Monday, July 16, 2012

New York City Gargoyles, Part VI: Midtown and Lower Manhattan Architectural Details

Sometimes you need to look pretty hard to find the most stunning architectural details on skyscrapers.

The Flatiron building, designed by architect Daniel Burnham, is an icon of New York that continues to capture people's imaginations over a century after it was built—and if you look a little closer you can see even more unique details.



High on the Flatiron building are several detailed carvings, including the creepy Medusa head shown below. 




I caught a glimpse of the famous eagle gargoyles of the Chrysler building, but I have yet to find a good vantage point from which to view them. If anyone has ideas about a good place to get a view of those famous metal gargoyles, please let me know! 


None of my planned architectural walks included Lower Manhattan, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that many buildings in the financial district are ornamented, too.





—Gigi

2 comments:

  1. Lots of history in New York, and I wonder how many folks even look up to look at things like this anymore in the city? Richard

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  2. Richard, I bought myself an NYC architectural history book on my last visit to New York, so I'm looking forward to learning even more about these buildings and carvings.

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