gesso logo.jpg

From our recording studio in Brooklyn, we make audio that celebrates human creativity, history and the spaces we live to learn about.

Explore the interplay of Art Deco and contemporary art, dig into inventive cuisines, and partake in new media creation. We're even going to let you in on a few secrets through this 60 minute audio tour.

Rockefeller Center.jpg

Rockefeller Center

nyc gesso.fm.jpg

New York

New York- City Selector Cover.jpg

There’s something special about every moment you spend at Rockefeller Center. From the historic art and architecture to the Top of the Rock observation deck, you can experience New York in a way that can only happen here.

RC logo.jpg

RC_RockefellerCenter_Primary_Horz_Blk_rgb.jpg

RC cover 1.jpg

Explore the spirit of innovation and reinvention at the heart of New York City. 

You’re standing at the edge of Rockefeller Center. You can probably picture the Christmas Tree, the Rockettes, and the Rink, but settle in for a whole lot more. I’m sitting on the edge of the fountain on 6th Avenue, between 49th and 50th. Feel free to join me and take a seat as well. We’ll be here for a moment, and I’ll tell you when to start walking. 

Just across the street are the neon lights of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. That building is widely known as 30 Rock. Maybe it’s because of Tina Fey’s TV show also named “30 Rock”, a lot of people assume that this is all there is to Rock Center. But there is so much more. Rockefeller Center is a 22 acre campus that spans six blocks in the heart of Midtown. 

Casey Freemont: “[CF8.16] A part of New York that really celebrates what New York is about.”

EB Kelley: "Rockefeller Center is a place that is aspirational"

Sophie  Muschel-Horton: “Rock center is such a, an iconic landmark”

Rock Center embodies the spirit of reinvention at the heart of New York City. Since its beginnings, it’s served as a home for innovators.

Adam Rolston: “It was a sort of natural filter for the best talent, the highest reach that you could reach.” 

Today you’ll walk with me. I’m an art historian, new media entrepreneur, and New York transplant. We’ll see an interplay of contemporary art and Art Deco, follow our noses to find inventive cuisines as dynamic as New York, and partake in the cutting edge of media creation. I’m even going to let you in on a few secrets.

Let’s start at the very beginning. It’s the 1920s, a decade filled with so much growth and prosperity that it was dubbed the “Roaring 20’s”. Driven by the recovery from the first World War, the stock market was hitting new highs, and construction was booming. By the end of the decade, three of New York’s most iconic structures, the Empire State building, the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center, were set to break ground. Spirits were high and there was a sense that anything was possible.

That’s when John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the wealthy son of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller Sr., acquired the rights to what would become Rockefeller Center. Look two stop lights away to your left. That’s 51st street. Now look 2 stop lights to your right. That's 48th street. Those two streets bookend Rock Center, with Fifth and Sixth Avenue on either side. Look across the street at the Tonight Show awning and scan the block to the left. Do you see Warby Parker? And on the other side, do you see Magnolia Bakery? Today, those are known as the townhouses. Close your eyes, imagine you’re surrounded by 200 buildings that look just like those….and about 20 ft above you, an aboveground train blocks out the sun, casting a dark shadow on everything nearby. The angry rumbling of the train ricochets off the brick buildings, causing a deafening cacophony. Now open your eyes and look at the skyscrapers around you. Take note of the different architectural styles.

Rock Center was designed by 8 architects working together under one roof- they went by the name Associated Architects. They built in a style we now know as Art Deco, which is all about fusing the old with the new, signalling faith in science and progress. The excitement surrounding the 1922 discovery of King Tut’s tomb meant that Art Deco drew its visual language from ancient Egypt. It melded it with geometric patterns inspired by the machine age and avant-garde art movements like Cubism. 

Art Deco is usually associated with the opulent grandeur of the Roaring 20s, but here, it proudly states brazen hope in the future in spite of hardship. Rock Center, in its early days, was no stranger to hardship. Rockefeller Jr. got ahold of the land in January 1929. Just a few months later the Great Depression had begun. Art Deco design inspired faith in the future, even as the present crumbled.

Now, get back to your feet, and take that crosswalk. We’re headed to take a closer look at that colorful mosaic behind the Tonight Show awning. Notice the four relief sculptures above the neon lights and the mosaic. Get a good look- I’ll give you a little more context as you cross. 

Remember the scene you imagined while your eyes were closed? Those four reliefs are by Gaston Lachaise and were placed to be level with the tracks so commuters could catch a glimpse. As I mentioned, the train cast a dark shadow, rendering Sixth Avenue colorless and gray. Which brings us to that mosaic, tucked behind the Tonight Show awning. Walk over to stand underneath the awning- press pause if you need more time to get there. 

The glittering mosaic above the doorway is titled “Intelligence Awakening Mankind”, by Barry Faulkner. It’s made up of more than 1 million tiles of 250 different colors. They all work in concert to tell the story of the power of media. Look closely at the words near the figures- Thought stands at the center, flanked by Spoken Word, on the right, and Written Word on the left. The harbingers of knowledge- whether biology, news, or poetry- steadily fly on either side. 

Now head back to the sidewalk and make your way toward Radio City Music Hall. So iconic was the music hall that Rockefeller Center almost went by the same name: Radio City. Stand at the corner up ahead, next to the Warby Parker. Since its opening, the Music Hall’s 6000 seats have been filled by artists from BB King to Billie Eilish.

In its early days, the roof was home to a recreation area for the Rockettes and other Music Hall staff- complete with lounge chairs, volleyball courts, and fully grown fruit trees. 

The roof will soon surpass its former glory through an extensive renovation. By its end, the entire roof will be covered in a fully landscaped park. 

Around the music hall’s side, look up toward the three circular roundels. They symbolize dance, drama, and song. The series is the work of artist Hildreth Meiere, a prolific artist in murals and mosaics alike in the 1930s. In an industry largely dominated by men, she stood out both for her talent and for her gender. This series is the only permanent art installation on Rock Center’s exterior by a woman. 

Cross 50th Street to go under the Radio City marquee. Press pause if you need to wait for the light, and we’ll meet you on the other side.

English

1245 6th Avenue \|||// You’re standing at the edge of Rockefeller Center. You can probably picture the Christmas Tree, the Rockettes, and the Rink, but settle in for a whole lot more. I’m sitting on the edge of the fountain on 6th Avenue, between 49th and 50th. Feel free to join me and take a seat as well. We’ll be here for a moment, and I’ll tell you when to start walking. 

Just across the street are the neon lights of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. That building is widely known as 30 Rock. Maybe it’s because of Tina Fey’s TV show also named “30 Rock”, a lot of people assume that this is all there is to Rock Center. But there is so much more. Rockefeller Center is a 22 acre campus that spans six blocks in the heart of Midtown. 

Casey Freemont: “[CF8.16] A part of New York that really celebrates what New York is about.”

EB Kelley: "Rockefeller Center is a place that is aspirational"

Sophie  Muschel-Horton: “Rock center is such a, an iconic landmark”

Rock Center embodies the spirit of reinvention at the heart of New York City. Since its beginnings, it’s served as a home for innovators.

Adam Rolston: “It was a sort of natural filter for the best talent, the highest reach that you could reach.” 

Today you’ll walk with me. I’m an art historian, new media entrepreneur, and New York transplant. We’ll see an interplay of contemporary art and Art Deco, follow our noses to find inventive cuisines as dynamic as New York, and partake in the cutting edge of media creation. I’m even going to let you in on a few secrets.

Let’s start at the very beginning. It’s the 1920s, a decade filled with so much growth and prosperity that it was dubbed the “Roaring 20’s”. Driven by the recovery from the first World War, the stock market was hitting new highs, and construction was booming. By the end of the decade, three of New York’s most iconic structures, the Empire State building, the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center, were set to break ground. Spirits were high and there was a sense that anything was possible.

