Solow Building

Manhattan, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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ReferenceCTBUH Skyscraper Center↗

The Solow Building at 9 West 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan is a 50-story, 210-meter International Style skyscraper designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and completed in 1974. Developed and named by Sheldon Solow, who retained ownership until his death in 2020, the building features a distinctive curved silhouette on its north and south facades from ground level to the 18th floor, where the tower then rises straightward to the top. The gray-tinted glass walls on these curved sides contrast with travertine cladding on the west and east facades. A travertine plaza anchors the ground level, marked by a red sculpture of the digit "9." Though initially criticized by architectural reviewers as a disruptive presence on the skyline, the building has proven highly successful as office space, attracting law and financial firms and containing approximately 1.5 million square feet of rentable area. The basement remained vacant until 2000, when the Brasserie 8 1/2 restaurant opened there, while the first floor houses a private art collection.