The “Sky Marks Landmarks” Exhibit Soars Through the History of NYC’s Skyline

Almost six decades ago, the city began to designate skyscrapers as landmarks — beginning as early as 1966, when the Municipal Building (1 Centre St.) was christened a monument to Roman Imperial architecture. (It was also a choice 30-story space to consolidate offices for a ton of government workers.) That’s just one of the approximate 84 structures in New York City celebrated throughout a new exhibit at the Skyscraper Museum (39 Battery Pl.).  

“Sky Marks Landmarks” examines beyond the beauty of our city’s skyline, and delves into the history and negotiations that brought some of these buildings into landmark status. It also tries to land on a solid definition of just what a skyscraper is! The museum staff would be the first to tell you that one’s not easy to explain. 

“Significantly taller than a cube is a baseline, but a minimum number of stories is not,” according to the museum. “The earliest high-rises of the 1880s to 1900s that were ten to twenty stories were clearly skyscrapers in their day and so are included . . . The evolving skyline is evidence that neither the energy of the city nor its image can be frozen in time. But our landmarks should be protected and treasured.”

Admission to the exhibit is free, although the museum recommends that you RSVP in advance.

photo: Josh Katz