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121-531: The Rockefeller family ( / ˈ r ɒ k ə f ɛ l ər / ROCK -ə-fell-ər ) is an American industrial , political , and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brothers John D. Rockefeller and William A. Rockefeller Jr. , primarily through Standard Oil (the predecessor of ExxonMobil and Chevron Corporation ). The family had

242-677: A joint venture , Rock-Time Inc., which would share the tower's rent income between Time Inc. and Rockefeller Center. Construction on the Time-Life Building's steelwork started in April 1958, and the structure topped out in November of that year. The building officially opened in December 1959. Around 1960, Rockefeller Center, Uris Buildings Corporation , and Webb and Knapp formed another joint venture, Rock-Uris Corp. Originally,

363-677: A mass media entertainment complex on the site. By May 1930, RCA and its affiliates had agreed to develop the site. Todd released a new plan "G-3" in January 1930, followed by an "H plan" that March. Another plan, announced in March 1931, received mostly negative feedback from the public. The design of the complex was affected greatly by the 1916 Zoning Resolution , which required setbacks to all high street-side exterior walls of New York City buildings in order to increase sunlight for city streets. The plan also included rooftop gardens and

484-641: A $ 5 billion endowment, the Rockefeller Foundation was "the largest US foundation to embrace the rapidly growing divestment movement." CNN writer Matt Egan noted, "This divestment is especially symbolic because the Rockefeller Foundation was founded by oil money." In May 2021 Rockefeller descendants Rebecca Rockefeller Lambert and Peter Gill Case announced a ten-year funding initiative, the Equation Campaign, to fight new fossil fuel development. The Rockefeller family archives are held at

605-477: A consortium led by Goldman Sachs agreed to buy Rockefeller Center's buildings for $ 1.1 billion, beating out Sam Zell and other bidders. The consortium, which also included Gianni Agnelli and Stavros Niarchos , finalized its acquisition in July 1996. Before the sale was even completed, the consortium sold 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m ) of space in 30 Rockefeller Plaza to NBC, who had rented that space in

726-563: A larger, 38-story, 512-foot (156 m) "International Building", started in September 1934. One of the two small buildings was already rented to Italian interests. The final small building would have been rented by Germany, but Rockefeller ruled this out in 1934 after noticing National Socialist extremism from the country's government. The empty office site was downsized and became the "International Building North", rented by various international tenants. In April 1935, developers opened

847-824: A long association with, and control of, Chase Manhattan Bank . By 1987, the Rockefellers were considered one of the most powerful families in American history . The Rockefellers originated in Rhineland in Germany and family members moved to the Americas in the early 18th century, while through Eliza Davison, with family roots in Middlesex County , New Jersey , John D. Rockefeller and William A. Rockefeller Jr. and their descendants are also of Scots-Irish ancestry. The Rockefeller family traces their origin to

968-461: A new building for the complex because the company had outgrown the space in the buildings it already occupied. Rockefeller Center's managers hired the architectural firm Harrison & Abramovitz to design three new towers on the west side of Sixth Avenue, with one tower on each block between 47th and 50th streets. The Exxon Building, at 1251 Avenue of the Americas between 49th and 50th streets,

1089-506: A plan for the Met. Columbia leased the plot to Rockefeller for 87 years at a cost of $ 3 million per year, excluding some properties on Fifth Avenue and a strip on Sixth Avenue. The initial cost of acquiring the space, razing some of the existing buildings, and constructing new buildings was estimated at $ 250 million. Rockefeller hired Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray ; Hood, Godley & Fouilhoux ; and Reinhard & Hofmeister , to design

1210-569: A profit for the first time in its history. By 1944, the complex's existing rentable area totaled 5,290,000 square feet (491,000 m ), with 99.7% of the space being leased. Because the complex was almost completely rented, Rockefeller Center's managers kept waiting lists of potential tenants, and as a result of the waiting lists, the complex's office space became more desirable to these tenants. Two years later, there were 400 companies who wanted to rent space in Rockefeller Center, and

1331-494: A radio-communications complex to a hub of both radio and print media. The Guild, a newsreel theater , opened in 1938 along the curve of the truck ramp below the Associated Press Building. After Nelson Rockefeller became president of Rockefeller Center in 1938, he fired John Todd as the complex's manager and appointed Hugh Robertson in his place. The Rockefeller family started occupying the 56th floor of

