Rockefeller Center, Art Deco building complex in Midtown Manhattan, United States
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings on 22 acres (8.9 ha) between 48th and 51st Streets in Midtown Manhattan. Its 14 original Art Deco towers, clad in Indiana limestone, are rectangular slabs aligned to maximize sunlight, with 30 Rockefeller Plaza rising 259.1 m over 70 floors. A sunken plaza and Rockefeller Plaza split the site.
Construction of the complex began in the early 1930s as a private project by John D. Rockefeller Jr. that employed thousands during the Great Depression. The site grew in several phases, with additional buildings added over the following decades.
The name Rockefeller Center was formally adopted in December 1931, after the family's publicity adviser Ivy Lee argued it would draw tenants; John D. Rockefeller Jr. had resisted it. The sunken Lower Plaza, intended as a shop entrance, became an ice rink in 1936 to draw customers during the Depression. Paul Manship's gilded Prometheus statue stands before it.
The main entrance on Fifth Avenue leads directly to the central plazas, while several entry points from surrounding streets provide access to different sections. Visitors can freely explore the public spaces, including the lower levels with shops and dining areas.
The observation deck at 30 Rockefeller Plaza features three levels with no glass barriers on the top platform, allowing visitors to experience the air and sounds of the city directly. The studios within the building produce several television shows, some of which admit audiences.
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