ENTRANCE DETAIL: 145 West 79th Street
I was walking along West 79th Street and captured this fantastic entrance portal. If you walk around New York City with your eyes open to experience the unexpected bit of architectural excellence, you will be forever amazed at the sheer quantity of terrific things you will see. And so it was that I came across the Manchester House at 145 W. 79th Street, near Columbus Avenue. Not a ‘known’ building, it is an example of the large number of mid size apartment houses built during the 1920’s. The eclectic elements are a melange of Gothic, Tudor, and Storybook styles. The execution of the whole tableau is very skilled; from the elaborate ironwork on the doors, to the abstracted floral motif carving above it (bearing the building number), up to the enchanting Gothic letters spelling out the building name, and further up to the very elaborate heraldic crest. Notice in the picture to the right of the lamp, how the stone above the window is convex in shape. This is an oft-used Tudor window detail. Now, look at how the same convex shape is used above the entry door, echoing the detail in a subtle manner. The entire entrance composition is inset within the two-story Gothic pointed arch. Notice how the arch itself is accented by a carved rope molding, and also by the dramatic fan-like effect from the brick banding. When I researched the building, I was not surprised to learn that is was designed by Emery Roth, built in 1926.
Hello! My name is David Lubell. This is my personal blog, a forum for me to talk about my passion for prewar buildings in NYC and related subjects. If any views are expressed here, they are mine, unless clearly presented as coming from someone else. You can read a little bit more 
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