Rockefeller Center:
Art, Architecture and Gardens
STORY & PHOTOS BY
LORRAINE BERTAN
If you have a passion for art and
architecture, Rockefeller Center
is the place to visit.
The Channel Gardens of the
upper plaza of Rockefeller Center
reflect the native plants of New
York City which flourished well
before 1801 when the physician/
botanist David Hosack created the
Elgin Botanic Garden on 20 acres
of the future Rockefeller Center.
Many of the original plants from
that garden no longer grow in New
York City, and the new plantings
reflect the flora of the Hudson
Valley and the Adirondacks, like
paper birch, willow, mountain laurel.
The Channel Gardens contain
reflecting pools, and become the
background for sculpture, like the
work of Kiki Smith, “Rest Upon,”
and Jaume Plensa, “Behind the
Walls.”
The current art exhibition at
Rockefeller Center is the Frieze
Sculpture, showing the works of
Paolo Nazareth, Jose Davila, Joan
Miro, Sarah Sze, Pedro Reyes,
Aaron Curry, Nick Cave, Rochelle
Goldberg, Ibrahim Mahama,
Gochka Macuga and Walter De
Maria. The exhibit is curated by
Brett Littman, director of the Isamu
Noguchi Garden and Museum
Foundation in Long Island City.
The Elgin Botanic Garden founder,
David Hosack, was a physician
trained at Columbia University
where he was a professor. Living
in New York City, he treated the
dueling wound suffered by the
son of Alexander Hamilton, and
also treated the dueling wound of
Alexander Hamilton, neither of
which were successful. Eventually
the Elgin Botanic Garden became
too costly and was taken over by
Columbia University, and in 1928
was leased to John D. Rockefeller
for the construction of Rockefeller
Center.
Construction began in 1931
during the Great Depression and
was greeted with great enthusiasm.
There are 19 buildings on
the 22-acre site, and 14 buildings
are in the Art Deco style, featuring
geometric motifs and highly colored
limestone carvings using steel, plastic
and glass in the facades. Radio
“Progress” facade on 14 West 49
Street
“Behind the Walls” by Jaume
Plensa
City Music Hall and 30 Rock are
examples of Art Deco. The decorative
arts were very important to
the Rockefeller family, and in addition
to financing the construction
of Rockefeller Center, the family
contributed to the ornamentation
of the buildings. Indiana limestone
was extensively used for the reliefs
on the Art Deco buildings.
The planning of Rockefeller
Center addressed two aspects;
architecture and art, and achieved
spectacular results. The gilded
bronze statue of Prometheus, by
Paul Manship, 1934, is the iconic
symbol of Rockefeller Center at the
west end of the lower plaza. It is
18 feet tall and weighs eight tons.
It was cast at the Roman Bronze
Works in Queens. The bronze statue
of Atlas, 45 feet high, by Lee
Lawrie, 1937, faces Fifth Avenue
on the east. Paul Manship, an
American from Mississippi, studied
in Europe and was interested in
mythology and admired Art Deco,
and his statues surrounding the
plaza in Rockefeller Center reflect
those themes. The inscription in the
granite wall behind the Prometheus
state reads: "Prometheus, teacher
in every art, brought the fire that
hath proved to mortals a means to
mighty ends,” from Aeschylus.
The following photos show the
Channel Gardens and accompanying
sculpture, “Rest Upon,” by Kiki
Smith. The large white face with
hands covering the eyes is “Behind
the Walls” by Jaume Plensa. The
bronze statue is “Maiden” by Paul
Manship and appears in front of the
Prometheus state flanking the ice
skating rink. Even the sandstone
pavement shows aesthetic attention
to details.
Rockefeller Center is located
between 5th and 6th Avenues
from 48th to 51st Streets. For more
information, visit www.rockefellercenter.
com.
“News” by Isamu Noguchi
“Rest Upon” by Kiki Smith “Maiden” by Paul Manship
38 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ August 2019
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