Base

On 43rd Street, the first two stories are made of rusticated blocks of limestone. The ground level is divided into sixteen vertical bays, twelve of which contain segmental arches with rusticated voussoirs.^[12] The arches formerly contained loading docks, most of which were converted to storefronts in a 2006 renovation. The piers between each bay, which also date to the 2006 renovation, contain globe-shaped lamps.^[24] The second story has thirteen bays of windows, mostly corresponding with the ground-story arches; the easternmost bay corresponds to a doorway rather than an arch. Seven of these bays contain two windows with a shared window sill, while the other six bays have one window with a sill.^{[lower-alpha 1]} A frieze with a shell design, as well as a cornice, run above the second-story windows.^[12]

The bays containing the building's main entrance (the 8th to 11th bays from west) are designed in a different manner at the ground and second stories. The main entrance is off center and was previously three bays wide;^[12] the leftmost (8th) bay was added in 2006.^[24] The 9th and 10th bays contain doorways recessed into stone porticos. The 11th bay contains a revolving door surrounded by six windows at the ground level.^[12] The 8th bay is designed in a similar manner to the 11th bay. All four bays are separated by vertical pilasters and are flanked by elongated lamps.^[24] Within all the entrance bays, there are stone spandrel panels between the ground and second floors, as well as three triple-hung windows at the second floor. Two flagpoles hang from either of the 9th and 10th bays at the second floor. A sculpted gargoyle is placed between these two bays near the top of the second floor. Above this story is a frieze with reliefs, which contain a motif of two griffins flanking a shield.^[25]

At the extreme east end of the building, the four-story wing has a brick facade and three single-hung windows on either of the third and fourth stories. The lintels above each of the fourth-story windows have ogee moldings with finials at the center. There is a terracotta cornice and parapet above the fourth story; the cornice is held up by four corbels.^[26]

Midsection

View of midsection

Across the south and east elevations, the third to ninth floors are clad in brick, while the 10th and 11th floors are faced in terracotta. The south and east elevations contain vertical pilasters with decorative capitals at the ninth story.^[26] There are 14 bays across the south elevation and five bays across the east elevation.^[21] The east elevation and the five easternmost bays of the south elevation are part of Fox's original design. The four westernmost bays of the south elevation are part of Kahn's 1932 addition, while the five bays in the center are part of Ludlow and Peabody's 1924 addition.^[27]

On the south elevation, most of the bays are separated by single pilasters. The 9th and 10th bays from west are separated by double pilasters; a sign hangs from the fourth floor in the space between the two pilasters.^[26] Originally, there was a clock in the space occupied by this sign, which was destroyed by fire and replaced in 1963 with a digital clock.^[28] In a 2008 renovation, the tower received a sign measuring 32 by 7 ft (9.8 by 2.1 m), as well as an analog clock face.^[28][29] On each story are five single windows with ogee moldings above them, as well as nine double windows without any moldings.^{[lower-alpha 2][30]}

On the east elevation, the outer two bays are single openings while the inner three bays are double openings. These windows are similar to their counterparts on the south elevation and are all separated by single pilasters.^[26] Below the 11th story on the west elevation are blind openings and double- and triple-hung windows surrounded by dark brick. On the north elevation, the windows are grouped in threes and surrounded by light brick, with ogee moldings above the eleventh-story windows.^[30]

At the 10th and 11th floors, the south elevation contains nine arches and five bays of plain windows (corresponding to the bays with double and single windows respectively). The east elevation contains three arches in the center and two bays of plain windows on the outside. On both elevations, the arches are flanked by pilasters with tablet flowers. Each arch contains metal columns that divide it into thirds, as well as horizontal metal spandrels between the 10th and 11th stories. The plain bays have an unornamented window on the 10th story and a window with a balcony, ogee-molding lintel, and finial on the 11th story. Above the south and east elevations runs a frieze with shell motifs, as well as a terracotta cornice with brackets. The cornice is topped by a parapet, which contains relief panels alternating with pedestals.^[26] When the building was completed in 1913, there had been large signs on the facade.^[16]