That’s when John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the wealthy son of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller Sr., acquired the rights to what would become Rockefeller Center. Look two stop lights away to your left. That’s 51st street. Now look 2 stop lights to your right. That's 48th street. Those two streets bookend Rock Center, with Fifth and Sixth Avenue on either side. Look across the street at the Tonight Show awning and scan the block to the left. Do you see Warby Parker? And on the other side, do you see Magnolia Bakery? Today, those are known as the townhouses. Close your eyes, imagine you’re surrounded by 200 buildings that look just like those….and about 20 ft above you, an aboveground train blocks out the sun, casting a dark shadow on everything nearby. The angry rumbling of the train ricochets off the brick buildings, causing a deafening cacophony. Now open your eyes and look at the skyscrapers around you. Take note of the different architectural styles.

Rock Center was designed by 8 architects working together under one roof- they went by the name Associated Architects. They built in a style we now know as Art Deco, which is all about fusing the old with the new, signalling faith in science and progress. The excitement surrounding the 1922 discovery of King Tut’s tomb meant that Art Deco drew its visual language from ancient Egypt. It melded it with geometric patterns inspired by the machine age and avant-garde art movements like Cubism. 

Art Deco is usually associated with the opulent grandeur of the Roaring 20s, but here, it proudly states brazen hope in the future in spite of hardship. Rock Center, in its early days, was no stranger to hardship. Rockefeller Jr. got ahold of the land in January 1929. Just a few months later the Great Depression had begun. Art Deco design inspired faith in the future, even as the present crumbled.

Now, get back to your feet, and take that crosswalk. We’re headed to take a closer look at that colorful mosaic behind the Tonight Show awning. Notice the four relief sculptures above the neon lights and the mosaic. Get a good look- I’ll give you a little more context as you cross. 

Remember the scene you imagined while your eyes were closed? Those four reliefs are by Gaston Lachaise and were placed to be level with the tracks so commuters could catch a glimpse. As I mentioned, the train cast a dark shadow, rendering Sixth Avenue colorless and gray. Which brings us to that mosaic, tucked behind the Tonight Show awning. Walk over to stand underneath the awning- press pause if you need more time to get there. 

The glittering mosaic above the doorway is titled “Intelligence Awakening Mankind”, by Barry Faulkner. It’s made up of more than 1 million tiles of 250 different colors. They all work in concert to tell the story of the power of media. Look closely at the words near the figures- Thought stands at the center, flanked by Spoken Word, on the right, and Written Word on the left. The harbingers of knowledge- whether biology, news, or poetry- steadily fly on either side. 

Now head back to the sidewalk and make your way toward Radio City Music Hall. So iconic was the music hall that Rockefeller Center almost went by the same name: Radio City. Stand at the corner up ahead, next to the Warby Parker. Since its opening, the Music Hall’s 6000 seats have been filled by artists from BB King to Billie Eilish.

In its early days, the roof was home to a recreation area for the Rockettes and other Music Hall staff- complete with lounge chairs, volleyball courts, and fully grown fruit trees. 

The roof will soon surpass its former glory through an extensive renovation. By its end, the entire roof will be covered in a fully landscaped park. 

Around the music hall’s side, look up toward the three circular roundels. They symbolize dance, drama, and song. The series is the work of artist Hildreth Meiere, a prolific artist in murals and mosaics alike in the 1930s. In an industry largely dominated by men, she stood out both for her talent and for her gender. This series is the only permanent art installation on Rock Center’s exterior by a woman. 

Cross 50th Street to go under the Radio City marquee. Press pause if you need to wait for the light, and we’ll meet you on the other side.

RC21-023_Gesso_1500x1000px_TonightShow_Ret-Look3.jpg

The Tonight Show

Tour Item

1. The Tonight Show.mp3

After you cross, turn right and head down the block.

As you walk, look across the street. Above the second storefront, find the words “RC Capsule” written in gold. RC Capsule is a program that brings the best of the boroughs to Midtown. Rock Center invites brands that don’t already have a location in Manhattan to take up residence. Jill Lindsey is there now. The brand not only spotlights local artisans but also hosts events like Tarot readings. Jill Lindsey herself can speak to RC Capsule’s impact:

Jill Lindsey: “It’s like that pinch me moment where I look at it and I was like, ‘I cannot believe that I have a store across the street from the Radio City Music Hall.’”

Stand here for a moment, and allow your eye to drift up past the storefronts. Behind that limestone are the studios of Rock Center’s anchor tenant. Once known as the Radio Corporation of America, or RCA, today it goes by NBC.

The Associated Architects knew broadcast and recording technologies would play a pivotal role in the coming decades. They wanted their studios to lead the way. There was no standard architectural style in the 1920s for buildings dedicated to radio, let alone television. But for these architects, Art Deco was the aesthetic that would pave the way into the future. But they still had to pair aesthetics with pragmatism.

Soundproofing was key. That’s why these walls have no windows, and if you could see through the wall, you’d notice that the studio floors are suspended on felt-covered springs to dampen vibrations. They also needed space; room to fit audiences, sets, cameras and microphones. Such open spaces couldn’t support the weight of 50 plus stories towering above them, which is why if your eye continues upward, it soon meets air. 
 
Walk a bit further down the block, and pause when you’re across the street from the neon “Observation Deck” sign.

The observation deck, known as Top of the Rock, was designed to look like the deck of a cruise ship. But rather than endless ocean waves, viewers are greeted with unrivaled views of New York. You’re just above the canopy of the urban jungle, yet at the center of it all. 

Just a couple floors below Top of the Rock is the Rainbow Room. It’s the original home of New York glamour and entertainment, 800 feet above the street with a rotating dance floor, crystal curtains, and domed, rainbow-lit roof. But for now, look above the Observation Deck sign, to where the limestone columns are topped by sculpted figures.

The work is part of a pair by sculptor Leo Friedlander, generally referred to as “Transmission.” This one is called “Radio-” its sister, entitled “Television”, is on the other side of the building. On the left side here, three figures sing into waiting hands. The hands transmit the song over the awning to the sculpture on the right, where Mother Earth and her child tune into the dulcet tones.

The builders of Rock Center believed in the power of broadcast to move society forward, to spur the next generation of innovators. It can seem obvious in hindsight that television and radio were foregone conclusions, but most American families didn’t even own televisions when these studios were built. Rock Center’s emphasis on these new forms of media through its art and architecture firmly placed it at the forefront of industry innovation. 

Now continue down 50th Street, in the same direction you’ve been walking.

Up ahead on your left, you’ll see a vehicle ramp which is the gate to an entire belowground delivery system unique to Rock Center. Just about three stories beneath you, are labyrinthine shipping rooms with truck-sized turntables that turn delivery vehicles on a dime. Imagine a lazy susan, but for a full sized truck. Hiding deliveries helps keep these streets clear and makes room for a bit of calm in the bustle of Midtown. Sometimes you’ll even be able to spy scenery from SNL coming and going from down below. 

After you pass the Anthropologie store, turn left...onto the northern end of Rockefeller Plaza. 

Though Rockefeller Plaza was open to vehicle traffic for much of its history, it’s now fully pedestrianized across the three plazas. In the early 2000s, the black asphalt meant for cars was replaced with the New York bluestone you’ll see today. That further cemented the plaza’s purpose as a civic space. We might take this space for granted, but leaving room for views of the sky- and room to breathe was a progressive and intentional choice.

On your left ahead, you’ll see a large sculpture made of shining stainless steel above a doorway. Stop there for a moment.

61 West 50th Street \|||// After you cross, turn right and head down the block.

As you walk, look across the street. Above the second storefront, find the words “RC Capsule” written in gold. RC Capsule is a program that brings the best of the boroughs to Midtown. Rock Center invites brands that don’t already have a location in Manhattan to take up residence. Jill Lindsey is there now. The brand not only spotlights local artisans but also hosts events like Tarot readings. Jill Lindsey herself can speak to RC Capsule’s impact:

Jill Lindsey: “It’s like that pinch me moment where I look at it and I was like, ‘I cannot believe that I have a store across the street from the Radio City Music Hall.’”

