The San Remo, Manhattan, NY, 1930

For anyone who has ever taken a stroll around the Great Lawn in Central Park, or picnicked on Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, the distinctive silhouette of the San Remo Apartments, each of its twin towers crowned with a Roman-style temple ringed by Corinthian columns, is an iconic element of the Central Park West skyline.

Central Park West, New York, and the San Remo Apartments at sunset. Photo by Henry Hemming.

Advertised as “the Aristocrat of Central Park West” when it was completed in 1930, the San Remo was a dramatic addition to a boulevard where private residences as well as hotels were rapidly being torn down in favor of soaring new apartment houses.2 In fact, the San Remo is named after a hotel that occupied the spot since the late nineteenth century. The hotel, which was only ten-story high was considered unremarkable as opposed to the majestic apartment house that now covers the entire blockfront on the avenue between 74^th and 75^th streets. It was the first twin-towered building to rise in New York, setting a precedent for three other twin-towered apartment buildings that arose later on, on the same avenue.

 

Central Park West skyline as seen from across The Lake in Central Park.

This innovative idea (at the time) of creating the first twin-towered skyscraper, was designed by the eminent architect Emery Roth. It was based on principles of efficient planning.1 In the Spring of 1929, after the passing of the Multiple Dwelling Act, residential buildings could now rise higher than they previously did, as long as there was an increased size of yards and courts. New residential buildings were also allowed to rise as high as nineteen stories, however, eleven additional stories could be added onto them as long as the building covered a ground of at least 30,000 square feet. The law also permitted towers, so long as they didn’t cover over twenty percent of the site, and setbacks of 70 feet were required on all sides. With these requisites at hand, Roth designed an astonishingly original approach to apartment house design. The San Remo met these requirements which allowed his design to not only be possible, but also desirable.

Like his previous work of the Beresford, the San Remo offers a unique profile to the Central Park West skyline. However, both are very much different, as they barely resemble each other and give off individual ambiances. The first three floors of the San Remo building serve as the base of the structure, covered in rusticated limestone and provide two entrances along the Central Park West avenue as its focal points. However, both entrances are connected at the main lobby of the corresponding tower apartments above. The exterior of the entrances are framed by two-story arches surmounted by giant cartouches and garlands set within curved broken pediments.  The sides of the entrances are flat classical pilasters which attached to them are bronze and smoked glass lanterns exemplifying the style of the thriving Art Deco of the time.

Southern most entrance on CPW to the San Remo Apartments.

Below the twin towers of the San Remo stands a 17 story high superstructure regulated by setbacks on the fourteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth floors. These setbacks serve as terraces for the existing apartments on those levels. Rising throughout the entire height of the super structure are shallow grooves that emphasize the building’s elegant verticality.  Terra-cotta ornament, in the form of classical loggias, is carefully applied to the facades, providing an interesting and visually pleasing exterior. The ten-story towers sprung up from this superstructure are also embellished with classical terra-cotta ornament. 

Shallow grooves run vertically through the structure. Terra cotta ornaments sparingly applied to the facades.
Corners protrude on the twin towers.

The corners of the towers protrude, leading the viewer’s eye to the top of the towers which are finished with circular, Roman-style temples ringed by 16ft high Corinthian columns, ultimately topped by green copper lanterns with bright beacons that are visible from across the park. As opposed to the Beresford, the roof design of the San Remo offers a more religious and lyrical environment to viewers from all angles.

Each floor within the superstructure was uniquely organized to accommodate their first occupants, therefore each floor plan is different. However, what is similar is that every living room was provided with a wood-burning fireplace, that actually never worked properly. Most bedrooms were provided with their own bathrooms, each kitchen had its own butler’s pantry, and both areas where covered in floor-ceiling white ceramic tiles. One or more maid’s room were built next to the kitchen and service area. Essentially, each apartment was very spacious offering enough ventilation and allowing the spaces to be infiltrated with enough sunlight.

The San Remo Apartments: plan of nine-room apartment on sixteenth floor.

In 1940, the San Remo, along with the Beresford, after experiencing critical economic difficulties, were sold, together, for a combined price of $25,000. Realtors described the event as: “It was sort of like buying the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth for pocket change.”1 Nevertheless, today, a two-bedroom apartment in San Remo sells for a minimum of $3,500,000, representing the luxurious lifestyle and atmosphere of what we New Yorkers call, the Upper West Side.
                           

1 Ruttenbaum, Steven. Mansions in the Clouds: The Skyscraper Palazzi of Emery Roth. New York, NY: Balsam, 1986. Print.

2 Freeman Gill, John. "THE ARISTOCRAT OF CENTRAL PARK WEST - Avenue Magazine." Avenue Magazine., 01 Apr. 2016. Web.

3 "The San Remo, 145 Central Park West - NYC Apartments." CityRealty. Web. <https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/central-park-west/the-san-remo-145-central park-west/2029>.