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Downtown Athletic Club · 20 West Street
Downtown Athletic Club
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Downtown Athletic Club

1937

Downtown Athletic Club

Downtown Athletic Club

IMAGE DATE1937
FromMuseum of the City of New York logoMuseum of the City of New York

In the booming prosperity of the mid-1920s, the Downtown Athletic Club abandoned its quarters in the Singer Building to establish its own, purpose-built skyscraper. This 35-story club building stacked up all of the amenities of a suburban country club including squash courts, a swimming pool, a miniature golf course, as well as a restaurant and guestrooms for overnight stays. The exterior is fittingly Spartan; only the heroically scaled entrance distinguishes the club's architecture from that of a utilitarian loft building. Dark metal decorative spandrels under the windows form vertical stripes that emphasize the height and slenderness of the tower. Large windowless areas of the façade indicate the presence of facilities such as squash courts and changing rooms. The many closely packed windows of the upper stories light the club's guestrooms. Like its neighbor, 21 West Street, the club is converting its guest facilities into condominiums.

ByThe Skyscraper Museum logoThe Skyscraper Museum
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