Stand here for a moment, and allow your eye to drift up past the storefronts. Behind that limestone are the studios of Rock Center’s anchor tenant. Once known as the Radio Corporation of America, or RCA, today it goes by NBC.

The Associated Architects knew broadcast and recording technologies would play a pivotal role in the coming decades. They wanted their studios to lead the way. There was no standard architectural style in the 1920s for buildings dedicated to radio, let alone television. But for these architects, Art Deco was the aesthetic that would pave the way into the future. But they still had to pair aesthetics with pragmatism.

Soundproofing was key. That’s why these walls have no windows, and if you could see through the wall, you’d notice that the studio floors are suspended on felt-covered springs to dampen vibrations. They also needed space; room to fit audiences, sets, cameras and microphones. Such open spaces couldn’t support the weight of 50 plus stories towering above them, which is why if your eye continues upward, it soon meets air. 
 
Walk a bit further down the block, and pause when you’re across the street from the neon “Observation Deck” sign.

The observation deck, known as Top of the Rock, was designed to look like the deck of a cruise ship. But rather than endless ocean waves, viewers are greeted with unrivaled views of New York. You’re just above the canopy of the urban jungle, yet at the center of it all. 

Just a couple floors below Top of the Rock is the Rainbow Room. It’s the original home of New York glamour and entertainment, 800 feet above the street with a rotating dance floor, crystal curtains, and domed, rainbow-lit roof. But for now, look above the Observation Deck sign, to where the limestone columns are topped by sculpted figures.

The work is part of a pair by sculptor Leo Friedlander, generally referred to as “Transmission.” This one is called “Radio-” its sister, entitled “Television”, is on the other side of the building. On the left side here, three figures sing into waiting hands. The hands transmit the song over the awning to the sculpture on the right, where Mother Earth and her child tune into the dulcet tones.

The builders of Rock Center believed in the power of broadcast to move society forward, to spur the next generation of innovators. It can seem obvious in hindsight that television and radio were foregone conclusions, but most American families didn’t even own televisions when these studios were built. Rock Center’s emphasis on these new forms of media through its art and architecture firmly placed it at the forefront of industry innovation. 

Now continue down 50th Street, in the same direction you’ve been walking.

Up ahead on your left, you’ll see a vehicle ramp which is the gate to an entire belowground delivery system unique to Rock Center. Just about three stories beneath you, are labyrinthine shipping rooms with truck-sized turntables that turn delivery vehicles on a dime. Imagine a lazy susan, but for a full sized truck. Hiding deliveries helps keep these streets clear and makes room for a bit of calm in the bustle of Midtown. Sometimes you’ll even be able to spy scenery from SNL coming and going from down below. 

After you pass the Anthropologie store, turn left...onto the northern end of Rockefeller Plaza. 

Though Rockefeller Plaza was open to vehicle traffic for much of its history, it’s now fully pedestrianized across the three plazas. In the early 2000s, the black asphalt meant for cars was replaced with the New York bluestone you’ll see today. That further cemented the plaza’s purpose as a civic space. We might take this space for granted, but leaving room for views of the sky- and room to breathe was a progressive and intentional choice.

On your left ahead, you’ll see a large sculpture made of shining stainless steel above a doorway. Stop there for a moment.

RC21-023_Gesso_1500x1000px_RadioCity1_Ret-Look3.jpg

Radio City Music Hall

2. Radio City Music Hall.mp3

This is the Associated Press Building, named for its first tenants. Look up and find the top of the building. It doesn’t come as close to scraping the sky as its neighbors. The Associated Press wanted width over height to fit hundreds of furiously typing journalists next to each other in a single newsroom. Imagine evenly spaced desks stretching across this entire block behind those walls and windows.

The sculpture is called “News” by Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi. Walk closer to it. Notice how Noguchi captured a sense of urgency, with each figure caught in the motion of getting a story out. See if you can spot the artist’s signature…..it’s down on the bottom left of this 10 ton behemoth. 

Though the AP left for a new building in 2004 (and allegedly tried to take this Noguchi with them!) this sculpture remains a prime example of the spotlight Rockefeller Center, from its inception, has put on values like free speech, and an independent press. That spotlight shines even today. In 2019 New York artist Hank Willis Thomas created two life-size, hollow speech bubbles to frame Noguchi’s “News.” One was where you’re standing now. Those sculptures also doubled as benches, framing public spaces for conversation and reflection.

As you walk through Rock Center, you’ll begin to notice each work of art illustrates an ideal essential to positive change, just as each building here has its own identity. 

All the public art original to Rock Center falls under a central theme, the idea of pushing on, of pushing past, of building bigger and better worlds. It was an attempt to encapsulate the power of mankind. Christine Roussel, the archivist here at Rock Center told me, it’s not power over, but our ability to power through. 

The original public art here is curated with the theme of “New Frontiers.” It celebrates the leaps in technology, communication, diplomacy and commerce that have happened- and are still happening- within this campus. 

Now retrace your steps, and turn left when you get back to Anthropologie.

The presence of art at Rockefeller Center is a public service to the city of New York. It’s in large part because of Rockefeller Junior’s wife- Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. She was an avid patron of the arts. She went on to co-found the Museum of Modern Art on the site of her former townhouse, just a few blocks from here.

At Rock Center, thanks to Abby, art is everywhere. Take note of all the reliefs along the wall coming up on your left.

Keep walking until you reach Fifth Avenue.

Scarcity was not in the vocabulary of those building Rock Center. Rather than cut costs with lowered prices in the Great Depression market, they lavished the savings on artwork and additional materials. All told, roughly $1 million Depression-era dollars were spent on public art. 

And by the end of construction, Rockefeller Center was home to 154,000 tons of structural steel, 1 million square feet of window glass, and 25,000 doors. The transport and construction of it all, created as many as 225,000 jobs around the globe- in the middle of the worst depression this nation had ever seen. Today, the daily choreography of the campus still requires quite a crew. You’d never guess there are 300 security staff, 200 cleaners, 70 engineers, 20 Fire Life & Safety workers, 12 property managers, 15 greeters, and 10 gardeners. 

And on top of all that, Rockefeller Center is a thing of beauty. 

Up ahead, turn left onto Fifth Avenue.

Homer Murray, the chef at Hombre Taco here, had this to say:  

Homer Murray: “They had an idea of something that would mean more than the sum of its parts...it means a lot more than just a bunch of marble and gold.” 

That spirit is still abundant at Rock Center- both in contemporary art installations, and the ongoing redevelopment. More on that soon.

50 Rockefeller Center \|||// This is the Associated Press Building, named for its first tenants. Look up and find the top of the building. It doesn’t come as close to scraping the sky as its neighbors. The Associated Press wanted width over height to fit hundreds of furiously typing journalists next to each other in a single newsroom. Imagine evenly spaced desks stretching across this entire block behind those walls and windows.

The sculpture is called “News” by Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi. Walk closer to it. Notice how Noguchi captured a sense of urgency, with each figure caught in the motion of getting a story out. See if you can spot the artist’s signature…..it’s down on the bottom left of this 10 ton behemoth. 

Though the AP left for a new building in 2004 (and allegedly tried to take this Noguchi with them!) this sculpture remains a prime example of the spotlight Rockefeller Center, from its inception, has put on values like free speech, and an independent press. That spotlight shines even today. In 2019 New York artist Hank Willis Thomas created two life-size, hollow speech bubbles to frame Noguchi’s “News.” One was where you’re standing now. Those sculptures also doubled as benches, framing public spaces for conversation and reflection.

As you walk through Rock Center, you’ll begin to notice each work of art illustrates an ideal essential to positive change, just as each building here has its own identity. 

All the public art original to Rock Center falls under a central theme, the idea of pushing on, of pushing past, of building bigger and better worlds. It was an attempt to encapsulate the power of mankind. Christine Roussel, the archivist here at Rock Center told me, it’s not power over, but our ability to power through. 

