Destinations / New York City / Top Things to Do in New York City for Architecture Fans in Times Square
Top Things to Do in New York City for Architecture Fans in Times Square
1. One Times Square
The slender, billboard-wrapped tower that launched the New Year’s Eve ball drop anchors the crossroads of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, illustrating a century of reinvention from early 1900s newspaper HQ to media beacon.
✓ Why Go:
It’s a living case study in urban branding and adaptive reuse, where architecture merges with spectacle—perfect for analyzing how a modest shaft became a global icon through signage and skyline presence.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Blue hour into night, when LED façades animate the tower and reflections bounce off surrounding glass.
✓ Insider Tip:
For symmetrical photos, stand on the pedestrian plaza north of 43rd Street and shoot south toward the tower to frame the building amid the canyon of signs.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Visitors are awed by the building’s mythic status and light-soaked energy, even if crowds are thick.
2. Paramount Building
A 1920s skyscraper with a tiered crown and clock faces, the former Paramount Pictures HQ mixes setback massing with cinematic flair on Broadway.
✓ Why Go:
It captures the Jazz Age rise of Times Square—movie palaces, vertical advertising, and theatrical architecture converging in one emblematic tower.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Late afternoon when the sun warms the limestone and highlights upper-level setbacks.
✓ Insider Tip:
Look up from the northeast corner of Broadway and 43rd Street to see the clock and pyramidal crown in context with neighboring towers.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Architecture buffs appreciate its romantic silhouette and film-history aura amid today’s glass giants.
3. New Amsterdam Theatre
This 1903 Art Nouveau showplace on 42nd Street showcases restored terra-cotta, floral motifs, and a lavish interior that heralded Broadway’s golden age.
✓ Why Go:
It’s a rare New York example of exuberant Art Nouveau, illustrating the evolution of theater architecture from ornate palaces to modern venues.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Daytime for façade details; evenings for marquee glow and streetlife.
✓ Insider Tip:
Zoom in on the upper-story terra-cotta panels—best viewed from across 42nd Street near the mid-block crosswalk.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Visitors love its storybook ornament and the sense of Broadway nostalgia embedded in every curve.
4. One Astor Plaza
A monumental black-glass and aluminum tower rising over Times Square, this 1970s office slab integrates a Broadway theater at its base and a through-block lobby.
✓ Why Go:
It’s a primer on Modernist corporate scale meeting the entertainment district—sheer façade planes contrasted with kinetic street signage.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Mid-morning when reflective glass captures the bustle below without harsh glare.
✓ Insider Tip:
Step back along Broadway at 45th Street to appreciate the tower’s full height and crisp corners without visual clutter.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Many find it stark yet striking—an austere counterpoint to Times Square’s carnival of color.
5. 3 Times Square
A late-20th-century Times Square tower with chamfered volumes and wraparound signage, recently updated with energy-efficient systems and a brighter façade.
✓ Why Go:
It demonstrates how contemporary envelopes and media skins evolved from the district’s historic billboard culture into integrated architecture.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Dusk for LED color; overcast days are great for reading the façade geometry without harsh shadows.
✓ Insider Tip:
Stand at the southwest corner of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue to align its angled faces with adjacent towers for layered skyline shots.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Visitors note its polished, high-tech vibe and photogenic screens that feel quintessentially Times Square.
6. 4 Times Square
Among the first major green office towers in the area, this skyscraper helped spearhead the 1990s revival with high-performance systems and a distinctive crown.
✓ Why Go:
It’s a key case study in sustainable design meeting commercial spectacle at the city’s most visible intersection.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Late afternoon into evening, when the crown and signage are active and reflections deepen.
✓ Insider Tip:
From the north side of 43rd Street, angle upward to frame the crown against open sky for clean compositions.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Admired for pioneering a greener Times Square without sacrificing drama.
7. 7 Times Square
This glass-clad tower anchors the southern end of the bowtie, with a faceted corner and robust base tailored to the flows of Broadway and Seventh Avenue.
✓ Why Go:
It reveals how contemporary towers negotiate complex urban geometries—setbacks, angles, and plazas tuned to pedestrian movement.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Morning for crisp façade reads; night for neon interplay on reflective glass.
✓ Insider Tip:
Shoot from the pedestrian island at 45th Street for a clear view of the faceted corner and podium.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Praised for sleek lines and how it “belongs” to the square without overwhelming it.
8. The Knickerbocker
A Beaux-Arts landmark reborn as a hotel, with mansard rooflines, ornate stonework, and a storied past tied to John Jacob Astor IV and early Broadway society.
✓ Why Go:
It contrasts gilded-age grandeur with today’s LED glow, showing the district’s layered architectural history on a single corner.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Golden hour for sculptural shadows across the façade; evenings for marquee atmosphere.
✓ Insider Tip:
If open to the public, a quick peek into the lobby reveals contemporary detailing set against historic bones; the corner at 42nd and Broadway yields the best exterior angles.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Visitors gush over the old-world elegance and cinematic street views from the sidewalks outside.
9. Hotel Edison
An Art Deco favorite from 1931, the Edison displays zigzag motifs, etched metal, and period signage that evoke New York’s machine-age optimism.
✓ Why Go:
It’s an accessible Deco study in the heart of the Theater District, with exterior ornament and a lobby that channels vintage glamour.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Evening, when neon and canopy lighting complement the Deco details.
✓ Insider Tip:
Check the lobby murals and geometric lighting if publicly accessible; step across 47th Street for a full-facade photograph.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Loved for its time-capsule ambiance and classic Broadway feel.
10. Paramount Hotel
A late-1920s Theater District icon with a dramatic lobby and tasteful setbacks, exemplifying the transition from ornate classicism to streamlined modernity.
✓ Why Go:
It rounds out an architectural timeline—from Beaux-Arts to Deco to glass towers—within a few blocks of Times Square.
✓ Best Time to Visit:
Early evening for canopy lights and interior glow; midday for crisp exterior photography.
✓ Insider Tip:
Capture the façade from across 46th Street to see the setbacks and vertical emphasis without sign clutter.
✓ What Visitors Say:
Guests and passersby alike note the lobby drama and quintessential Broadway mood.
