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Rockefeller Guest House

1950 establishments in New York CityHouses completed in 1950Houses in ManhattanModernist architecture in New York CityMuseum of Modern Art (New York City)
New York City Designated Landmarks in ManhattanPhilip Johnson buildingsRockefeller family residencesTurtle Bay, ManhattanUse mdy dates from April 2021
Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Guest House, NYC, NY
Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Guest House, NYC, NY

The Rockefeller Guest House is a building at 242 East 52nd Street in the East Midtown and Turtle Bay neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. Situated on the southern sidewalk of 52nd Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, it was designed by Philip C. Johnson and completed in 1950. The residence was constructed as a guest house for philanthropist Blanchette Rockefeller, who was married to John D. Rockefeller III. It was Johnson's only design of a private residence within New York City. The two-story building contains a symmetrical facade of brick at ground level and glass above. The first story is made of dark red brick in Flemish bond. The second story is made of six translucent glass panels divided by four steel bars. Johnson designed the interior of the guest house with a living and dining room facing 52nd Street, as well as a bedroom in the rear. These are separated by an outdoor garden with a pool, separated from either room by fully glazed walls. Johnson was hired to design the guest house in 1948 for Blanchette Rockefeller, who wanted a separate building to store her modern art collection, as her husband did not appreciate modern art. The house was constructed from 1949 to 1950 and initially hosted many functions for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), for which Blanchette Rockefeller was a patron. The house was donated to MoMA in 1955 and was then occupied by several residents, including Johnson himself between 1971 and 1979. The Rockefeller Guest House was sold in 1989, becoming the first house to be sold at an art auction in New York City. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Rockefeller Guest House as an official landmark in 2000.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Rockefeller Guest House (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Rockefeller Guest House
East 52nd Street, New York Manhattan

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N 40.7562 ° E -73.9684 °
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East 52nd Street 242
10022 New York, Manhattan
New York, United States
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Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Guest House, NYC, NY
Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Guest House, NYC, NY
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Sutton Place Synagogue
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