The original public art here is curated with the theme of “New Frontiers.” It celebrates the leaps in technology, communication, diplomacy and commerce that have happened- and are still happening- within this campus. 

Now retrace your steps, and turn left when you get back to Anthropologie.

The presence of art at Rockefeller Center is a public service to the city of New York. It’s in large part because of Rockefeller Junior’s wife- Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. She was an avid patron of the arts. She went on to co-found the Museum of Modern Art on the site of her former townhouse, just a few blocks from here.

At Rock Center, thanks to Abby, art is everywhere. Take note of all the reliefs along the wall coming up on your left.

Keep walking until you reach Fifth Avenue.

Scarcity was not in the vocabulary of those building Rock Center. Rather than cut costs with lowered prices in the Great Depression market, they lavished the savings on artwork and additional materials. All told, roughly $1 million Depression-era dollars were spent on public art. 

And by the end of construction, Rockefeller Center was home to 154,000 tons of structural steel, 1 million square feet of window glass, and 25,000 doors. The transport and construction of it all, created as many as 225,000 jobs around the globe- in the middle of the worst depression this nation had ever seen. Today, the daily choreography of the campus still requires quite a crew. You’d never guess there are 300 security staff, 200 cleaners, 70 engineers, 20 Fire Life & Safety workers, 12 property managers, 15 greeters, and 10 gardeners. 

And on top of all that, Rockefeller Center is a thing of beauty. 

Up ahead, turn left onto Fifth Avenue.

Homer Murray, the chef at Hombre Taco here, had this to say:  

Homer Murray: “They had an idea of something that would mean more than the sum of its parts...it means a lot more than just a bunch of marble and gold.” 

That spirit is still abundant at Rock Center- both in contemporary art installations, and the ongoing redevelopment. More on that soon.

RC21-023_Gesso_1500x1000px_IMG_0800_Ret-Look3.jpg

News

3. Noguchi's News.mp3

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller began the tradition of presenting art to the public here. That continues today. 
 
Up ahead is “Atlas,” by Lee Lawrie, one of the most iconic sculptures here in the city. Pause in front of him for a moment when you get closer.

One person promoting public art here is Casey Fremont.

Casey Fremont: “So there is of course this great history of public art throughout the campus...and there’s this incredible precedent for a presence of contemporary art on site.” 

That’s Casey. She’s the executive director of Art Production Fund, a non-profit that partners with Rock Center to present a program called Art in Focus. The program’s seasonal rotation of contemporary art draws inspiration from the vibrancy of New York. 

Move around Atlas- every angle offers something new.

Part of what sets the art at Rock Center apart, is its integration with the everyday. Commuters, tenants, and visitors all encounter the same works here. Here’s Casey Fremont again. 

Casey Fremont: “And going back to this idea of it being unexpected, they haven’t necessarily sought it out, they’re not like intentionally walking into a museum or gallery and knowing what they’re gonna see.” 

It’s that very sense of serendipity that makes the art at Rock Center so intriguing, especially when they intermingle with anchors like Atlas.

Now, walk behind “Atlas” to look toward St. Patrick’s Cathedral. See how his back is bowed, almost as if in homage to the cathedral. Atlas’ stolid modernism is in stark contrast to the neo-gothic cathedral and the sleek glass windows of Fifth Avenue.  

When you’re ready, go through those revolving doors behind Atlas. We’re headed into the lobby of the International building. On the off chance these doors are locked, you can make your way into the building through the doors across from Noguchi’s “News,” back where we came from. You can pause me if you need some time, and press play again once you’re in the lobby.

Are you inside? This room, bathed in amber light, warm despite its marble sheathing, is the lobby of the International Building. It’s called that for a reason. In its beginnings, it was home to the passport office. Their rent was just $1 a year, but their presence drew importers, a host of steamship companies, and 23 travel agencies. 

Those rectangular hollows - now filled with gold leaves- once hosted travel ads. The sculpture there today, entitled “Light and Movement” is by Michio Ihara from 1978. Ihara was born in Paris, raised in Tokyo, and came to the U.S. on a Fulbright to study at MIT in 1960. In a city of immigrants, it’s fitting that the work of such a global citizen adorns these walls. 

You might have noticed the more contemporary installations here as well.

Go toward the three glass displays to your right as you walked in. These are the work of Maurice Harris, an LA-based floral artist and the talent behind the current Art in Focus program. Walk toward the vitrine furthest from you, the one furthest left, and peer through the glass. Do you see that little girl at the back? That’s Maurice’s niece.

Maurice Harris: “My sister is my first muse, my niece is my second muse, and then my friend Era Moman is my third and um… I found this project to be a way to see the beauty that I wanna see in myself that I see in others… Interesting people, everyday people I love, people that are related to me, people that I meet in the street that I think show some kind of reflection of who I am.” 

Part of that reflection of self for Maurice is his identity as a Black man. For him, that’s particularly important to highlight in today’s world. 

Maurice Harris: “I’ve really had a hard time thinking of myself as an artist, because I didn’t have a lot to say. However, when Black men started dying at the hands of police I felt like it was my job to start to join the conversation…And part of that for me was the images that we see of Black men which are generally speaking we’re either hyper-masculine or hyper-sexualized. We’re put in positions where we are more than human or less than human in terms of how we’re slightly fetishized.”

For Maurice, beauty is one of the most powerful things he can bring to bear.

Maurice Harris: “Beauty is one of those subversive tools that like at first glance you just see something that is gorgeous, but if you spend more time with it you start to question things hopefully…”

But as you move between these three works, Maurice hopes you can see a bit of yourself. Here’s Maurice again. 

Maurice Harris: “As you’re walking through, take your time. Pause for a second. Is there a flower you’ve never seen before? Is there a flower you love? Is there something about this person’s face that looks familiar? Is there something about this person’s face that looks foreign? What draws you to this image? How do you see yourself in this image?” 

When you’re ready, take a look at the green marble on the walls and columns. Take a step towards the wall nearest to you.

This dark green, white-veined stone was placed using a technique known as bookmatching. That’s when a single slab of marble is sliced thin  enough that the same lines are on multiple pieces. The matching slabs are lined up to make mirror images of their partners, creating an infinite number of shapes. Take a moment to look closely at the marble. Notice what shapes and images you can see written in stone.

Now, head back out through those revolving doors, to Atlas. You’ll see LEGO’s flagship store on your left; the company gets its name from two Danish words that translate to “play well.” Put the store behind you to head down the right, down Fifth Avenue. 

We’ve pointed out a number of the things that set Rock Center apart, but there’s an element of the campus we haven’t yet touched on: the human scale of its design. Look up for a moment. Have you noticed the buildings nearest to you are lower, even as the tower behind you soars? That difference is...intentional.

To stand beside a limestone giant...like the International Building or 30 Rock and not feel dwarfed is an impressive feat of design. To pull it off, the builders used something called setbacks. 

Cross 50th Street to keep heading down Fifth Avenue.

Setbacks look like steps on a pyramid. On 30 Rock, they’re spots where the elevator banks come to an end. 

EB Kelly, the managing director of Rockefeller Center, knows this well.  

EB Kelly: “right you stand next to a skyscraper that goes 50 or 75 stories up with no setback, that can feel a little bit dehumanizing. That’s really the opposite of Rockefeller Center. This is a place where the architecture really enforces that human connection.”

Have a look around, do you see any trees peeking over the tops of the buildings to your right? The green thumb treatment is original to Rock Center.

Rooftop gardens were cutting edge in the 1930s, and still are now. The architects went all out- They installed a stream, shrubs and flowering trees at 30 Rock. 

But the rooftop gardens aren’t the only spots for greenery here.

 \|||// Abby Aldrich Rockefeller began the tradition of presenting art to the public here. That continues today. 
 
Up ahead is “Atlas,” by Lee Lawrie, one of the most iconic sculptures here in the city. Pause in front of him for a moment when you get closer.

