Citigroup Center

Citigroup Center 601 Lexington Avenue
Former names	Citicorp Center
General information
Type	Office
Location	153 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
Coordinates	40°45′31″N 73°58′13″W / 40.75861°N 73.97028°W / 40.75861; -73.97028
Construction started	April 1974
Topped-out	October 6, 1976
Completed	1977
Opening	October 12, 1977; 46 years ago (1977-10-12)
Cost	US$195 million (equivalent to $765 million in 2023)
Owner	Boston Properties
Height
Architectural	915 ft (279 m)
Technical details
Floor count	59
Floor area	1,654,020 sq ft (153,663 m2)
Lifts/elevators	38
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Hugh Stubbins, Emery Roth & Sons
Developer	Citicorp
Structural engineer	William LeMessurier, James Ruderman
References
[1][2]
New York City Landmark
Designated	December 6, 2016[3]
Reference no.	2582[3]

The Citigroup Center (formerly Citicorp Center and also known by its address, 601 Lexington Avenue) is an office skyscraper in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1977 for Citibank, it is 915 feet (279 m) tall and has 1.3 million square feet (120,000 m²) of office space across 59 floors. The building was designed by architect Hugh Stubbins, associate architect Emery Roth & Sons, and structural engineer William LeMessurier.

The Citigroup Center takes up much of a city block bounded clockwise from the west by Lexington Avenue, 54th Street, Third Avenue, and 53rd Street. Land acquisition took place from 1968 to 1973; St. Peter's Church sold its plot on the condition that a new church building be constructed at the base of the tower. The design was announced in July 1973, and the structure was completed in October 1977. Less than a year after completion, the structure had to be strengthened when it was discovered that, due to a design flaw, the building was vulnerable to collapse in high winds. The building was acquired by Boston Properties in 2001, and Citicorp Center was renamed 601 Lexington Avenue in the 2000s. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Citigroup Center as a city landmark in 2016. The building's public spaces underwent renovations in 1995 and 2017.

The tower's base includes four giant stilts, which are placed mid-wall rather than at the building's corners. Its roof is sloped at a 45-degree angle. East of the tower is a six-story office annex. The northwest corner of the tower overhangs St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church at Lexington Avenue and 54th Street, a granite structure designed by Stubbins. Also at the base is a sunken plaza, a shopping concourse, and entrances to the church and the New York City Subway's Lexington Avenue/51st Street station. The upper stories are supported by stacked load-bearing braces in the form of inverted chevrons. Upon the Citigroup Center's completion, it received mixed reviews, as well as architectural awards.