Equitable Building

Manhattan, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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The Equitable Building stands at 120 Broadway in Lower Manhattan's Financial District, a 555-foot Neoclassical skyscraper completed in 1915 to designs by Ernest R. Graham, with Peirce Anderson serving as architect-in-charge. Clad in Yule marble, granite, terracotta, and brick, the 38-story structure articulates its mass in three horizontal sections—base, shaft, and capital—mirroring the classical column. Built to replace the Equitable Life Building destroyed by fire in 1912, it opened as the world's largest office building by floor area, comprising 1.2 million square feet. The building's austere, setback-free design proved controversial for blocking sunlight from surrounding streets, directly spurring Manhattan's landmark 1916 Zoning Resolution—the city's first modern building and zoning restrictions on vertical structures. The Equitable Life Insurance Company occupied only a portion until relocating in 1960. Silverstein Properties has owned and repeatedly renovated the building since 1980. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978 and a city landmark in 1996, it also contributes to the Wall Street Historic District.

Architect

Ernest R. Graham

Movement

Neoclassical architecture

Built: 1915
Type: skyscraper, office building
Materials: Yule marble, granite, terracotta, brick
Heritage: New York State Register of Historic Places listed place, New York City Landmark
Height: 164 m
Place: Manhattan, United States

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Location

40.70822, -74.01052