Chanin Building
Why it's listed
Rising 56 stories at Lexington Avenue and East 42nd Street in Manhattan, this office tower was built in 1927-29 as headquarters for the Chanin Construction Company. Sloan & Robertson designed it as a major Art Deco skyscraper, with a pyramidal base of setbacks and a tower shaped by the 1916 zoning rules. Sculptor Rene Chambellan and Jacques Delamarre of the Chanin firm created the ornament, including a bronze frieze on the story of evolution, a terra-cotta fourth story of stylized plants, and a lobby themed on the City of Opportunity. Construction took one year, and the building opened in January 1929. It was the first major skyscraper in the Grand Central area, anticipating a shift in the city's business district, and critics praised it as a splendid contribution to twentieth-century architecture. The tower is still used as an office building and remains a visual landmark of the Grand Central area.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an impressive Art Deco skyscraper whose tower massing follows the 1916 zoning rules. It was the first major skyscraper built near Grand Central Terminal, anticipating a shift in the city's business district. Its ornament, by sculptor Rene Chambellan with Jacques Delamarre, was praised on completion in 1929.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80002676, listed April 23, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 122 E. 42nd St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | April 23, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002676 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-29 |
| Architect / builder | Sloan & Robertson; built by Chanin Construction Company; sculptural ornament by Rene Chambellan with Jacques Delamarre |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated excellent and altered; still functions as an office building and headquarters of the Chanin organization, with some original storefront detail obscured and the entrance canopies altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.75129, -73.97506 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80002676.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2956104
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.