Rosario Candela played a major role in shaping the architectural legacy of 20th-century Manhattan: the distinctive "prewar apartment buildings that define the cityscapes of streets like Park and Fifth Avenues and Sutton Place." Even today, almost a century after they were built, Candela's buildings rank among the most prized in the city.

1 Sutton Place, July 6, 1927. Architect Rosario Candela and the firm Cross and Cross designed this 13-story Italian Renaissance building in 1927. The structure was funded by the Phipps family, former Pittsburgh steel barons. Though Phipps was known for funding lower- and middle-income housing, this building was created for the city's elite, who were moving east from their former massive mansions on Fifth Avenue. The large three- and four-bedroom apartments and private river-facing garden attracted wealthy residents, as the rest of Sutton Place became a street of exclusive addresses. Practicality and exclusivity came together in many Candela-designed buildings. The prime building in the Sutton Place enclave along the East River in midtown Manhattan, 1 Sutton Place South featured a porte-cochère for cars and people behind a trio of two-story arches.

Rosario Candela played a major role in shaping the architectural legacy of 20th-century Manhattan. Candela's elegant yet understated high rises created the look of New York urbanism between the world wars. This walking tour takes you through some of Candela's iconic buildings on the Upper East Side.