The Seagram Building

When I was hunting down red subway stations the other day, I passed one of my favorite buildings in midtown; the Seagram Building.

Long ago when New York was wilder, I was a foot messenger.  I always admired this building. Although it was so similar to its neighbors, it was more elegant and pleasing to look at.  I did not realize until later that it was THE Seagram Building of Mies Van Der Rohe.  This was because my image of the building came from my art history book and looked like this:

At the ground level, the plaza is the most important element and the building's monolithic presence fades

I was particularly fond of the fountains with a calming presence that would soothe out the activity from Park Avenue.

I would sit on the low marble wall and (probably) roll a cigarette, watching the water touch the edges.

 It is sad that this building inspired so many mediocre copies.