Daily News Building

Hidden within the energetic pulse of East 42nd Street, the Daily News Building stands as a monument to Art Deco ambition. Constructed between 1928 and 1930, the Daily News Building served as the headquarters for the New York Daily News. It is here, amidst the towering giants of Midtown Manhattan, that a story of architectural innovation and journalistic endeavor unfolds. The Daily News Building, commissioned by Joseph Medill Patterson, the founder of the New York Daily News, was designed by architects Raymond Hood and John Mead Howells. Patterson, seeking an efficient and visually striking design, initially resisted the idea of a skyscraper. However, Hood’s persistent presentations of various models convinced him that a tower was the most practical solution. This led to the creation of the 36-story, 476-foot tall Daily News Building we see today. The building’s facade is a testament to Hood’s distinctive Art Deco style. Vertical window bays, separated by white brick walls and multicolored brick patterns, create a visually arresting striped effect. The main entrance on 42nd Street features a carved granite inscription of “The News” and a bas-relief with figures and the intriguing phrase, “He Made So Many of Them.” This quote, attributed to Abraham Lincoln, pays homage to the common people, the readership of the Daily News. Stepping inside the Daily News Building is like stepping into another world. The lobby rotunda houses a marvel that once captivated thousands of visitors annually: a massive rotating globe. Housed beneath a black glass-domed ceiling, the globe, 12 feet in diameter, stands as a symbol of the newspaper’s global perspective. Surrounding the globe, a compass is etched into the terrazzo floor, along with the names of major cities and their distances from New York. Clocks and weather charts adorn the walls, offering a glimpse into the world’s diverse time zones. The Daily News Building wasn’t just a visual spectacle; it was a functional workspace. The lower floors originally housed the printing plant, with its massive presses and circulation departments, while the upper floors served as office spaces. Interestingly, Hood prioritized practicality in his design. He chose vertical window bays due to the ease with which they could be divided into offices, reflecting the utilitarian approach that marked his architectural philosophy. The Daily News Building’s story extends beyond its initial construction. In the late 1950s, an 18-story annex was added to the east, expanding the building’s footprint and providing more office space. This expansion, designed by Harrison & Abramovitz, echoed the original structure’s vertical stripes, ensuring a harmonious blend of old and new. Even after the Daily News vacated the building in 1995, the Daily News Building continued to attract tenants. Today, it is home to various organizations, including WPIX-TV, NewsNation’s New York bureau, and several non-profit organizations. The Daily News Building’s innovative design, coupled with its rich history, has solidified its place as an architectural icon. It stands as a reminder of a time when newspapers reigned supreme and of the visionaries who dared to reach for the sky.