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American International Building
 

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View from the southeast - 2006-4-29 (482121)
(c) John W. Cahill
 
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South side - 2006-4-29 (607628)
(c) David Guija
 
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Identification
Official name American International Building
Alternative names *
Emporis Building Number 114432
NYC Building ID Number *
 
Location
Address *
Bordering street #1 Cedar Street
Bordering street #2 Pearl Street
Bordering street #3 Pine Street
Postcode *
Exact Latitude *
Exact Longitude *
Location Map (POI) *
Block Number *
Lot Number *
Neighborhood Financial District
Borough Manhattan
City New York City
State New York
Country U.S.A.
 
Technical Data
Height (tip) *
Height (struct.) 290 m 952 ft
Height (roof) *
Floors (OG) 66
Construction start *
Construction end 1932
GFA *
UFA *
Elevators *
Escalators *
 
Building in General
Type of construction skyscraper
Architectural style *
Status completed

Facts
- World headquarters of American Int'l Group.
- The 70 Pine Street Building is constructed of portal framing.
- The limestone-clad tower sets back to a white-coloured top, like a snow cap on a mountain. The "mountain" had an open-air platform with an enclosed glass observatory above, offering undoubtedly the best views of Downtown before being closed from public.
- The observatory at the top is still used, albeit only as an executive oasis during lunch hours.
- This Gothic-like, spire-topped skyscraper was the tallest building in the Downtown area until the completion of the World Trade Center.
- Originally equipped with double-decker elevators -- ie. ones that serve two floors at the time -- in order to provide sufficient vertical service for the narrow tower, these were nevertheless removed due to their unpopularity. The Citigroup Center, however, adopted the idea in the 1970s, to maximize the core usage as well as an energy-conscious choice.
- American International was the last skyscraper to be built in Financial District in the pre-WW II years. It took until 1961 that another tall skyscraper rose to the area, in the form of the One Chase Manhattan Plaza.
- The 66th-floor observatory is now a private domain for executive employees of the American International Group.

Companies involved in this Building*
Architect: Holton & George , Clinton & Russell

Other companies: American International Group, Cities Service Company, James Stewart & Company, EDSA, AK Productions LLC, Bethlehem Steel Company.