One person promoting public art here is Casey Fremont.

Casey Fremont: “So there is of course this great history of public art throughout the campus...and there’s this incredible precedent for a presence of contemporary art on site.” 

That’s Casey. She’s the executive director of Art Production Fund, a non-profit that partners with Rock Center to present a program called Art in Focus. The program’s seasonal rotation of contemporary art draws inspiration from the vibrancy of New York. 

Move around Atlas- every angle offers something new.

Part of what sets the art at Rock Center apart, is its integration with the everyday. Commuters, tenants, and visitors all encounter the same works here. Here’s Casey Fremont again. 

Casey Fremont: “And going back to this idea of it being unexpected, they haven’t necessarily sought it out, they’re not like intentionally walking into a museum or gallery and knowing what they’re gonna see.” 

It’s that very sense of serendipity that makes the art at Rock Center so intriguing, especially when they intermingle with anchors like Atlas.

Now, walk behind “Atlas” to look toward St. Patrick’s Cathedral. See how his back is bowed, almost as if in homage to the cathedral. Atlas’ stolid modernism is in stark contrast to the neo-gothic cathedral and the sleek glass windows of Fifth Avenue.  

When you’re ready, go through those revolving doors behind Atlas. We’re headed into the lobby of the International building. On the off chance these doors are locked, you can make your way into the building through the doors across from Noguchi’s “News,” back where we came from. You can pause me if you need some time, and press play again once you’re in the lobby.

Are you inside? This room, bathed in amber light, warm despite its marble sheathing, is the lobby of the International Building. It’s called that for a reason. In its beginnings, it was home to the passport office. Their rent was just $1 a year, but their presence drew importers, a host of steamship companies, and 23 travel agencies. 

Those rectangular hollows - now filled with gold leaves- once hosted travel ads. The sculpture there today, entitled “Light and Movement” is by Michio Ihara from 1978. Ihara was born in Paris, raised in Tokyo, and came to the U.S. on a Fulbright to study at MIT in 1960. In a city of immigrants, it’s fitting that the work of such a global citizen adorns these walls. 

You might have noticed the more contemporary installations here as well.

Go toward the three glass displays to your right as you walked in. These are the work of Maurice Harris, an LA-based floral artist and the talent behind the current Art in Focus program. Walk toward the vitrine furthest from you, the one furthest left, and peer through the glass. Do you see that little girl at the back? That’s Maurice’s niece.

Maurice Harris: “My sister is my first muse, my niece is my second muse, and then my friend Era Moman is my third and um… I found this project to be a way to see the beauty that I wanna see in myself that I see in others… Interesting people, everyday people I love, people that are related to me, people that I meet in the street that I think show some kind of reflection of who I am.” 

Part of that reflection of self for Maurice is his identity as a Black man. For him, that’s particularly important to highlight in today’s world. 

Maurice Harris: “I’ve really had a hard time thinking of myself as an artist, because I didn’t have a lot to say. However, when Black men started dying at the hands of police I felt like it was my job to start to join the conversation…And part of that for me was the images that we see of Black men which are generally speaking we’re either hyper-masculine or hyper-sexualized. We’re put in positions where we are more than human or less than human in terms of how we’re slightly fetishized.”

For Maurice, beauty is one of the most powerful things he can bring to bear.

Maurice Harris: “Beauty is one of those subversive tools that like at first glance you just see something that is gorgeous, but if you spend more time with it you start to question things hopefully…”

But as you move between these three works, Maurice hopes you can see a bit of yourself. Here’s Maurice again. 

Maurice Harris: “As you’re walking through, take your time. Pause for a second. Is there a flower you’ve never seen before? Is there a flower you love? Is there something about this person’s face that looks familiar? Is there something about this person’s face that looks foreign? What draws you to this image? How do you see yourself in this image?” 

When you’re ready, take a look at the green marble on the walls and columns. Take a step towards the wall nearest to you.

This dark green, white-veined stone was placed using a technique known as bookmatching. That’s when a single slab of marble is sliced thin  enough that the same lines are on multiple pieces. The matching slabs are lined up to make mirror images of their partners, creating an infinite number of shapes. Take a moment to look closely at the marble. Notice what shapes and images you can see written in stone.

Now, head back out through those revolving doors, to Atlas. You’ll see LEGO’s flagship store on your left; the company gets its name from two Danish words that translate to “play well.” Put the store behind you to head down the right, down Fifth Avenue. 

We’ve pointed out a number of the things that set Rock Center apart, but there’s an element of the campus we haven’t yet touched on: the human scale of its design. Look up for a moment. Have you noticed the buildings nearest to you are lower, even as the tower behind you soars? That difference is...intentional.

To stand beside a limestone giant...like the International Building or 30 Rock and not feel dwarfed is an impressive feat of design. To pull it off, the builders used something called setbacks. 

Cross 50th Street to keep heading down Fifth Avenue.

Setbacks look like steps on a pyramid. On 30 Rock, they’re spots where the elevator banks come to an end. 

EB Kelly, the managing director of Rockefeller Center, knows this well.  

EB Kelly: “right you stand next to a skyscraper that goes 50 or 75 stories up with no setback, that can feel a little bit dehumanizing. That’s really the opposite of Rockefeller Center. This is a place where the architecture really enforces that human connection.”

Have a look around, do you see any trees peeking over the tops of the buildings to your right? The green thumb treatment is original to Rock Center.

Rooftop gardens were cutting edge in the 1930s, and still are now. The architects went all out- They installed a stream, shrubs and flowering trees at 30 Rock. 

But the rooftop gardens aren’t the only spots for greenery here.

RC21-023_Gesso_1500x1000px_art-atlas_Ret-Look3.jpg

Atlas

4. Atlas.mp3

Walk until you’re centered on that open promenade to your right. Once you’re there, linger for a moment on the sidewalk. 

This promenade is known as the Channel Gardens. The name is a nod to the English Channel between England and France. The gardens are flanked by La Maison Francaise on the left and the British Empire Building on the right. 
 
Now, walk forward onto the promenade to that first fountain, but don’t head down the slope just yet. Maybe find a spot on one of the benches beside the flower beds. 

Where you’re sitting was once the site of the very first botanical garden in the United States. Founded in 1801, it was known as the Elgin Botanic Garden. Though it was short lived, it served as a museum of sorts, showcasing both native and exotic species of plants. 

These days, the garden’s updates are thanks to Future Green Studio. The Brooklyn-based landscape design firm is behind each of the seasonal displays.

Sophie Muschel-Horton of Future Green Studio is the lead designer. She hopes to give a nod to history in the Channel Gardens’ design. 

Sophie Muschel-Horton: “It all drew from the botanical gardens. And that, that was kind of the origin story of the concept. And so it, it grew from there… this land was. Um, used for other purposes in the, in the past and, you know, Rockefeller center, wasn't always here…I think I want people to... Question the history of the site. whether it's the built kind of human influence... or the plants that, that used to grow here.” 

Often, the plants featured in the gardens are native to New York state. 

Now, get to your feet, and slowly head toward the sunken plaza ahead. While pointing to the past, Future Green Studio also works to highlight what’s here now. Like the fountains, all along the center of the gardens. Take a step onto one of the raised paths between the fountains to get a closer look. There’s more to them than you’d think.

Adam Rolston: “…believe it or not the bottoms of the fountains in the Channel Gardens are glass block, and they are in fact skylights. With water on top. So they’re skylight pools.”

That was Adam Rolston, the designer of the Concourse update. More from him soon.

Straight ahead you can see Prometheus glistening in gold, at the base of 30 Rock. Keep walking toward him. Pause when you reach the end of the gardens. I’ll tell you when to keep going.

Beyond the barriers you can see the active construction on the Rink. It’s part of Rock Center’s ongoing redevelopment. When it’s through, glass doors will replace the stone walls that surrounded the Rink, introducing more light and new entry points into the concourse.  

