1960s Lower Manhattan Tower Set To Receive Historic Designation

New York City's 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in 1961, is likely to receive historic landmark status by The Landmarks Preservation Commission.

1 minute read

March 20, 2008, 12:00 PM PDT

By Mike Lydon


"The news may be that 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza - the towering silvery monolith that forever changed the Lower Manhattan skyline nearly a half century ago - has not been made a landmark already.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission now intends to make an official landmark out of the aluminum-and-glass-skinned tower, which was completed in 1961 as the bank's headquarters and is still 70 percent occupied by JPMorgan Chase & Company.

'One Chase Manhattan Plaza is among New York City's most important mid-20th-century skyscrapers,' the commission said in a statement released on Tuesday, when it voted unanimously to consider the designation, making it all but a foregone conclusion."

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

June 17 - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

June 17 - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

June 17 - Mass Transit