Attic

North elevation of attic

The attic is five stories high and is set back from the 11th story.^[26] On the north, south, and east elevations, there are single and double windows on the 12th and 13th floors.^[21] The western elevation only has single windows.^[30] At the top of the 14th floor are panels with diagonal bands and fleur-de-lis reliefs. These are topped by frieze and a terracotta cornice with brackets. Above the cornice is a parapet, which contains obelisks on pedestals. Part of the parapet's western section has been replaced with a small addition, containing a glass wall that faces north. Windows are also installed on the eastern end of the parapet.^[21] The 15th floor of the attic has dormer windows within a hip roof. There is a terracotta chimney on the eastern end of the roof as well.^[26]

The attic is interrupted by a seven-story tower, which separates the western two-thirds and the eastern third of the building. The tower is three bays wide and corresponds to the 9th and 10th bays on the southern elevation. At the 14th and 15th stories, the tower's center bay contained an arched opening, which has been closed up. The facade of the 15th and 16th stories contains diagonal bands and fleur-de-lis reliefs, and the 16th-story windows contain balconies, ogee moldings, and finials.^[21]

The tower sets back on all sides at the 17th story, with a terracotta parapet surrounding it, as well as three arched windows on each side. Above this is a pyramidal roof that is designed to appear as though it is covered in metal.^[21] From 1951 to the 1970s, the tower's elevations contained neon letters with the name of The New York Times, which measured 8 to 10 ft (2.4 to 3.0 m) high.^[31] At the 18th story, each elevation has a single dormer window, which contains scrolls and finials on either side and a triangular pediment on the top. Above the 18th story are round-arched dormer windows on each elevation, as well as a lantern with a railing at the pinnacle of the roof.^[21] The lantern initially contained a flagpole with the Times's flag on it,^[32] which contained blue text on a white background.^[31][33]

Times facilities

Originally, each floor was devoted to a different purpose. Issues were printed in the basement, and the mail and delivery departments were housed on the ground floor. The second floor contained the business department; the third floor housed the news department, telegraph room, and telephone switchboard; and the fourth floor was used as a composing room.^[41] The fifth floor contained employee showers, a dining room, kitchen, and doctor's office. The sixth and eighth floors were reserved for future use, while the seventh floor was used for photoengraving. The ninth floor had the Sunday Times department; the tenth floor had an editorial division and library; and the eleventh floor had executive offices, including those of Times publisher Adolph Ochs.^[16][41] After 1924, the employee room was relocated to the 5th to the 10th floor, and the executive offices were relocated from the 11th to the 14th floor.^[42]

The basement of the original section of the building rests on 30 steel columns, which were designed to hold the printing presses.^[33] When the building opened in 1913, it could print 372,000 sixteen-page issues per hour, compared to 54,000 per hour at the Times Tower.^[17][36] The basement originally had four sextuple presses, which were used to print the Times's regular editions, and an octuple press, which was used for high-grade printing and electrotype plates.^[43] After the first expansion in 1924, the basement had sixteen sextuple presses and four octuple presses, which could print 480,000 issues per hour, with 24 to 32 pages per issue.^[44] Also in the basement was a stereotype room; a reel room with sixty magazine reels; a machine shop; and an electricians' shop.^[44] Yet another sextuple press was installed in the second expansion in 1932, with a capacity of 50,000 issues per hour.^[45] There was also a sub-basement, which contained storage space for paper and the presses' reels, as well as a pump room and boiler room. A switchboard was placed on a mezzanine level above the basement.^[43]

The ground level had a neo-Gothic entrance, three loading docks, two storefronts, and a passageway leading to Weber and Fields' Music Hall (later the 44th Street Theatre). The loading docks led to a freight hall with a brick floor, measuring 58 by 35 ft (18 by 11 m).^[16][46] The freight hall was used by paper trucks to deliver paper to the sub-basement, as well as by the delivery department, which loaded issues onto paper trucks for distribution.^[46] The printing plant closed in 1997, and the ground floor and basement have since been converted to retail.^[47] Among the retail tenants are a two-level Bowlmor Lanes bowling alley with 50 lanes.^[48][49]

