Halsey, McCormack and Helmer
| Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower | |
|---|---|
Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower (2010)
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| Alternative names | 1 Hanson Place |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Residential |
| Address | 1 Hanson Place Brooklyn, New York 11243 |
| Coordinates | 40°41′8″N 73°58′40″W / 40.68556°N 73.97778°WCoordinates: 40°41′8″N 73°58′40″W / 40.68556°N 73.97778°W |
| Opened | April 1929 |
| Renovated | 2006–2007 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 512 feet (156 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 37 |
The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, at 1 Hanson Place between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street in Brooklyn, New York City, is one of the borough's architectural icons. It was once the tallest building in the borough, at 37 stories and 512 feet (156 m) tall, but was surpassed in height by the Brooklyner, which was itself later surpassed. It is among the tallest four-sided clock towers in the world. The clock faces, 17 feet (5.2 m) in diameter, were the world's largest when they were installed. Since 2007–08, the building has been converted into luxury condominium apartments under the name 1 Hanson Place.
It was built in 1927–29 as the new headquarters for the Williamsburgh Savings Bank by the architectural firm Halsey, McCormack and Helmer. It was then owned by the bank's parent, Republic National Bank, then, via a merger, HSBC, which has since relocated across the street to 118 Flatbush Avenue. For years the building's offices were notably dentists' offices; the New York Daily News once called it "The Mecca of Dentistry".
The building was declared a New York City landmark in 1977, and the interior in 1996. Replacement of windows engendered a lawsuit from the Landmarks Preservation Commission that forced restoration of the original appearance of the windows.
In 2005, Skylight Group One Hanson was created in conjunction with Canyon Capital Realty Advisers, as part of their massive redevelopment of the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank Building. Throughout the restoration and redevelopment of the building, the architectural prestige of its marble floors, carved teller stations, 63-foot vaulted ceiling and 40-foot mosaic of New York as a Dutch colony were preserved. At the same time, Magic Johnson converted the building to luxury loft condominiums in 2006–07, and the tower houses 176 apartments with 138 distinct floor plans, from 295 square foot studios to 3,263 square foot full-floor four-bedroom units. In 2008 CJ Follini and Noyack Medical Partners purchased the commercial half of the famed landmark.
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