20 Exchange Place
New York, USA

HEIGHT: 226m/741 feet
FLOORS: 57 floors
COMPLETION: 1931
ARCHITECT: Cross & Cross

was built 1930-1931 for the City Bank Farmers Trust Company.
When designed in 1929, the building was originally planned to have a pyramidal top, as well as a notably taller tower, but eventually the Depression forced changes to the plans: the original top floor arrangement was altered and the builders had to be content with an actual height of 226 m. (On the other hand, had the original plans been followed, by the time the building was completed in 1931, even its planned height would most definitely have been already surpassed.)

The strongly chamfered, 54-storey shaft of the building doubles the form of the 15-storey base, although the latter is also slightly trapezoidal, following the shape of the plot. The building is clad in white Alabama limestone, with the mid-portions of elevations formed by brickwork that has long since lost its original white colour.

Exterior decor includes sculptured themes as well as engraved details of historic or merely decorative nature.

The bronze doors are decorated with images of transport vehicles and the domed lobby has gold-toned travertine floor and a wealth of marble, mosaics and paintings. Sculptor David Evans created ideological and decorative items of bronze and nickel for the lobby.

The building was originally connected across Exchange Place to the 55 Wall Street with a covered -- and later removed -- walkbridge (link).
The building houses 67,000 m² of space and is now part of the Witkoff Group's roster.

http://www.greatgridlock.net/NYC_Images/139.jpg

http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v156/AtlanticaC5/20Ex.jpg

http://www.wirednewyork.com/images/city_bank_farmers_trust_sculptures.jpg

http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v156/AtlanticaC5/20Exc.jpg

http://www.greatgridlock.net/NYC_Images/517.jpg

I like this one - the colours and the little setbacks at the top are nice. 8/10

it's cool. And the facade isn't that good.

6/10

8.5/10

I love it. Very slender and well proportioned with interesting details.

9/10 - Another nice Art Deco confection - I like the slim, graceful tower, the striking contrast between the light and dark stone along the facade, the way the lower setbacks rotate, and the ornamental details - it seems to flow together very well

Aside from the fact that no other building looks like this (and that's in a good way, not in a Ryugyong Hotel kind of way), this building implements many of the best styles of the times, such as the wonderful detailing and stramlines on the lower half, as well as throughout the tower. As long as this building stands to create a roadblock along William Street, all will be alright in Lower Manhattan.

Plus, that array at the top just looks cool.

8.5 (Though I voted an 8.0 a while ago)

9/10

Very unique facade and shape.

Beautiful designs and statues on the building.
8

yeah i really like the "pharoah" like statues on the base of the tower .. . . 7.5/10 for age;)

8/10 1930's NYC building usually means great building, and this one is no exception.

You just gotto love these oldies from New York!
8.5/10

i love it i love it i love it!!!!

This building is pretty cool, I just hate the top!!! 8.0/10

6.5

Super : The art-deco style is very bright!

8.5/10

10 Oh my, this slender beast is a beauty! Love that contrast of the light stone and dark stone... what a gorgeous facade! 1930's art deco rules all... this building is brilliant... you won't find stuff like this anymore... what ornate craftsmanship... those pharaoh heads are amazing...

I love those NYC oldies. Just awesome...:) --> 9/10

This is one of my favourite buildings in NYC. Too bad the floor plates are too small for people to work in today. The art deco style at the bottom makes it look dramatic, like Gotham City in a Batman movie. 8/10

6/10

I like art deco...but this one...something seems to be wrong with it..from afar it actually looks...er..industrial?? 7/10.

7

A very nice building...looks a bit like a castletower. 8.5/10

not one of the good art deco srcapers 5/10

i like i like:yes:
7.5/10

facade: ok
form: great!
points: 9

7/10 i like the setbacks, but not so much on the design.

Beautiful design
9/10

Another Manhattan's classic.......

8/10

The two-tone aspect makes it look too slim, reminding me of a lighthouse of some sort.

Still a 7/10

6/10

not my type

a bit too skinny, and they need an art deco roof to it. the building looks rather incomplete at the top. the details are interesting though.