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1452-550: A recessed central plaza. The International Complex, announced in 1931, replaced an earlier plan for an oval retail building; its name was derived by the British, French, and Italian tenants who eventually occupied it. During early planning, the development was often referred to as "Radio City", "Rockefeller City", or "Metropolitan Square" (after the Metropolitan Square Corporation). Ivy Lee,

1573-552: A renovation for Channel Gardens, Rockefeller Plaza, and the Lower Plaza. These plans included modifications to lighting, planting, pathways, and facades. The plans were approved that April. Gabellini Sheppard also proposed renovating the International Building's lobby. A rooftop garden above Radio City Music Hall opened in September 2021. Starting in 2022, a roller rink called Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace

1694-580: A sixth-story setback, as well as a partial 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 -story penthouse on the west half of the seventh story and a garden on the east side of the seventh-story roof. Immediately across the Channel Gardens to the north of La Maison Francaise is its twin, the British Empire Building at 620 Fifth Avenue, which opened in April 1933. It is also a standalone building, with exactly the same massing asLa Maison Francaise, down to

1815-490: A tract of land on the west side of Sixth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets. In 1956, two years after the demolition of the Center Theatre, officials announced the construction of a new tower, the Time-Life Building, on that plot. The 500-foot (150 m), $ 7 million building would include connections to the existing passageway system and to Roxy's Theater directly to its west. Time Inc. and Rockefeller Center formed

1936-489: Is David Rockefeller Jr. In 1992, it had five main arms: The family was heavily involved in numerous real estate construction projects in the U.S. during the 20th century. Chief among them: Over the generations, the family members have resided in some historic homes. A total of 81 Rockefeller residences are on the National Register of Historic Places . Not including all homes owned by the five brothers, some of

2057-583: Is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (8.9 ha) between 48th Street and 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family , span the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue , split by a large sunken square and a private street called Rockefeller Plaza. Later additions include 75 Rockefeller Plaza across 51st Street at

2178-503: Is an important activity in promoting economic growth and development . Nations that export manufactured products tend to generate higher marginal GDP growth, which supports higher incomes and therefore marginal tax revenue needed to fund such government expenditures as health care and infrastructure . Among developed countries , it is an important source of well-paying jobs for the middle class (e.g., engineering) to facilitate greater social mobility for successive generations on

2299-417: Is at 636 Fifth Avenue, north of the plaza. The 36-story tower at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, on the east side of the plaza between 48th and 49th streets, is the original Time & Life Building that was opened in April 1937. Time Inc. itself did not move into the building for another year after its completion. In 1960, the building was renamed for General Dynamics after Time Inc. had moved into 1271 Avenue of

2420-591: Is at the southeast corner of the complex, it was built by private interests in the 1950s and was only acquired by the center in 1963. The complex is noted for the large quantities of art present in almost all of its buildings, its expansive underground concourse, its ice-skating rink , and its annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree . The first private owner of the site was physician David Hosack , who purchased twenty acres of rural land from New York City in 1801 and opened

2541-762: The Axis powers , whom the United States were fighting against. Art on Palazzo d'Italia was taken down because they were seen as being fascist, and the Rainbow Room was closed to the public from 1943 to 1950. Instructions for blackouts and sandbags for extinguishing fires were placed throughout the complex. During the war, the RCA Building's Room 3603 became the primary location of the U.S. operations of British Intelligence 's British Security Co-ordination , organized by William Stephenson . It also served as

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2662-643: The Blackstone Group ), and Paul Volcker . In 1991, the family was presented with the Honor Award from the National Building Museum for four generations worth of preserving and creating some of the U.S.'s most important buildings and places. David accepted the award on the family's behalf. The ceremony coincided with an exhibition on the family's contributions to the built environment, including John Sr.'s preservation efforts for

2783-641: The Du Ponts and the Mellons . A primary reason has been the lifelong efforts of "Junior" to not only cleanse the name from the disgrace stemming from the ruthless practices of Standard Oil but his tireless efforts to forge family unity even as he allowed his five sons to operate independently. This was partly achieved by regular brothers and family meetings, but it was also because of the high value placed on family unity by first Nelson and John III, and later especially with David. Regarding achievements, in 1972, on

2904-691: The Hudson River Palisades , the restoration of Williamsburg, Virginia , construction of Rockefeller Center , and Governor Nelson's efforts to construct low- and middle-income housing in New York state. The Rockefeller name is imprinted in numerous places throughout the United States, including within New York City , but also in Cleveland , where the family originates: John Jr., through his son Nelson , purchased and then donated

