601 Lex becomes city’s youngest landmarked building

You don’t look a day over 39!

The former Citicorp Center at 601 Lexington Avenue is the city’s youngest landmark building after the Landmarks Preservation Commission put the Boston Properties and Norges Bank tower on a list of properties that now numbers 50 in the Midtown East area.

“The Citicorp Tower’s distinctive features make it one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in New York City,” the commission’s chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said in a statement. “Today we ensured that future generations will enjoy this irreplaceable part of our skyline.”

The Landmarks Preservation Commission two weeks ago voted unanimously to designate 11 Midtown East buildings including the Hampton Shops Building, Pershing Square and the Hotel Lexington – a priority for preservationists ahead of the neighborhood’s expected rezoning, Curbed reported.

Boston Properties purchased a controlling stake in the 1.6 million-square-foot tower from Citicorp in 2001 for $755 million. The REIT reached an agreement with Norges in 2014 to sell a 45 percent interest in the tower for $1.5 billion. Major tenants include the law firm Kirkland and Ellis, Citibank and the Blackstone Group [TRDataCustom].

Hugh A. Subbins & Associates designed the 59-story building, which was constructed between 1973 and 1978. Its most distinctive features include its 45-degree roof and the four columns at its base that allow the tower to cantilever over the adjacent Saint Peter’s Church – a design feature that was a condition of the skyscraper’s development. [Curbed] – Rich Bockmann