W New York Union Square

W New York Union Square
(2009)
Map
Former names
  • Germania Life Insurance Company Building (1911–1917)
  • Guardian Life Insurance Company Building (1917–1999)
Hotel chainW Hotels
General information
StatusOpen
TypeHotel, office
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts (original building)
European Modernism (annex)
Address50 Union Square East
201 Park Avenue South
Town or cityNew York City
CountryUnited States
Coordinates40°44′12″N 73°59′19″W / 40.73667°N 73.98861°W / 40.73667; -73.98861
Completed1911 (original building)
1961 (annex)
Renovated2000
ManagementMarriott International
Height281 feet (86 m)
Technical details
Floor count21 (original building)
4 (annex)
Lifts/elevators8
Design and construction
Architect(s)Albert D'Oench & Joseph W. Yost (original building)
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (annex)
Other information
Number of rooms270
Germania Life Insurance Company Building
New York City Landmark No. 1541, 2247
W New York Union Square is located in New York City
W New York Union Square
W New York Union Square is located in New York
W New York Union Square
W New York Union Square is located in the United States
W New York Union Square
Location50 Union Square East, New York City
Coordinates40°44′12″N 73°59′21″W / 40.73667°N 73.98917°W / 40.73667; -73.98917
Area0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built1910–1911
ArchitectAlbert D'Oench & Joseph W. Yost
Architectural styleBeaux Arts
NRHP reference No.01000556[1]
NYCL No.1541, 2247
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 25, 2001 (original building only)
Designated NYCLSeptember 6, 1988 (original building, No. 1541)[2]
November 18, 2008 (annex, No. 2247)[3]

The W New York Union Square is a 270-room, 21-story boutique hotel operated by W Hotels at the northeast corner of Park Avenue South and 17th Street, across from Union Square in Manhattan, New York. Originally known as the Germania Life Insurance Company Building, it was designed by Albert D'Oench and Joseph W. Yost and built in 1911 in the Beaux-Arts style.

The W New York Union Square building was initially the headquarters of the Germania Life Insurance Company. In 1917, when the company became the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, the building was renamed the Guardian Life Insurance Company Building. A four-story annex to the east was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and was completed in 1961. Guardian Life moved its offices out of the building in 1999, and the W New York Union Square opened the following year.

The main building, part of the hotel, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, and was designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1988. The Guardian Life annex, not part of the current hotel, was designated as a city landmark in 2007.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYCL p. 1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYCL 2008 p. 1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).