Lever House 1952

Lever House, designed by Gordon Bunshaft and Natalie de Blois of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, brought a new corporate architectural style to Midtown Manhattan. The international-style skyscraper was one of the first in New York to have a glass curtain wall, which meant that the walls were held up by the buildings instead of the other way around. Because the Lever Company produced soap, they wanted a building that could easily be kept shiny and clean. With its steel frame, the tower reaches 24 stories and sits on a base. Lever House also incorporates public spaces in its plan, with a plaza under the base and garden above. The sculptor Isamu Noguchi collaborated with Bunshaft to create the garden. The plaza and lobby have been used as a gallery space for contemporary artists like Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.