3025-573: The Iranian Revolution and was in poor health, for medical treatment in the United States. In 1998, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton for his work on International Executive Service Corps . A trademark of the dynasty over its 140-plus years has been the remarkable unity it has maintained, despite major divisions that developed in the late 1970s, and unlike other wealthy families such as

3146-779: The Legion d'Honneur (subsequently also awarded decades later to his son, David Rockefeller ). He also funded the excavations at Luxor in Egypt, as well as establishing a Classical Studies School in Athens . In addition, he provided the funding for the construction of the Palestine Archaeological Museum in East Jerusalem - the Rockefeller Museum . Beginning with John D. Rockefeller Sr. ,

3267-679: The Lester Crown family of Chicago, bought the original 14 buildings and land in 2000 for $ 1.85 billion. With the sale, the Rockefeller family gave up its remaining interest in Rockefeller Center's operation. Tishman Speyer also decided to renovate the complex's retail spaces and underground concourse. The Rainbow Room closed in 2009 in preparation for an extensive renovation that started in 2011. The restaurant reopened in October 2014. The Rockefeller family moved out of their offices in

3388-850: The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the theater as an interior city landmark in March, followed by a National Register of Historic Places listing in May. The hall was set to close on April 12, but five days before the planned closing date, the Empire State Development Corporation voted to create a nonprofit subsidiary to lease the Music Hall. A New York Times report in 1982 stated that Rockefeller Center had been popular among tenants from its inception, being almost fully rented for much of

3509-407: The Rockefeller family 's publicity adviser, suggested changing the name to "Rockefeller Center". John Rockefeller Jr. initially did not want the Rockefeller family name associated with the commercial project, but was persuaded on the grounds that the name would attract far more tenants. The name was formally changed in December 1931. Over time, the appellation of "Radio City" devolved from describing

3630-571: The existing building at 39th Street and Broadway . By 1928, Benjamin Wistar Morris and designer Joseph Urban were hired to come up with blueprints for the house. However, the new building was too expensive for the Met to fund by itself, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. eventually gave his support to the project ( John D. Rockefeller Sr. , his father, was not involved). Rockefeller hired Todd, Robertson and Todd as design consultants to determine its viability. John R. Todd then put forth

3751-611: The "rental architects", who designed the floor plans for the complex. The Metropolitan Square Corporation (the precursor to Rockefeller Center Inc.) was formed in December 1928 to oversee construction. After the stock market crash of 1929 , the Metropolitan Opera could not afford to move anymore. After the opera plans were canceled on December 6, 1929, Rockefeller quickly negotiated with Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and its subsidiaries, National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) , to build

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3872-542: The $ 65 million mortgage owed to the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Three years later, the complex was making $ 5 million per year in profit, excluding the tax breaks. Rockefeller Center Inc. had started working on plans to expand the complex during World War II, even though the outbreak of the war had stopped almost all civilian construction projects. In 1943, the complex's managers bought land and buildings on three street corners near

3993-540: The 100th anniversary of the founding of Andrew Carnegie 's philanthropy, the Carnegie Corporation , which has had a long association with the family and its institutions, released a public statement on the influence of the family on not just philanthropy but encompassing a much wider field. Summing up a predominant view among the international philanthropic world, albeit one poorly grasped by the public, one sentence of this statement read: "The contributions of

4114-470: The Americas was expanded to the east in 1954 after the Center Theatre adjacent to it was demolished. The 19-story annex, designed by Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz , had a glass facade on the lowest two stories—reflecting the design of the former American Airlines Building across Sixth Avenue—and a limestone facade above the second story. It is aligned with the axis of 10 Rockefeller Plaza on

4235-496: The Americas, contains most of the buildings that were built specifically for the proposed radio complex. These buildings, which comprise "Radio City", are 1230 Avenue of the Americas, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Radio City Music Hall and 1270 Avenue of the Americas. The idea for an integrated media complex somewhere came in 1920, when Owen D. Young , the chairman of RCA parent General Electric , suggested that RCA combine its then-disparate offices into one location. The western half of

4356-616: The Americas, the new Time-Life Building located three blocks away. The tower was renamed for its street address after General Dynamics moved to St. Louis in 1971. 10 Rockefeller Plaza is located opposite 1 Rockefeller, on the west side of the plaza. Its planning name was the Holland House, but the Dutch government did not sign on, so the building became the Eastern Air Lines Building instead. 10 Rockefeller

