A textbook regular, the 38-floor Seagram Building is one of the world's finest examples of the international style. Its lead architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, was recommended for the project by Arthur Drexler, then-curator of architecture at MoMA. With its low podium, colonnade-like pillars and bronze cladding, Mies cleverly references classical Greek influences.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Midtown attractions

1. Lever House

0.06 MILES

Upon its debut in 1952, 21-story Lever House was at the height of the cutting-edge. The UN Secretariat Building was the only other skyscraper to feature a…

2. Citigroup Center

0.1 MILES

With its striking triangular-cut roof and candy-like striped facade, Hugh Stubbins' 59-story Citigroup Center signaled a shift from the flat-roof sobriety…

3. St Patrick's Cathedral

0.19 MILES

America's largest Catholic cathedral graces Fifth Ave with Gothic Revival splendor. Built at a cost of nearly $2 million during the Civil War (and spiffed…

4. 432 Park Avenue

0.21 MILES

It's a case of 'thin is in' with the arrival of this 1396ft-tall, $1.3-billion residential tower by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly. Its clean, white,…

5. Fifth Avenue

0.26 MILES

Immortalized in film and song, Fifth Ave first developed its high-class reputation in the early 20th century, when it was known for its 'country' air and…

6. Paley Center for Media

0.3 MILES

This pop-culture repository offers more than 160,000 TV and radio programs from around the world on its computer catalog. Reliving your favorite TV shows…

7. Museum of Modern Art

0.3 MILES

Superstar of the modern-art scene, MoMA's galleries are a Who’s Who of artistic heavyweights: Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Rothko,…

8. Rockefeller Center

0.33 MILES

This 22-acre 'city within a city' debuted at the height of the Great Depression, with developer John D Rockefeller Jr footing the $100-million price tag…