This evening on my way back from the subway I walked by a building on the corner of 22nd Street and Park Ave. It stood out to me as atypical, for it wasn’t a towering glassy skyrise or block of concrete. This building had many arched windows, columns, and extensive detailing engraved in its stone exterior. The archway over entrance, which reads “United Charities Building” reveals the literal purpose of this structure. Apparently it was originally intended to house the headquarters for many charities. To me, with its grandeur and unusual attention to small details, the stoic building seemed like it might have served as a bank or some other important commercial institution. Kevin and I both agreed (as he brought up), that this may have been built as part of the beaux-arts movement, a style of architecture popular during the late 19th and turn of the 20th century. It is reminiscent of a more classical style and refined aesthetic, popular during a period of rapid industrialization in the US (as a rejection of the stark industrial developments) . This type of architecture was meant to beautify city infrastructure in order to improve the well-being of society. I couldn’t tell what the building is being used for today, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it were converted into apartments.
-Sophie
