Solow Building

Solow Building
Seen from 5th Avenue and 59th Street
General information
Type	Commercial offices
Location	9 West 57th Street Manhattan, New York, US
Coordinates	40°45′50″N 73°58′29″W / 40.76389°N 73.97472°W / 40.76389; -73.97472
Construction started	1970
Completed	1972
Opening	1972
Owner	Stefan Soloviev
Management	Soloviev Group
Height
Roof	689 ft (210 m)
Technical details
Floor count	50
Floor area	1.4×10^6 sq ft (130,064 m2)
Lifts/elevators	34[1]
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Gordon Bunshaft Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Developer	Solow Building Corporation
Structural engineer	Weidlinger Associates

The Solow Building, also known as 9 West 57th Street, is a skyscraper in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1974 and designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it is west of Fifth Avenue between 57th and 58th Streets, overlooking the Plaza Hotel and Central Park. The building measures 689 feet (210 m) tall with 50 stories. 9 West 57th Street was developed by Sheldon Solow, who named the building after himself and continued to manage and own the building until his death in 2020. Since then, it has been owned by his son Stefan Soloviev.

The Solow Building's north and south facades curve inward from ground level to the 18th floor, where the tower rises upward to the 50th story. The north and south walls are made of gray-tinted glass, while the west and east facades are clad in travertine. The design was largely criticized upon the building's completion, with many architectural critics regarding the building as a disruptive presence on the skyline. There is a travertine plaza at ground level, with a red sculpture of the digit "9" on the 57th Street side. The first floor contains a private art collection and the basement includes the Brasserie 8 1/2 restaurant. The building contains about 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m²) of rentable space.

Solow acquired the building's site in the 1960s from numerous owners, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which had originally planned its own skyscraper at the site. Construction of the Solow Building commenced in 1969, and Avon Products took up a third of the space, becoming the major tenant. Since opening, the Solow Building's office stories have been occupied for some of the highest rates in the city, being rented largely to law and financial firms. The lower stories were less successful; the basement was unused until 2000, when Brasserie 8 1/2 opened there. During his lifetime, Solow was obstinate about several aspects of the building's operation, and he was involved in several lawsuits against tenants.