From 1950 to 1989,^[50][51] the ninth and tenth floors housed the studios for radio stations WQXR and WQXR-FM.^[52][53] These studios were accessed by a reception area on the tenth floor, which contained the executive offices of the stations. A staircase with bronze railings led to the ninth floor, which led to the studios, recording rooms, control rooms, music department, and music library. Glass walls on the ninth floor overlooked the studios, which ranged in size from 10 by 12 ft (3.0 by 3.7 m) to 20 by 36 ft (6.1 by 11.0 m). These studios were designed with non-parallel walls, multi-tiered ceilings, double-glass windows, and soundproof doors.^[53] There was also an auditorium on the ninth floor between the early 1950s and 1999.^[54] Other facilities included a test kitchen on the ninth floor for the food department of the Times.^[55]

1910s and 1920s

Shortly after the annex was completed, the Times recorded an average daily circulation of 230,360 in October 1913.^[67] A Times retrospective called the Times Annex "the largest, finest, and most completely equipped newspaper home in North America" when it was completed.^[68] The Times soon became Times Square's largest employer, with 600 employees at the annex by the mid-1910s.^[16] All of the building's floors were occupied by 1915.^[8] At the end of that year, the New York Times Company bought five townhouses at 231–239 West 43rd Street from A. Fillmore Hyde.^[8][9] The Times then relocated some offices into these houses.^[68][69] The paper's daily circulation increased considerably, exceeding 300,000 by 1921.^{[16][67][lower-alpha 3]} The size of weekday issues also grew after World War I; whereas the average issue was 24 pages long before and during the war, issues had grown to between 28 and 40 pages afterward.^[68] Despite this, the Times wanted to continue publishing in Times Square, even as its competitors developed publishing plants on cheaper land.^[67]

The original building (right) and its 1924 addition (left). The separation between the two sections is delineated by the sign, double pilasters, and the use of single windows instead of double windows.

In January 1922, the New York Times Company submitted plans to the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) for an expansion to the annex, designed by Ludlow and Peabody; the project had an estimated cost of $865,000.^[70][71] The same month, the Times leased two neighboring stores at 213 and 215 West 43rd Street.^[69] The addition was to be designed in a similar style to Fox's original building, making the structures appear as though they were built at the same time.^[72][32] The expansion included eleven stories to the west, as well as a setback attic above the roofs of both sections.^[72] The 11th-story cornice of the addition was higher than the maximum height normally allowed under the 1916 Zoning Resolution, so Ludlow and Peabody applied for and received an exemption to the zoning resolution.^[32][42] The Louis J. Cohen Company began clearing the existing buildings at 231–239 West 43rd Street in April 1922.^[73] The work involved relocating utilities and rooms that had been on the western wall of the original building, as they now faced the addition.^[18] The expanded structure topped out during May 1923,^[74] but a bricklayers' strike subsequently delayed the rest of the work.^[75]

All the construction was complete by October 1924, with the expanded structure measuring 243 ft (74 m) wide.^[32] The general interior layout of the original building was preserved, but some divisions were relocated.^[42] Afterward, the Times had an average weekday circulation of 400,000 and a Sunday circulation of 600,000.^[76] A public rotogravure exhibition opened on the 11th floor of the Times Annex in 1927;^[77] at the time, the paper had a separate rotogravure facility at Twelfth Avenue.^[78] Pynson Printers also occupied some office space in the building.^[79] The Times placed new printing presses in the basement in 1928.^[80] This was done to keep up with demand; by 1929, the Times had an average daily circulation of 431,000. The surrounding area had grown considerably by then; the Times Annex was surrounded by multiple high-rise structures, including the Paramount Building at 1501 Broadway.^[81]

1930s and 1940s

Adolph Ochs completed a new printing plant in Brooklyn in 1930, supplementing the plant on 43rd Street. Albert Kahn, the architect of the Brooklyn plant, was also designing an expansion to the 43rd Street building.^[32][80] Kahn filed plans for the second addition with the DOB in August 1930, with a projected cost of $1 million. As with the first addition, this project was 11 stories tall and was designed in a similar style to the two previous structures.^[82][83] The Cauldwell Wingate Company received the general contract that November.^[19] The west elevation was sparsely ornamented to allow for yet another expansion in the future. Small modifications were made to the south elevation, including the addition of a clock and light fixtures.^[82] According to Times historian Meyer Berger, the western section opened on August 2, 1931.^[31][84] The next month, Times gave craftsmanship awards to 21 construction workers who had helped build the expansion.^[85] DOB records show that the western section was completed on January 7, 1932, bringing the building's total width to 318 ft (97 m).^[82]