Go ahead and take a peek through the barriers. When you do, you join a long line of construction onlookers. When steamrollers and cranes were still onsite here in the 1930s, Rock Center came up with a plan to involve New Yorkers before there were even doors to open. They built a one hundred foot, roofed viewing platform, complete with a suggestion box and christened it: The Sidewalk Superintendents’ Club. 

The club was hugely popular- even celebrities like Marilyn Monroe got involved. She helped celebrate the opening of a new Sidewalk Superintendents’ site here in 1957, when construction on the Time and Life Building across Sixth Avenue began. 

The see-through barriers around the Rink today are a nod to the Sidewalk Superintendents, even as the revitalization behind them is a nod to Rock Center’s history.

Now, walk to your left. Take those stairs at the end of the walkway. We’ll turn right at the top. 

The flags you see around the Rink were first installed for Easter Weekend in 1942. Today, there are 193 flagpoles, one for each member of the United Nations. Depending on the season, you might see flags for LGBTQ Pride, the holidays, or flags of all 50 states.

The flags also sometimes serve as canvases for rotating exhibitions. Currently, they’re hosting a flag of KAWS’ design. Pause up ahead, and look down the plaza on the far side of the street. 

Every morning, between 5 and 11am, this part of the plaza is a co-star of the Today Show. People gather here to be included in a live segment or in the hopes of being in the background of the show, which is shot just through those windows on the left. Take a good look. See if you can spy anyone through the windows. 

When you’re ready, keep heading straight, toward the FAO Schwarz. We’re going to walk down the block and stop for a moment under the neon NBC sign.

19 West 49th Street \|||// Walk until you’re centered on that open promenade to your right. Once you’re there, linger for a moment on the sidewalk. 

This promenade is known as the Channel Gardens. The name is a nod to the English Channel between England and France. The gardens are flanked by La Maison Francaise on the left and the British Empire Building on the right. 
 
Now, walk forward onto the promenade to that first fountain, but don’t head down the slope just yet. Maybe find a spot on one of the benches beside the flower beds. 

Where you’re sitting was once the site of the very first botanical garden in the United States. Founded in 1801, it was known as the Elgin Botanic Garden. Though it was short lived, it served as a museum of sorts, showcasing both native and exotic species of plants. 

These days, the garden’s updates are thanks to Future Green Studio. The Brooklyn-based landscape design firm is behind each of the seasonal displays.

Sophie Muschel-Horton of Future Green Studio is the lead designer. She hopes to give a nod to history in the Channel Gardens’ design. 

Sophie Muschel-Horton: “It all drew from the botanical gardens. And that, that was kind of the origin story of the concept. And so it, it grew from there… this land was. Um, used for other purposes in the, in the past and, you know, Rockefeller center, wasn't always here…I think I want people to... Question the history of the site. whether it's the built kind of human influence... or the plants that, that used to grow here.” 

Often, the plants featured in the gardens are native to New York state. 

Now, get to your feet, and slowly head toward the sunken plaza ahead. While pointing to the past, Future Green Studio also works to highlight what’s here now. Like the fountains, all along the center of the gardens. Take a step onto one of the raised paths between the fountains to get a closer look. There’s more to them than you’d think.

Adam Rolston: “…believe it or not the bottoms of the fountains in the Channel Gardens are glass block, and they are in fact skylights. With water on top. So they’re skylight pools.”

That was Adam Rolston, the designer of the Concourse update. More from him soon.

Straight ahead you can see Prometheus glistening in gold, at the base of 30 Rock. Keep walking toward him. Pause when you reach the end of the gardens. I’ll tell you when to keep going.

Beyond the barriers you can see the active construction on the Rink. It’s part of Rock Center’s ongoing redevelopment. When it’s through, glass doors will replace the stone walls that surrounded the Rink, introducing more light and new entry points into the concourse.  

Go ahead and take a peek through the barriers. When you do, you join a long line of construction onlookers. When steamrollers and cranes were still onsite here in the 1930s, Rock Center came up with a plan to involve New Yorkers before there were even doors to open. They built a one hundred foot, roofed viewing platform, complete with a suggestion box and christened it: The Sidewalk Superintendents’ Club. 

The club was hugely popular- even celebrities like Marilyn Monroe got involved. She helped celebrate the opening of a new Sidewalk Superintendents’ site here in 1957, when construction on the Time and Life Building across Sixth Avenue began. 

The see-through barriers around the Rink today are a nod to the Sidewalk Superintendents, even as the revitalization behind them is a nod to Rock Center’s history.

Now, walk to your left. Take those stairs at the end of the walkway. We’ll turn right at the top. 

The flags you see around the Rink were first installed for Easter Weekend in 1942. Today, there are 193 flagpoles, one for each member of the United Nations. Depending on the season, you might see flags for LGBTQ Pride, the holidays, or flags of all 50 states.

The flags also sometimes serve as canvases for rotating exhibitions. Currently, they’re hosting a flag of KAWS’ design. Pause up ahead, and look down the plaza on the far side of the street. 

Every morning, between 5 and 11am, this part of the plaza is a co-star of the Today Show. People gather here to be included in a live segment or in the hopes of being in the background of the show, which is shot just through those windows on the left. Take a good look. See if you can spy anyone through the windows. 

When you’re ready, keep heading straight, toward the FAO Schwarz. We’re going to walk down the block and stop for a moment under the neon NBC sign.

RC21-023_Gesso_1500x1000px_BK1A5981_Ret-Look3.jpg

Channel Gardens

5. Channel Gardens.mp3

Turn right with the doors you came in behind you and walk with the rink to your right. 

The new and updated rink level features all sorts of great restaurants. There's Naro, a Korean concept from husband and wife duo JP and Ellia park, and then Smith and Mills, the Tribeca cocktail bar, and five acres an all day cafe from Chef Greg Backstrom. Jupiter, a new pasta centric restaurant from the three women who own King in Soho is a bit further down the hall.

Turn right again, to walk along the wall that's behind the gold statue of Prometheus. 

Architecture and design firm Inc is behind the revamp. Adam Rolston, the creative and design director at the firm has a design philosophy. 

We think of good design as a little bit like cooking where, you know, you arrive at a site or a project, and it's a little bit like arriving at the, uh, farmer's market. Where what's fresh that day. What belongs in the place that you're in. 

For the redesign the team at Inc analyzed original architectural plans flipped through archival photos and pounded the pavement on site to ensure the new design would be in keeping with Rock Center's history. 

It's almost a space without corners. There are no hard corners. All the corners are eased or curved or radius or rounded. The most new thing, the biggest part of the renovation is, you'll have a sense of the entirety of the rink space from the inside.

Turn left, just past the stairs and escalators that come down from the lobby. 

Also pay attention to the ceilings. Before just drywall hung overhead. But now the bared bones of the building will be in careful juxtaposition with the elegance of the newly finished interior.

The raw open ceilings are every era of concrete that you can imagine. Over the years as this thing got built, steel exposed steel, sprinkler pipes, terracotta, and, uh, plaster, all sorts of different original materials.

Follow the curve of the hallway to the right 

Up ahead, just past Ace's Pizza is Field Trip. As you can tell from the logo, its founder, JJ Johnson is passionate about. 

Freshly mild rice is nuttier. It has a natural flavor to it already. It's kind of like wine that you probably need to aerate to get the ultimate flavor out of it. That's what, um, freshly milled rice is about. 

Keep walking down the hallway, feel free to press pause. If you pass something that makes you hungry. With everything from ACE pizza to Lady M bakery and even Blue Ribbon sushi, the options at Rock Center are like a microcosm of the culinary melting pot that makes New York so famous. Once you're ready to continue pass the angry face logo of Cafe Grumpy, and turn left. After you make that turn, you'll find an escalator tucked away on your left, just past the its easy sign. Take it up. At the top of the escalator, take a sharp right. And go towards the red carpet. Follow the carpet to head back outside. You should see Christy's across the street. Turn left and walk towards FAO Schwartz. Did you get all that? Sharp right at the top of the escalator, head through the revolving doors to the left. And when you get outside, look for Christie's across the street, turn left to head towards FAO Schwartz. We'll wait for you just outside of FAO Schwartz.

