Nelson Tower (after Julius Nelson, the developer) is one of the tallest buildings in the Garment District, built at a time when everyone seemed to be racing to be tallest. The building’s architect, H. Craig Severance, also designed 40 Wall Street – one of the “world’s tallest” contenders of the day. Alas, 60-story One Penn Plaza now looms over 46-story Nelson Tower from across 34th Street.
The distinctive white crown can be seen throughout the neighborhood; polychrome brick spandrels enhance the vertical lines.
Other prominent buildings designed by H. Craig Severance include 40 Wall Street (aka The Trump Building, Bank of Manhattan Trust Building), Taft Hotel, and the Montague-Court Building.
Nelson Tower Vital Statistics
- Location: 450 Seventh Avenue between W 34th and W 35th Streets
- Year completed: 1931
- Architect: H. Craig Severance
- Floors: 46
- Style: Art Deco
Nelson Tower Suggested Reading
- Wikipedia entry
- Skyscraper Center listing
- Skyscraper Page listing
- Emporis database
- Kaufman Management website
- ReplicaBuildings.com – you can buy a scale model – who knew?!
- TheCleverest blog (if you’re not afraid of heights!)