The New York Times Company bought the Little Theatre (now Hayes Theater) from Vincent Astor in November 1931,^[86][87][88] and Variety magazine reported that the theater would be demolished to make way for a delivery-truck exit from the Times Annex.^[88] Due to Depression-era budget cuts,^[89] the Times decided to keep the theater operating.^[90][91] The Times Annex remained in use as the Times's headquarters,^[82] and the Museum of the Printed Word, an exhibit about the history of printing, opened inside the building in 1938.^[92] The building also hosted several public exhibitions, including a display of employee art^[93] and an annual flower show with employees' plants.^[94] In late 1941 or early 1942, the Times Annex was renamed the Times Building, while the old building at One Times Square became the Times Tower.^[82][95] The Little Theatre became a conference hall called the New York Times Hall at that time,^[95] after the Times had again unsuccessfully tried to demolish it in 1939.^[96] The two attempts to demolish the Little Theatre prompted the Times to instead acquire the 44th Street Theatre for expansion in 1943.^[82]

Under Times president Arthur Hays Sulzberger, the Times Company filed plans for a third expansion, as well as modifications to the existing building, in August 1944. The 11-story extension was to be designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon on the site of the 44th Street Theatre and would cost $2.25 million.^[14][15] The lobby and main entrance was redesigned in 1946 by the same architects. The work entailed removing some of the ornamental detail from the 9th and 10th bays from west and adding a new entrance in the 11th bay.^[82] At the dedication ceremony for the new entrance in December 1946, Times officials could not find the key to lock the old entrances. It turned out that the door had not been locked since 1912, when the key had been thrown away; according to a Times veteran, the philosophy had been that "The Times would never close its doors".^[97] The northward expansion, which was completed in 1947, involved expanding the printing presses' capacity by 50 percent, as well as adding bedrooms on the 14th story for executives.^[82][98] Three memorial plaques were unveiled inside the renovated lobby in 1948, commemorating Times employees who had fought in the two world wars. One of the plaques had been installed after World War I but was temporarily removed during the lobby renovation.^[99]

AFI USA and difficulties

Tishman Speyer put the building for sale in April 2007 for $500 million.^[139] The same month, Lev Avnerovich Leviev's Africa Israel Investments (subsequently AFI USA) acquired it for $525 million, three times the price Tishman Speyer had paid.^[140][141] AFI USA renamed 229 West 43rd Street the Times Square Building.^[29][38] The company reportedly considered converting the building into luxury condominiums or partnering with The Walt Disney Company to open a branded Times Square hotel.^[142] AFI USA planned to spend $150 to $170 million on renovating the structure;^[38][143] it ultimately spent over $200 million.^[144] The company proposed installing a new sign and a clock on the facade, which the LPC approved.^{[29][28][145]} During this time, the structure was completely empty.^[146] By 2008, AFI USA was facing financial issues of its own as a result of the financial crisis of 2007–2008,^[143][147] and office demand had dropped sharply, particularly around Times Square.^[148][149] That September, AFI USA sold a half-ownership stake in the building, as well as a half-interest in the building's $720 million debt load, to an unidentified buyer for $50 million.^[147]

After renovating the retail space, AFI USA leased part of 229 West 43rd Street's basement to Running Subway Productions in early 2009,^[148][150] as well as another part of the basement to Discovery Times Square Exposition later that year.^[151] The office space remained empty through the end of the year;^[152] one broker called the building "space that nobody wants" due to its large floor plates.^[38] That December, Leviev announced plans to convert the building into a mixed-use structure with retail at the base, 379 hotel rooms in the midsection, and 26 residential condominiums in the attic.^[143][153] Banco Inbursa loaned $75 million, and Five Mile Capital Partners took a half-ownership stake in the project.^{[143][153][154]} Immediately afterward, AFI USA received a reduction on its debt from $652 million to $267 million,^[155][156] and most of the building's debtholders consequently lost money.^[143][153] A 50-lane bowling alley, operated by Bowlmor Lanes, opened on two levels in November 2010.^[48][49] AFI USA also opened the horror-themed Jekyll & Hyde Club based on the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.^[142] Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and investment firm JSR Capital had considered buying eight floors for $110 million and operating a hotel there, but they withdrew their offer.^[157][158]

