CBS Building, Modernist skyscraper on West 52nd Street, Manhattan, US
The CBS Building is a modernist skyscraper in Manhattan with a distinctive facade of dark granite piers alternating with gray-tinted glass windows. The structure occupies the block between 52nd and 53rd Streets along Sixth Avenue and combines an office tower with a monolithic appearance.
Architect Eero Saarinen designed the building and completed it in 1964 as the headquarters for CBS, establishing a bold new standard for modernist commercial towers. Its stark vertical design influenced how corporate buildings were conceived in subsequent decades.
The building earned the nickname Black Rock from its dark granite exterior, which became tied to the era when television networks shaped American culture. This name stuck with locals and reflects how a building's appearance can define its place in the city's collective memory.
The building sits on Sixth Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Streets in a highly accessible location with good public transit options. The surrounding open area allows visitors to view the facade from multiple angles and appreciate its geometric design.
The V-shaped granite piers create an optical illusion where the building appears as a solid dark mass from one angle but reveals extensive glass surfaces when viewed from another direction. This visual shift was intentional, making the structure seem to transform depending on where you stand.
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