4477-481: The Celanese Building in 1974. By the time all three of the new buildings were opened, Rockefeller Center contained 7% of Manhattan 's 250,000,000 square feet (23,000,000 m ) of leasable office space. 600 Fifth Avenue and 75 Rockefeller Plaza received renovations in the early 1970s. Unlike in the rest of the complex, where different components were renovated one at a time to avoid disturbing tenants,

4598-521: The GE Building in 2014 due to rising rents. They re-settled in less expensive offices on 49th Street, near their old headquarters. The next year, in July 2015, the GE Building was renamed after Comcast , the parent company of NBCUniversal . Future Green installed temporary artwork in the Channel Gardens in 2019 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of David Hosack's birth. In January 2020, Tishman Speyer hired Gabellini Sheppard Associates to design

4719-616: The Interior wrote in its report that the center was "one of the most successful urban planning projects in the history of American architecture". Columbia University was not making enough money from Rockefeller Center leases by the 1970s, since a series of negotiations with Rockefeller Center Inc. (now Rockefeller Group) had effectively reduced the annual lease payment to $ 11 million. The university's funds had dwindled so much that by 1972, their expenses were paid for by their endowment fund. In 1983, Columbia University started looking to sell

4840-406: The International Building and its wings. The underground pedestrian mall and ramp system between 48th and 51st streets was finished in early May. In 1936, an ice skating rink replaced the unprofitable retail space on the lower plaza, below ground level. The 36-story Time & Life Building, named for anchor tenant Time Inc. , was completed in November 1936, replacing an empty plot on

4961-578: The Italian interests ultimately were the only foreign tenants who rented for the long term. All four retail the structures have identical limestone facades, roof gardens, and ground-floor storefronts, but differ in the artworks with which they were decorated. Contemporary advertisements for shopping on Fifth Avenue touted the complex's proximity to the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store and St. Patrick's Cathedral . When viewed from Fifth Avenue,

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5082-471: The Music Hall. The first round of staff and performer firings began in 1972. By January 1978, the Music Hall was in debt, and the hall's annual attendance had declined to 1.5 million visitors, down from 5 million in 1968. Officials stated that it could not remain open after April. A grassroots campaign formed the Showpeople's Committee to Save Radio City Music Hall . After several weeks of lobbying,

5203-417: The RCA Building's observation deck, while 6 million people visited the underground shopping mall, and 7 million saw a performance at Rockefeller Center. Even before the U.S. officially entered World War II in 1941, Rockefeller Center was affected by the war. The Dutch government had been slated to take up one-fifth of the space at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, but could not do so because of World War II. Seven of

5324-456: The RCA Building, though the offices would later expand to the 54th and 55th floors as well. A proposed 16-story building in the center of the southernmost block was leased to Eastern Air Lines in June 1940. Excavation started in October 1938, and the building was topped out by April 1939. At the same time, Rockefeller Center Inc. wanted to develop the western half of the southern plot, which

5445-615: The Rockefeller Archive Center in Pocantico Hills, North Tarrytown, New York. At present, the archives of John D. Rockefeller Sr. William Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller Jr., Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Abby Rockefeller Mauzé, John D. Rockefeller III, Blanchette Rockefeller, and Nelson Rockefeller are processed and open by appointment to readers in the Archive Center's reading room. Processed portions of

5566-413: The Rockefeller complex between the two towers. 600 Fifth Avenue contains a limestone facade, consistent with that of the original complex, as well as a seventh-story setback on its Fifth Avenue side and rooftop gardens on its setbacks. The building contains a main lobby at 48th Street, a service entrance to the same street, and a connection to 1 Rockefeller Plaza at its west end. Unlike other buildings in

5687-408: The Rockefeller family are staggering in their extraordinary range and in the scope of their contribution to humankind." John D. Rockefeller gave away US$ 540 million over his lifetime (in dollar terms of that time), and became the greatest lay benefactor of medicine in history. His son, Junior, also gave away over $ 537 million over his lifetime, bringing the total philanthropy of just two generations of

5808-719: The Rockefeller family. Industrial sector This sector generally takes the output of the primary sector (i.e. raw materials like metals, wood) and creates finished goods suitable for sale to domestic businesses or consumers and for export (via distribution through the tertiary sector ). Many of these industries consume large quantities of energy, require factories and use machinery; they are often classified as light or heavy based on such quantities. This also produces waste materials and waste heat that may cause environmental problems or pollution (see negative externalities ). Examples include textile production , car manufacturing , and handicraft . Manufacturing