Office and retail condos

Entrance bays (9th and 10th from west)

In 2011, The Blackstone Group purchased the top 11 office stories for $160 million, though AFI USA and Five Mile retained ownership of the 245,000 sq ft (22,800 m²) of retail on the four lowest floors.^[159][160] After buying the office floors, Blackstone spent $105 million on renovations, aiming to attract startups and technology companies^[161][162] with incentives such as private entrances, parking, and terraces.^[163] The building was rebranded as 229W43.^[164] Meanwhile, AFI USA had leased all but two of the retail spaces by 2013.^[165] The new retail tenants included a restaurant by Guy Fieri, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, which opened in late 2012.^[166][167] Several technology companies including Facebook reportedly expressed interest in leasing space at 229 West 43rd Street.^[168] Among the early tenants were 10gen, which leased a floor in 2012,^[169] and Yahoo!, which leased four stories in May 2013.^[170][171] Other office tenants included Pubmatic,^[164] Snapchat,^[172][173] and WGSN.^[174]

Blackstone sold the office space to Columbia Property Trust for $516 million in July 2015.^{[161][175][176]} The same year, Jared Kushner purchased the retail section for $295 million;^[177][178] all except $1 million of this price was financed by loans from Brookfield Asset Management.^[142] Kushner envisioned leasing out the space to multiple entertainment venues to create an amusement complex.^[142][179] In May 2016, Eiran Gazit announced plans for the Gulliver's Gate attraction with scale models of landmarks, inspired by Gulliver's Travels.^[180][181] A month later, Kushner signed National Geographic Encounter to operate an educational entertainment attraction about the ocean, replacing Discovery Times Square Exposition.^[47][182] Celebrity chef Todd English also signed a lease in late 2016 to run a food hall,^{[179][183][184]} but the hall remained unopened for over a year.^[185]

In October 2016, Deutsche Bank lent $370 million to refinance the retail space, which consisted of $285 million of notes sold in the commercial mortgage-backed security market, as well as two loans held by Paramount Group and SL Green Realty that totaled $85 million.^{[177][186][187]} Kushner used the loans to pay off the Brookfield financing and pay a special $59 million dividend to the Kushner Company,^[142] which prompted Robert Mueller to scrutinize the payments during his Special Counsel investigation.^[188] Within the office portion of the building, Complex Media subleased some of Yahoo Inc.'s space in late 2017.^[189][190] Guy Fieri's restaurant announced plans to close at the end of 2017,^[191] and the food hall was canceled after English and Kushner sued each other in February 2018.^[192] That April, Kushner replaced Guy Fieri's former space with a new outpost of The Ribbon, a popular Upper West Side restaurant.^[193] By the end of 2018, the retail tenants were suffering financial difficulties and lawsuits.^[194][195] Gulliver's Gate objected that their space was smaller than promised, securing a 50 percent rent reduction after negotiating with the Kushners.^[142] National Geographic was evicted in January 2019.^[196]

Kushner Companies defaulted on their mezzanine loans in March 2019 after missing several payments; the rental income was lower than expected, while the $9 million in expenses was twice as much as expected.^[142] A special servicer took over the $285 million loan in January 2020,^[197] and Gulliver's Gate closed the same month.^[198] The building's office tenants at the time included the temporary headquarters of the Michael Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign.^[199] In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City forced many physical businesses to close, Kushner fell behind on loan payments yet again.^[200][201] Paramount Group auctioned the retail unit that June after Kushner's default.^[202][203] At the end of that year, the building's retail condo was valued at $92.5 million amid the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, representing an 80 percent decrease from three years earlier.^[204] BuzzFeed relocated to the building in 2022.^[205][206] Early the next year, Columbia Property Trust defaulted on a mortgage that it had received for 229 West 43rd Street.^[207] By mid-2023, the building was 40 percent vacant, prompting Fitch Ratings to downgrade the outlook of a mortgage loan on the building.^[208][209]