Citigroup Center

Citigroup Center (601 Lexington Avenue) is a distinctive Midtown Manhattan skyscraper completed in 1977. The tower rises 59 storeys and is known for its angled roof and the unusual placement of support columns set mid-face to accommodate a church at one corner.

Architecturally the building is noted for its 45-degree slanted roof plane and reflective curtain wall. A raised public plaza and the presence of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church at one corner are prominent features at street level.

During 1978 engineers discovered a structural vulnerability related to wind loads; an emergency retrofit was implemented to strengthen the building’s connections and address the issue.

The tower stands on Lexington Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets in Midtown Manhattan, close to Rockefeller Center and other major corporate and cultural institutions.

• Height and engineering: The building is 59 storeys tall and was completed in 1977; a major engineering retrofit was carried out in 1978 after a wind-load vulnerability was discovered and repaired.

What to See #

• Plaza and St. Peter's Church: A raised public plaza at the base of the tower includes St. Peter's Lutheran Church occupying one corner beneath the tower's stilts.
• Structure and roof: The tower's distinctive slanted roof and reflective facade mark it out on the Midtown Manhattan skyline; the structure is supported on four mid-face stilts rather than at the corners.