We’ve walked by the Diamond District in Midtown Manhattan so many times, even reporting on the Gold Arcade that’s midblock. But somehow we managed to miss its most symbolic architecture–the diamond shaped lamp posts that mark the entrance to the unique district on 47th Street. One is situated on 5th Avenue and the other on 6th Avenue, and they turn green (when lit up). The lamp posts are the work of the 47th Street Business Improvement District, an organization formed in 1997. The diamond-shaped pylons (as they’re called officially) were part of a lager initiative that included other street lights designed specifically for the block.
For another piece of functional architecture that mimics its surroundings, check out this newsstand on 72nd Street that takes the shape of the subway fare control station, one of the original from the first subway line.
