Morgan Court is the New York sliver building, by virtue of being the set of the Sharon Stone movie “Sliver” as well as by its 33-foot-wide architecture.
Sliver buildings are the tall thin buildings that tower over their neighbors to become visual sore thumbs. This particular sliver building was thin in a second dimension: The foundation was finished one day before a zoning law that would have prohibited the structure went into effect. Morgan Court is a good 20 stories higher than its neighbors, which include the landmarks Church of the Incarnation and the Morgan Library and Museum.
To their credit, Liebman & Liebman Architects did make the building visually interesting, not just tall and skinny. The ribbon windows, curved southern corners, interlocking balconies on the front (Madison Avenue), and comb-like balconies at the northeast corner are more pleasing than some possible alternatives. The ribbon windows and balconies also have the effect of de-emphasizing Morgan Court’s height.
(Morgan Court takes its name from its proximity to the Morgan Library and Museum, a half block to the north on Madison Avenue.)
Morgan Court Vital Statistics
- Location: 211 Madison Avenue between E 35th and E 36th Streets
- Year completed: 1984
- Architect: Liebman & Liebman Architects
- Floors: 32
- Style: Postmodern
Morgan Court Recommended Reading
- The New York Times ABOUT REAL ESTATE; MODERN ‘SLIVER’ BUILDING GOING UP IN MURRAY HILL (September 7, 1984)
- City Realty review
- City Review Midtown Book Madison Avenue
- The New York Condo Blog Morgan Court – 211 Madison Avenue (April 25, 2008)
- On The Set Of New York Sliver (1993)
- IWalked IWalked New York City’s Morgan Court (aka “Sliver” building)
