lots on the block, expanded the building to the north and south and increased its height to 19 stories. As the report notes, “because the original twelve story section at the center of the building had not been framed to carry the weight of seven additional stories, a complicated system of trusses was designed to off-load the weight of the upper floors above the old wing onto the newer portions for the building.” An innovative exterior lighting plan was also included (see image below), but was discontinued by the 1920s.

The original 12-story tower on Irving Place. Image via LPC.
The original 12-story tower on Irving Place. Image via LPC.

 

(l) The 19-story expansion, which was built around the original 12-story tower. (r) The building illuminated ca. 1914. Images via LPC.
(l) The 19-story expansion, which was built around the original 12-story tower. (r) The building illuminated ca. 1914. Images via LPC.

It was in the 1920s when the need for expansion came again. This time, the company gave the commission for the additions to the noted firm of Warren & Wetmore, who also designed Grand Central Terminal and Pier 54 on the Hudson.

With the acquisition of more land on the block to the east, the expanded building and clock tower that we see today was begun in 1926 and not completed until 1929. Warren & Wetmore looked to the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Turkey for inspiration for the distinctive tower top. Throughout the new building design, imagery of urns, fire, and light are present, and was meant to reflect the company’s purpose, as well as serve as a memorial to the service and sacrifice of company workers during the First World War.

The completed building. Image via NYPL.
The completed building. Image via NYPL.

 

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