7.5

i love the sculptures that are shown in the last pic...........this building deservers a 9

9

Great classic design. Love the twisting base, setbacks and color. It's different and I appreciate that. It would look great in Detroit too!

6.5/10

very thin,but still 8/10

I love almost all of New York's older skyscrapers (pre-1940s), but there's something about this one that doesn't seem right.

6/10

9,5/10 - Nice classic skyscraper

It's ok 7.5

Absolutely nice tower. 8.5

9.5
Modern skyscrapers may be shiny and glassy but how can they compete with the details of the old art deco scrapers. I love this one :)

Well it is very alright in my book I can't absolutely love it though because it just seems to be missing something. 9/10

7/10

it's slim and i love the details;)

8/10

6/10

6...

Another great building from the historic side of New York City. I give it an 8.5/10. :okay:

8/10

8.

7.5/10

I like it apart from the dark colour of the facade in some parts.It's a shame that the top was never concluded though.

dreadful 4/10

Not one of my favourites of this period in NY...7/10:

I have always found this to be the most appealing of Lower Manhattans towers. 10!

Another nice NYC art deco classic. But not one of my favourites. 8,5/10

9/10.

8/10

8/10

Beautiful! 8/10

8/10

i don{t like it 5/10

8/10

8/10

6/10

8/10

Very unique

Old but still alive and living...8.5

I love how the tower and the podium are not aligned from some angles. Also those statues overlooking the street as well as the darker shades of stone give it a very Gotham feel. The roof looks to be a bit of a mess with antennas and other stuff that doesn't belong there :-(
8.5

7/10

A 10

A woderful Art Deco tower of a time long gone....this along with 40 wall st and 60 wall st redifened the lower manhattan skyline to the world!

http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/1d/images.art.com/images/PRODUCTS/large/10036000/10036788.jpg

http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/1d/images.art.com/images/PRODUCTS/large/10293000/10293911.jpg

It's one of the many unlooked scrapers of NYC. It'sthe bomb though 10/10.

7/10

I generally like art deco, I dont really like this one a lot 7/10

One of the NYC classics. The old brand are well built and here to last for the ages. Many times copied but never replaced.

8.5/10

5,5/10

9/10

4/10

7,5/10

7/10

an old tower with modern look: 8.5/10

4/10

9/10

5/10

Not one of my fav art deco towers 7.5/10

6/10

7 / 10

6.5 :ohno:

5/10

maybe sometimes art deco wouldn't work. like in this case. it's pretty nice but could've been better. 6/10

6/10

7.5/10

Nah don't like it. 5 out of 10.

6.5/10

its ok

7/10

8/10

elegant 8.5/10

5/10

7/10

8/10

4/10

7/10

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/1788/nyc1vi9.jpg

7/10

9/10

classy

7/10

7.

8/10

Note: It has just been reported that the black bricks of 20 Exchange Place are currently being restored to their original white colour. The top 41 floors of this building may be converted into residential use soon.

7.5/10

Its slim but thats really all there is, 5/10

6/10

7.5/10

6.5/10

In this building at one time weren't a few films shot?:)

7/10

5.5

7.5/10

7.5/10

Not bad
8/10

3,5/10

5/10

cool building. 8.5/10.

8/10

Nice body, ugly antenna

Nice desing 8/10

8. Good building. Regards.

8.5/10

7/10

A personal favorite: Neo-Gothic meets Art Deco on the tip of Manhattan. 9

From http://commons.wikimedia.org

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/20_Exchange_Place_Tower_111.JPG/450px-20_Exchange_Place_Tower_111.JPG

10/10:)

5.5

voted 8.5/10

i love it!:)
9/10

9/10

Beautiful classic skyscraper.

6/10

7/10

Another great Art-Déco-skyscraper in New York City. 9/10

9.5/10 Love that base. Ornamentation & decoration needs to make a comeback...

7/10

10/10, fantastic art-déco example. ;)

7.5

7.5/10

6/10

A real classic! 8.5/10

8.5/10

10/10

7/10

8/10

6/10

Simply beautiful! :)

9/10

9/10

art decó 10/10

10/10 Gotham City..need I say more :) I love art deco, the New Yorker way.

7/10

7/10