5929-549: The St. Nicholas Church leased the church building to the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company , who then leased three contiguous plots from Rockefeller Center for a proposed 28-story building. The congregation was dispersed to other churches, and the old church building at Fifth Avenue and 48th Street was subsequently demolished. Construction commenced on 600 Fifth Avenue in 1950, and

6050-405: The abundance of possible renters, John Rockefeller Jr. transferred his ownership of the complex to his sons. The father collected the $ 57.5 million loan that Rockefeller Center Inc. owed him, then distributed it to his sons in the form of a tax break. Rockefeller Center eventually became the family's "single largest repository" of wealth. In 1950, Rockefeller Center Inc. paid the last installment of

6171-467: The block between 50th and 51st streets is 1270 Avenue of the Americas, a 31-story structure with a setback on the sixth floor. Originally named the RKO Building for RKO Pictures , it was built over the Music Hall, and shares many of the same exterior architectural details. Construction of the building started in 1931, and the building was complete by September 1932. Henry Hofmeister designed

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6292-522: The building, as well as several other office buildings in the city that were built over theaters. The building's entrance design, blending in with that of the other buildings in the Radio City section, is marked by three sculptural bas-reliefs created by Robert Garrison for each of the building's three bays, signifying muses of Contemporary Thought, Morning, and Evening. In 1990, Robert Kushner created three bronze sculptures of winged spirits for

6413-539: The buildings provide a foreground for the taller 30 Rockefeller Plaza building behind them. The Channel Gardens separate the British Empire Building and La Maison Francaise. The southernmost of the four retail buildings is La Maison Francaise (literally "the French House") at 610 Fifth Avenue, which opened in October 1933. It is a six-story standalone building with a limestone facade with

6534-409: The buildings were already symbolically landmarks, but their spokesman John E. Zuccotti recommended that only a small section (including the RCA Building, Lower Plaza, and Channel Gardens) should be protected. By contrast, almost everyone else who supported Rockefeller Center's landmark status recommended that the entire complex be landmarked. The LPC granted landmark status to the exteriors of all of

6655-673: The buildings. They worked under the umbrella of "Associated Architects" so none of the buildings could be attributed to any specific firm. The principal builder and "managing agent" was John R. Todd, one of the co-founders of Todd, Robertson and Todd. The principal architect and leader of the Associated Architects was Raymond Hood , a student of the Art Deco architectural movement. The other architects included Harvey Wiley Corbett and Wallace Harrison . L. Andrew Reinhard and Henry Hofmeister had been hired by John Todd as

6776-475: The cancellation of the incongruously designed oval retail building in 1931, while the two retail wings east of the International Building were designed later. The low rectangular structures that replaced the oval building were seen as a more suitable design for the avenue. The current international theme was decided on due to a lack of American tenants willing to rent there; eventually, the structures were occupied by British, French, and Italian interests, although

6897-553: The complex after their leases expired in 1962–1963 because the original complex's buildings did not have air conditioning , while newer office buildings did. As Columbia University still owned the land underneath the complex, they were tasked with installing air conditioning in the buildings. The new building would add emphasis to any north–south views of the center, since the existing complex's building only formed west–east axes. Another problem befell Rockefeller Center's key tenants, NBC and RCA, who were approached by other developers with

7018-413: The complex in the mid-2020s, adding restaurants and stores, and Tishman Speyer refinanced Rockefeller Center in October 2024 with a $ 3.5 billion loan. The current complex is a combination of two building complexes and a standalone building: 13 of the original Art Deco office buildings from the 1930s, one building across 51st Street built in 1947, and a set of four International-style towers built along

7139-402: The complex's eight travel agencies had to move elsewhere because of the war, and William Rhodes Davis , a tenant who shipped oil to Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, was denied a lease renewal in 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Rockefeller Center Inc. terminated all lease agreements with German, Italian, and Japanese tenants because their respective countries comprised

7260-401: The complex's managers determined that they would need to add 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m ) of space in order to house all the prospective tenants. Rockefeller Center was also popular among visitors: for instance, the lines to enter one of the Music Hall's five daily shows stretched from Sixth Avenue and 50th Street to Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, a distance of four blocks. In light of

7381-454: The complex, it was similar in style to the Center Theatre, but at a larger scale. Construction started in December 1931, and the hall opened in December 1932. The 121-foot-high (37 m) Music Hall seats 6,000 people, and since opening has seen over 300 million visitors. Located in a niche adjacent to the neighboring 1270 Avenue of the Americas, the Music Hall is housed under the building's seventh-floor setback. The other building on

