6. One Wall Street
One Wall Street is a 654-foot-tall Art Deco tower designed by Ralph Walker in the heart of Manhattan’s Financial District. Completed in 1931, the tower was designed to create rippling effects as sunlight hits its carved limestone drapery. For most of its history, the tower was mainly used for banking. In 2016, developer Macklowe Properties secured permission from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to convert the building for residential and retail use.
On the interior, One Wall Street’s most striking feature is the street-level Red Room, a 33-foot-high space designed by acclaimed muralist Hildreth Meière and decorated with 13,000 square feet of mosaic tiles colored in oxblood, oranges, and gold. Closed to the public in 2001, the Red Room has since been restored to its original state by Macklowe Properties, SLCE Architects, and Acheson Doyle Partners as a tribute to both Walker and Meière’s love of art.
