Manufacturers Trust Company Building
| Manufacturers Trust Company Building | |
|---|---|
Front of the building (2013) | |
Interactive map of the Manufacturers Trust Company Building area | |
| Former names | Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company Building |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | International Style |
| Location | 510 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′15″N 73°58′51″W / 40.7541°N 73.9809°W |
| Construction started | 1953 |
| Completed | 1954 |
| Owner | Reuben Brothers |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 (+1 basement) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Charles Evans Hughes III and Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| Known for | First bank building in the United States to be built in the International Style |
| Designated | October 21, 1997 |
| Reference no. | 1968 |
| Designated entity | Exterior |
| Designated | February 15, 2011 |
| Reference no. | 2467 |
| Designated entity | First- and second-story interior |
The Manufacturers Trust Company Building, also known as 510 Fifth Avenue, is a commercial building at the southwest corner of West 43rd Street and Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Opened in 1954, it is the first bank building in the United States to be built in the International Style. Charles Evans Hughes III and Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) designed the building for the Manufacturers Trust Company. The structure has four full stories, a penthouse, and a basement. The facade is made largely of glass panes and aluminum mullions. The first story includes a door for the bank vault, designed by Henry Dreyfuss and visible from the street. The second story, recessed from the facade, has a luminous ceiling. The building's height and design were influenced by a lease restriction that prohibited the construction of a taller building on a portion of the site. A smaller penthouse rises above the fourth story.
The building was commissioned by Manufacturers Trust in 1944; the original plan was designed by Walker & Gillette and canceled in 1948. Walker & Poor was hired in 1950 to modify the original proposal but was replaced with consulting architect SOM. The building was instantly popular upon its opening, becoming one of Manufacturers Trust's busiest branches and a tourist attraction in itself. Manufacturers Trust's successor, Chase Bank, sold the building in 2000 to Tahl-Propp Equities. After Vornado Realty Trust bought the building in 2010, the Chase branch closed that year. SOM renovated 510 Fifth Avenue in 2012, converting it into a commercial structure, and Reuben Brothers acquired the property in 2023.
The building was praised for the design of its facade, ceiling lighting, and visible vault door, and the design inspired other bank buildings erected in the 1950s and 1960s. The building's facade was designated as an official landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1997, and its interior was similarly designated in 2011.