GE Building
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The GE Building is a slim gothic skyscraper and the focal point at the beautiful Rockefeller Center. At 850ft (259m) with 70 floors, it is the 7th tallest building in New York City, New York and the 30th tallest in the United States. The GE Building, built in 1933 was originally called the RCA Building, however it changed its name after General Electric (GE) acquired RCA in 1986.
The GE Building is one of the most famous and recognized skyscrapers in New York. When built, the exterior was a work of art. The vertical detailing of the building's austere Art Deco facade is integrated with a slim, functionally expressive form. Now, the exterior is recognized for the big GE letters on the very top and its famous marquee at the building's entrance often seen on TV shows such as Seinfeld. Unlike most other tall Art-Deco buildings constructed in the 1930's, the GE Building has no spire on its roof.
It is also well known for tenanting NBC Studios and the NBC Headquarters, which is owned by GE. The top floor of the building is an event room and restaurant named the Rainbow Room which was just recently reopened to the public. When under construction in 1932, is where the famous photo Lunchtime atop a skyscraper was taken.
Below the GE Building is a shopping concourse. One of the first escalators provided access to the small shopping mall from the lobby. The open lobby was the first of its time and rich materials, reduced black and beige ornamental scheme is enhanced by dramatic lighting. Granite covers the building base to a height of 4ft (1.2m), and the shaft has a refined facade of Indiana limestone with aluminum spandrel panels.
The observation deck atop the skyscraper is being prepared to reopen to the public by Fall 2005, after it had been closed since 1986 to accomodate for the renovation of the Rainbow Room. The deck will offer sightseerers a bird's eye view of the city, competing with the 86th floor observatory of the Empire State Building.
In 1985 the GE Building was given official landmark status. Some of its nicknames include The Slab and 30 Rock.
Its official address is 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112
NBC Studios Productions in the GE Building
- NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
- Dateline NBC
- NBC Sports
- WNBC Channel 4 (the network's flagship station)
- The John Walsh Show
- The Caroline Rhea Show
- Saturday Night Live
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien
- Last Call with Carson Daly
(*The Today Show has been produced at a ground-level windowed studio across 49th Street from the GE Building since the mid-1990s; it was previously broadcast from inside the skyscraper)