Le Mondrian – now Anglicized to The Mondrian – wears a colorful grid that lives up to its name despite the rounded corner. The tower is certainly among New York’s most colorful pieces of architecture.
The name came years after the glass-enclosed condo was finished, however. The 1992 structure was originally Le Palais – an unluckily timed condo that sat vacant for two years. New owners held a naming contest, and Le Mondrian was the winner. “Music Box” might be an equally appropriate name, for the way that balconies intersect the tower’s curved northeast corner.
But by any other name, this eye candy would look as sweet in a neighborhood known for its polished geometric icons: Lipstick Building, CitiGroup Center, and 599 Lexington Avenue are just down the block.
Mondrian Vital Statistics
- Location: 250 E 54th Street at Second Avenue
- Year completed: 1992
- Architect: FXFOWLE, Architects
- Floors: 43
- Style: Postmodern
Mondrian Recommended Reading
- Wikipedia entry (Robert F. Fox, Jr.)
- Wikipedia entry (Bruce Fowle)
- The New York Times Perspectives: The Benenson Approach; A Sometime Builder at Work in 2 Cities (November 17, 1991)
- The New York Times About Real Estate; 5 Years Later, Sales Start At an East Side Condo (May 31, 1996)
- City Realty review
- Emporis database