Rosario Candela
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| Rosario Candela | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rosario Candela |
| Nationality | Italian-American |
| Birth date | 1893 |
| Birth place | Palermo, Sicily |
| Date of death | 1953 |
| Work | |
| Significant Buildings | 740 Park Avenue 834 Fifth Avenue |
Rosario Candela (1890-1953) was an American architect who achieved renown through his apartment building designs in New York City, primarily during the boom years of the 1920s. He is credited with defining the city's characteristic terraced setbacks and signature penthouses.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Life
[edit] Early life and education
Born in Palermo, Sicily in 1890, Candela immigrated to New York in 1909 with his father, a plasterer. He was somehow able to gain admission to the Columbia University School of Architecture and graduated in 1915.[2] Keenly aware of his immense talents, he went so far as to erect a velvet rope around his drafting table to prevent other students from copying his designs.[3]
[edit] Career
After graduation, Candela worked briefly for another Italian architect Gaetano Ajello. After another brief stint with the firm of Fredrick Sterner, Candela set up his own practice in 1920. His first major commission was for an apartment house on 92nd and Broadway. Shortly thereafter, he received his first commission for an East Side apartment at 1105 Park Avenue.[4]. During the next five years, Candela designed a number of residential buildings on the Upper West Side, primarily on West End Avenue and Riverside Drive[4]. During this period, the West side was undergoing an intense transformation from an area of primarily single family homes to one characterized by the apartment buildings that, for the most part, still stand.
Candela's greatest work would occur during the latter half of the 1920s when he designed numerous apartment buildings on the East side, primarily on Fifth and Park avenues, as well as at Sutton Place and other locations. In 1927 and 1928, Candela designed a total of 19 apartment buildings including 960 Fifth Avenue (at 77th Street) and 720 Park Avenue (at 70th Street).[5]1929 brought even more commissions, but the housing boom had begun to slow prior to the stock market crash in October. Of 27 total designs that year, only 12 were completed. These included 740, 770, 778 and 1280 Park Avenue and 834 and 1040 Fifth Avenue.[5]
The exteriors of his buildings tended to be somewhat understated, particularly in view of some of the more exuberant styles popular during the period. However, he was considered a master of design when it came to the interiors. Many apartments were constructed as duplex residences with grand entry foyers, curved, freestanding stairways and dramatic public rooms. Some of the designs were palatial by even the considerable standards of the day. Although not initially designed for the family, the John D. Rockefeller, Junior triplex at 740 Park Avenue may be the grandest apartment in all of the city. At more than 20,000 square feet, "it had, depending on who was counting, anywhere from twenty-three to thirty-seven rooms, the discrepancy caused by such questions as whether one included hallways and foyers the size of ballrooms, servants quarters, and the fourteen bathrooms."[3].
During the Great Depression work fell off dramatically and Candela received only sporadic commissions. While the quantity declined considerably, the quality of his designs rarely suffered. During this time, he expressed his interest in codes and ciphers, publishing two books on the topic.[5] He continued his practice up until the time of his death in 1953.
[edit] Legacy
Today, Candela-designed buildings, most of which are now owned by their residents through cooperative ownership structures, represent some of the most sought after addresses in New York.
[edit] Work
[edit] Buildings
(All within New York City unless otherwise noted.)
[edit] 1920s
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[edit] 1930s
- 1220 Park Avenue, 1930
- 770 Park Avenue, 1930[9]
- 1040 Fifth Avenue, 1930
- 1021 Park Avenue, 1930
- 834 Fifth Avenue, 1930
- 1500 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 1931
- 56 Seventh Avenue, 1931
- 778 Park Avenue, 1931[9]
- 2 Beekman Place, 1932
- 3 Times Square (Rialto Theatre), 1935 (replaced by Reuters Building, 2001)
- Normandie Theatre (51 East 53rd Street), 1936 (demolished in the 1950s)
- 19 East 72nd Street, with Mott Schmidt, 1936[10]
- Regency Park, 1937
- 955 Fifth Avenue, 1938
[edit] 1940s
- 44 East 67th Street, 1941
- 135 East 54th Street, 1948
- 1 East 66th Street, 1948
[edit] 1950s
- Montclair on the Park, 1951
[edit] Projects
- 960 Fifth Avenue, with Warren & Wetmore, 1929
[edit] Books
- Candela, Rosario (1938). The Military Cipher of Commandant Bazeries — An Essay in Decrypting. New York: Cardanus Press. OCLC 814084.
- Candela, Rosario (1946). Isomorphism and Its Applications in Cryptanalytics. New York: Cardanus Press. OCLC 708605.
[edit] Resources
[edit] References
- ^ Lee, Linda (2001-10-11). CURRENTS: ARCHITECTURE; An Inside Look At Grand Apartments. The New York Times. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ Gray, Christopher (1988-09-11). Apartments by Candela: Grandest of the Grand. The New York Times. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ a b Gross, Michael (2005). 740 Park : The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building. New York: Broadway Books, 4, 38. ISBN 0385512090. OCLC 60669137.
- ^ a b Alpern, Andrew (2001). The New York Apartment Houses of Rosario Candela and James Carpenter. New York: Acanthus Press. ISBN 0926494201. OCLC 46385874. Excerpted from book review by Carter B. Horsley.
- ^ a b c Gray, Christopher (2006-02-05). A Renowned Architect's Less Renowned Designs. The New York Times.
- ^ Gray, Christopher (2004-09-05). Streetscapes: An Elegant 1920's Building at an Unshowy Address. The New York Times. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ Gray, Christopher (1990-10-21). Streetscapes: 740 Park Avenue; Repairs for a '29 Luxury Co-op. The New York Times. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ Barbanel, Josh (2006-11-09). A Classic Candela With a Storied Past, but Few Takers. The New York Times. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ a b Gray, Christopher (2003-06-08). Streetscapes: 770 and 778 Park Avenue, at 73rd Street; Fraternal-Twin Examples of East Side Superluxury. The New York Times. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ Gray, Christopher (1996-09-29). A 30's Building Where the Duplex Was King. The New York Times. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Rosario Candela listing in Emporis Buildings
