Harlem and the rest of Upper Manhattan are best known for their brownstones and other pre-war architectural styles.
Still, notable examples of mid-century modernism can be found throughout.
As the wrecking ball has come for sites like the pavilion at Lasker Rink and Pool and possibly the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church (see below), it's a good time to check in with some of TCU's favorite buildings from the '50s, '60s and '70s.
From south to north:
2081 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd and W 124th St
Architect: Costas Machlouzarides
Year: 1966
An old movie house that became a church, this building was "scooped out" and turned into something resembling a Lincoln Center concert hall by architect Costas Machlouzarides. A year later he went on to design the Church of the Crucifixion in Harlem's Sugar Hill (see No. 5 below).
163 W 125th St and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd
Architect: Ifill Johnson Hanchard
Year: 1973
Designed in the Brutalist style by Black architecture firm Ifill Johnson Hanchard, this 19-story building juts out from a large public plaza in the center of Harlem in all its concrete-and-granite glory.
Broadway to Amsterdam Ave between W 129th and W 133rd Sts
Architect: William Lescaze
Year: 1954-1961
Designed by Swiss architect William Lescaze (of PSFS Building fame) between 1954 and 1961, the Manhattanville Houses introduced new ideas to public housing. Their Y-shape was a departure from the typical slab or cross shapes frequently seen in other projects. And Lescaze used colored panels not only to update the public's perception of the building, but to decorate the balconies on each floor that served as "backyard[s] in the sky."
58 W 135th St and Malcolm X Blvd
Architect: unknown
Year: 1960s
The colorful, modern facade—architect unknown—actually hides a much older structure. Built as the Lincoln Theater in 1915, it was once a destination for black vaudeville before turning into a movie theater and later a church. The house of worship was supposed to be replaced by a residential building after a development deal that involved secret payments to religious leaders, but the church still stands—for now (albeit with scaffolding along its eastern side).
459 W 149th St and Convent Ave
Architect: Costas Machlouzarides
Year: 1967
Reminiscent of Le Corbusier's church at Ronchamp, this building is a spectacular modern sight in the Sugar Hill historic district, an area better known for its beautiful old brownstones. Along with the Calhoun School on the Upper West Side, the church is considered one of architect Costas Machlouzarides's signature works.
Fort Washington to Wadsworth Aves between W 166th and W 167th Sts
Architect: Pier Luigi Nervi
Year: 1963
Designed in 1963 by Italian architect and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi (also responsible for the 1960 Olympic Stadium in Rome), this massive bus terminal is a visual jolt of soaring lines and bold geometric patterns made from reinforced concrete. The building on the west side of Broadway resembles some sort of futuristic steam liner, while other views are reminiscent of Eero Saarinen's swooping TWA terminal at JFK (which opened in 1962, one year earlier).
Gone but not forgotten:
W 110th Street and Lenox Ave
Architect: Fordyce & Hamby Associates
Year: 1966 (demolished 2021)
Built in the '60s, the concrete pavilion overlooking the old Lasker Rink and Pool in Central Park was demolished in 2021 as work began on the new pool and rink facility called the Harlem Meer Center.