30 Rockefeller Plaza \|||// Head to the right down this corridor. You’ll see a window full of old documents and a microphone from 1937. Stop there for a moment. Sit with the history of Rock Center, while I tell you about its future. I’ll tell you when to start walking again. Like the Rink, the Concourse is also part of the redevelopment here. Architecture and design firm INC is behind the revamp. Adam Rolston, the creative and design director at the firm, has a design philosophy: 

Adam Rolston: “We think of good design as a little bit like cooking. Where you know you arrive at a site or a project and it’s a little bit like arriving at the farmer’s market, where ‘what’s fresh that day’ ‘what belongs in the place that you’re in’... Looking at the ingredients that are there and using those ingredients to create an extension of the story that’s here but bringing it into the future, as it were.”

Take a look around- every possible design detail in the space- the design in the floor, the brass detailing- was intentionally placed. Rock Center is rife with ingredients.

30 Rock is well known for its 70 story stretch toward the sky, but its depths are equally impressive. Ok. Now, turn around, so the display case is behind you. Do you see that golden handrail on the far side of the hall, peeking out to the right, behind that column? Walk toward it. We’ll take those stairs down. Keep to the right when the stairs split.

The team at INC analyzed original architectural plans, flipped through archival photos, and pounded the pavement on site to ensure the new design would be in keeping with Rock Center’s history. At the bottom of the stairs, go out the hallway to your right. Then, turn right. you’ll see the Black Seed Bagel. Keep walking past it.

Adam Rolston: “The most new thing, the biggest part of the renovation is that you’ll have a sense of the entirety of the Rink space from the inside.”

Before, the Concourse was a series of winding corridors, with views of the Rink reserved for those eating in the restaurants that were next to it. Adam is here to change that.

Adam Rolston: “It’s almost a space without corners, there are no hard corners. All the corners are eased or curved or radiused or rounded ”

Keep heading straight down this hallway. This area is getting a new look, too.

Adam Rolston: “So, there is a very tailored, very specific facade that unifies the concourse but also creates a street facade…”

At the end of this hallway, take a look at the shop on your left. That’s Eddie’s Shoe Repair. Pause in front of the windows for a moment. The shop has had a strong presence here for more than 20 years. 

Hugo Ardaix: “The intent of the shop is to create an image of the old days but give you a service in the present days...custom chairs, leather chairs, old fashioned look.”

That was Hugo, the man behind Eddie’s Shoe Repair. Despite the shop’s nostalgic look, their mission is both timeless and current- to restore leather items so they’ll last for decades to come. In the world of fast fashion, Eddie’s Shoe Repair is a rare breed. 

Now, take those steps just past Eddie’s down. You’re now right next to the BDFM subway stop, a stop aptly named “Rockefeller Center.” We’re not headed out just yet though. Stay with me, we’ll go to the right, and up those stairs on the far side of this room. 

Keep an eye out for more artwork. There will be one on your right, just past those stairs. That installation is framed in what used to be a box office. 

Sanford Biggers: “The figure is almost hard to see it’s camouflaged so you have to squint your eyes to see all the elements pop out, it’s a floral based silhouette almost of a small African Sculpture.”

Keep heading straight.

Though it’s often thought of as- just a way from point A to point B, EB Kelly believes the Concourse is more. 

EB Kelly: “Perhaps there is a fair amount of beauty and magic hiding in plain sight.” 

Part of that magic is because of who fills these halls. Here’s JJ Johnson. He’s the chef at FIELDTRIP, here in the Concourse. 

JJ Johnson: “Freshly milled rice is nuttier, it has a natural flavor to it already, it’s kinda like wine that you probably need to aerate to get the ultimate flavor out of it? That’s what freshly milled rice is about it.”

During the pandemic, FIELDTRIP stepped up. The restaurant provided more than 45,000 meals to underserved community members, and fed rice bowls to thousands of frontline workers across New York City.  


Head down the corridor next to Lady M Bakery. You’ll see Ben and Jerry’s at the far end. 

Now, there’s one last bit about Adam’s design that we haven’t talked about yet- the ceilings. The most drastic changes are happening behind the barriers at the center of the Concourse. You won’t just see drywall anymore.

Adam Rolston: “The raw open ceilings are... every era of concrete that you can imagine over the years as this thing got built, steel, exposed steel, sprinkler pipes, terracotta, plaster, all sorts of different original materials.”

Turn right at the end of this corridor. We’re almost back where we started.

The bared bones of the building will be in careful juxtaposition with the elegance of the newly finished interior. 

Restaurants, barbershops, retailers, and even a post office can be found within the Concourse. It’s a large part of what makes Rock Center, in Homer’s words, 

Homer Murray: “this bizarre little uh...town inside of a city.”

Turn right just past Black Seed Bagels. You’ll find an escalator tucked away on your right. Take it up. Though the Concourse has endured a number of evolutions, the ongoing one will realign it most closely with its history, while keeping a foot in the present and an eye toward the future. 

At the top of the escalator, go straight. We’ll follow this corridor til it comes to an end in the lobby of 30 Rock. You’ll pass some elevator banks on your left up ahead- keep going past them.

In a campus with buildings up to 70 stories, finding the most efficient way to get people between floors was crucial. The elevators in 30 Rock traveled about 2,100 miles each business day. In a city where time is money, any way to shave seconds per journey, and thereby hours per year, was vital. Some political maneuvering got the elevators here permission to go 58% faster than former maximum speeds, saving valuable time.

Once you’ve passed the last elevator bank, stop. The welcome desk should be on your left. Look up at the ceiling. Do you see the Titan, astride the two columns, log across his shoulders, his gaze aimed right back at you? That is the Present. On his either side, scales are ready to weigh mankind’s past and future. This is Jose Maria Sert’s mural called “Time.” Look at the central Titan’s posture. Note that his weight is on top of that pillar closest to you. Ok, now cross to the opposite side of the lobby.

When you’re almost to the wall on the far side, stop and turn around. Look back up at the ceiling to take in this perspective of Sert’s work. Have you noticed that the Titan’s weight has now shifted? Maybe you saw that the swirling pattern of planes has also switched directions? This is a trick of the eye known as trompe l’oeil, or to “deceive the eye” in French. It’s an element all too easy to pass by without noticing, but it’s one of many examples of the wonder...painted, sculpted, and carved into the walls of Rockefeller Center.

But not all the design elements at Rock Center were man made. Turn around to face those shop windows. Walk closer to the wall on their right. You should be past the stone column, with the escalator just to your right. At about eye-level, find the electrical outlet that’s been painted over. Look just to its left and a tad above it. 

See if you can spot a spiral a few inches across, use your phone’s flashlight if you need. If you think the spiral looks like a snail, you’d be right. This spiral- and the other smaller ones scattered about this stone- are fossilized gastropod shells. Though a tenant of 30 Rock today, that snail was once a resident of one of the world’s oldest reefs, something like 460 million years ago. Fitting that this stone, and all it contains, sits beneath a work focused on past, present, and future.

When you’re ready, head back out of the revolving doors to the plaza to look back on 30 Rock once more. The newly unveiled logo for Rock Center adorns these doors and can be seen throughout the campus. The three vertical lines invoke the silhouette of 30 Rock, while the lines at the base bring the design of the floor in this lobby into play.

Concourse.jpg

Rink Level

6. Rink Level 22.9.11.mp3

RC21-023_Gesso_1500x1000px_concoursegesso_Ret-Look3.jpg

Walk toward the center of this plaza. 

While you’re here, keep an eye out for a man in a gray coat with red lapels. Maybe he’s already sent you a warm smile. That’s CJ, the Mayor of Rockefeller Center, and the face of 30 Rock. He’s been the signature greeter here for almost two decades, always with a ready smile, directions or a story.
Let's spend a moment with the 18 foot-tall bronze sculpture in front of you. This is SHARE, the sculptural work of the artist KAWS. Take a closer look. What do you see?
 
SHARE features two of KAWS’ recurring characters called COMPANION and BFF. In this work, we see a large COMPANION holding a smaller BFF at its side. Perhaps you’ve seen their likenesses before; KAWS uses his popular cast of characters throughout his multifaceted practice, often posed in different ways to convey different emotions.
 
One core aspect of KAWS’ practice is walking the fine line between the formal world of art and the more readily accessible universe of consumer culture. Though the work before you now is monumental and made of bronze, KAWS regularly works at a smaller, more approachable scale with handheld renditions of his sculptures produced as vinyl toys. This interplay between "high" and "low"––"bronze" vs. "plastic"––points to the symbiotic relationship between art and consumer culture, but also the tension inherent in that relationship.
 
The dialogue between the two figures in SHARE can evoke different meanings to different viewers. What does this sculpture mean to you?
Now, turn around to face the main entrance of 30 Rock. 

There, above the doors is “Wisdom,” with “Sound and Light” on either side. Through this work on the facade of 30 Rock, the aspirations built into Rockefeller Center become crystal clear. “Wisdom and Knowledge….shall be the stability...of thy times.” These words, paired with the painted waves of Sound emanating and Light’s signal beaming out across the country, lay bare the hope that knowledge could propel society forward. The fundamental faith in the power of innovation, to carry us into a better and brighter day.

Tilt your head back. Turn around, and take in your full surroundings. Rockefeller Center is fully immersed in the language of Art Deco. The modernism that hearkens to the past while expressing fervent optimism for the future. The limestone, soaring and timeless, but designed and built by human hands, with future generations in mind. The geometric shapes of Art Deco become building blocks for the innovators who call Rockefeller Center home, the style’s clean lines a map for getting to possible futures.

New York is often labelled a city for dreamers. The label isn’t wrong. Here, at the heart of that city, what comes next? You stand at the center of an audacious dream born out of a time of peril and change. Here’s Adam Rolston, one more time. 

Adam Rolston: “Rock Center for New Yorkers, and actually for people all over the world, has a certain...it’s in our imagination. In all of our collective imaginations in a very particular way.”

Adam Rolston: “Our big cities are the place that everyone came that wanted to be the best at what they wanted to do.”

Rockefeller Center is and has always been a place where the best of the best, the innovators, come to work in the sky. A place that inspires hundreds of thousands of people a day- including yourself- to stroll down its sidewalks, to tilt your heads back to try and take in the heights. 

There’s no one thing that compels people to come to New York, to come to Rockefeller Center. But a key reason is this: when you’re here, your finger is on the pulse of New York City. 

Thanks for joining me on this walk. Meeting the people who make this place so special while producing this walk has made New York feel even more like home. I hope it does the same for you, whether you’re here for the day or the foreseeable future. Wander around a bit more if you’d like- we’ve only scratched the surface of all Rock Center has to offer.  There’s still Top of the Rock, an in-person Art & Architecture Tour, and far more of the Concourse to explore! Show us what you find, whether its delectable treats or artful details, tag us on instagram @rockefellercenter  @gesso.app.

Until next time. 

This walk was presented by Rockefeller Center in partnership with Gesso, it was written and produced by Rebecca Chaisson, and voiced by me, Henna Wang. All the interviews were recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center by studio engineer Joe Hazan. Special thanks to Adam Rolston, Casey Fremont, EB Kelly, Homer Murray, Hugo Ardaix, Jill Lindsey, JJ Johnson, Hilary Pecis, Sophie Muschel-Horton, and Tin & Ed, for sharing their stories with us.

30 Rockefeller Plaza \|||// Walk toward the center of this plaza. 

While you’re here, keep an eye out for a man in a gray coat with red lapels. Maybe he’s already sent you a warm smile. That’s CJ, the Mayor of Rockefeller Center, and the face of 30 Rock. He’s been the signature greeter here for almost two decades, always with a ready smile, directions or a story.
Let's spend a moment with the 18 foot-tall bronze sculpture in front of you. This is SHARE, the sculptural work of the artist KAWS. Take a closer look. What do you see?
 
SHARE features two of KAWS’ recurring characters called COMPANION and BFF. In this work, we see a large COMPANION holding a smaller BFF at its side. Perhaps you’ve seen their likenesses before; KAWS uses his popular cast of characters throughout his multifaceted practice, often posed in different ways to convey different emotions.
 
One core aspect of KAWS’ practice is walking the fine line between the formal world of art and the more readily accessible universe of consumer culture. Though the work before you now is monumental and made of bronze, KAWS regularly works at a smaller, more approachable scale with handheld renditions of his sculptures produced as vinyl toys. This interplay between "high" and "low"––"bronze" vs. "plastic"––points to the symbiotic relationship between art and consumer culture, but also the tension inherent in that relationship.
 
The dialogue between the two figures in SHARE can evoke different meanings to different viewers. What does this sculpture mean to you?
Now, turn around to face the main entrance of 30 Rock. 

There, above the doors is “Wisdom,” with “Sound and Light” on either side. Through this work on the facade of 30 Rock, the aspirations built into Rockefeller Center become crystal clear. “Wisdom and Knowledge….shall be the stability...of thy times.” These words, paired with the painted waves of Sound emanating and Light’s signal beaming out across the country, lay bare the hope that knowledge could propel society forward. The fundamental faith in the power of innovation, to carry us into a better and brighter day.

Tilt your head back. Turn around, and take in your full surroundings. Rockefeller Center is fully immersed in the language of Art Deco. The modernism that hearkens to the past while expressing fervent optimism for the future. The limestone, soaring and timeless, but designed and built by human hands, with future generations in mind. The geometric shapes of Art Deco become building blocks for the innovators who call Rockefeller Center home, the style’s clean lines a map for getting to possible futures.

New York is often labelled a city for dreamers. The label isn’t wrong. Here, at the heart of that city, what comes next? You stand at the center of an audacious dream born out of a time of peril and change. Here’s Adam Rolston, one more time. 

Adam Rolston: “Rock Center for New Yorkers, and actually for people all over the world, has a certain...it’s in our imagination. In all of our collective imaginations in a very particular way.”

Adam Rolston: “Our big cities are the place that everyone came that wanted to be the best at what they wanted to do.”

Rockefeller Center is and has always been a place where the best of the best, the innovators, come to work in the sky. A place that inspires hundreds of thousands of people a day- including yourself- to stroll down its sidewalks, to tilt your heads back to try and take in the heights. 

There’s no one thing that compels people to come to New York, to come to Rockefeller Center. But a key reason is this: when you’re here, your finger is on the pulse of New York City. 

Thanks for joining me on this walk. Meeting the people who make this place so special while producing this walk has made New York feel even more like home. I hope it does the same for you, whether you’re here for the day or the foreseeable future. Wander around a bit more if you’d like- we’ve only scratched the surface of all Rock Center has to offer.  There’s still Top of the Rock, an in-person Art & Architecture Tour, and far more of the Concourse to explore! Show us what you find, whether its delectable treats or artful details, tag us on instagram @rockefellercenter  @gesso.app.

Until next time. 

This walk was presented by Rockefeller Center in partnership with Gesso, it was written and produced by Rebecca Chaisson, and voiced by me, Henna Wang. All the interviews were recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center by studio engineer Joe Hazan. Special thanks to Adam Rolston, Casey Fremont, EB Kelly, Homer Murray, Hugo Ardaix, Jill Lindsey, JJ Johnson, Hilary Pecis, Sophie Muschel-Horton, and Tin & Ed, for sharing their stories with us.

Hear an Audio Sample

Reviews

Already recommended to my friends

Great walking tour

Learned so much about the city

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

Rockefeller Center

Free

About

Get the App

Stay in Touch

Join our Newsletter

Get the App

About

Stay in Touch