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7502-440: The complex, Rockefeller Plaza, was constructed in stages between 1933 and 1937. The complex's famed Christmas tree in the center of the plaza was erected for the first time in December 1933, and the complex's Prometheus statue was constructed in May 1934. By July 1934, the complex had leased 80% of the available space in the six buildings that were already opened. Work on two more internationally themed retail buildings and

7623-426: The complex. Rockefeller Center unveiled plans for expansion to the southwest and north in 1944. Esso (now Exxon) was one of the tenants who wanted to expand, and the company signaled that it would build its own office tower if Rockefeller Center's managers did not construct a building for them. They were given land at the north end of Rockefeller Plaza. In February 1947, the under-construction Esso Building , at

7744-621: The country's first public botanical garden , the Elgin Botanic Garden , on the site. The gardens operated until 1811, and by 1823 the property was under the ownership of Columbia University . Columbia moved its main campus north to Morningside Heights , in Upper Manhattan , by the turn of the century. In 1926, the Metropolitan Opera started looking for locations for a new opera house to replace

7865-405: The eastern side of the block, and its northern and southern elevations contain five setbacks. The exterior also houses an abstract bas-relief created by Naum Gabo . The Center Theatre, at 1236 Sixth Avenue, was the only structure in the original Rockefeller Center to be demolished. Originally the "RKO Roxy Theatre", it was renamed after Fox Theatres sued Roxy Rothafel over the naming rights to

7986-427: The economy. Currently, an estimated 20% of the labor force in the United States is involved in the secondary industry. The secondary sector depends on the primary sector for the raw materials necessary for production. Countries that primarily produce agricultural and other raw materials (i.e., primary sector ) tend to grow slowly and remain either under-developed or developing economies . The value added through

8107-479: The end of the Second World War". According to writer Daniel Okrent , Rockefeller Center was so extensive that it was said that "you could do anything you wanted except sleep (no hotels), pray (no churches), or not pay rent to [John Rockefeller Jr.]". By fall 1939, the complex had 26,000 tenants and 125,000 daily visitors. That year, 1.3 million people went on a guided tour of Rockefeller Center or visited

8228-481: The entire complex to just the complex's western section, and by 1937, only the Radio City Music Hall contained the "Radio City" name. For the project, 228 buildings on the site were razed and some 4,000 tenants relocated. Demolition of the properties began in 1930. All of the buildings' leases had been bought by August 1931, though there were some tenants on the western and southeastern edges of

8349-517: The entire complex, and is located on the eastern side of the block. Opened in 1933 as the RCA Building, the building has been renamed multiple times, first to the GE Building in 1988, after General Electric bought RCA, and then to the Comcast Building in 2014 after Comcast 's purchase of NBCUniversal. 30 Rockefeller Plaza was built as a single structure occupying the entire block between Sixth Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza, and its design

8470-476: The family and individual members' net worth are closed to researchers. From the outset, the family's wealth has been under the complete control of the male members of the dynasty, through the family office. Despite strong-willed wives who had influence over their husbands' decisions—such as the pivotal female figure Abby Aldrich Rockefeller , wife of John D. Rockefeller Jr.—in all cases they received allowances only and were never given even partial responsibility for

8591-411: The family fortune. Much of the wealth has been locked up in the family trust of 1934 (which holds the bulk of the fortune and matures on the death of the fourth generation) and the trust of 1952, both administered by Chase Bank , the corporate successor to Chase Manhattan Bank. These trusts have consisted of shares in the successor companies to Standard Oil and other diversified investments, as well as

8712-779: The family has been a major force in land conservation. Over the generations, it has created more than 20 national parks and open spaces, including the Cloisters , Acadia National Park , Forest Hill Park , the Nature Conservancy , the Rockefeller Forest in California's Humboldt Redwoods State Park (the largest stand of old-growth redwoods), and Grand Teton National Park , among many others. John Jr. , and his son Laurance (and his son Laurance Jr. aka Larry) were particularly prominent in this area. The family

8833-710: The family to over $ 1 billion from 1860 to 1960. Added to this, The New York Times declared in a report in November 2006 that David Rockefeller 's total charitable benefactions amount to about $ 900 million over his lifetime. The combined personal and social connections of the various family members are vast, both in the United States and throughout the world, including the most powerful politicians, royalty, public figures, and chief businessmen. Figures through Standard Oil alone have included Henry Flagler and Henry H. Rogers . Contemporary figures include Henry Kissinger , Richard Parsons (chairman and CEO of Time Warner ), C. Fred Bergsten , Peter G. Peterson (Senior Chairman of

8954-410: The family's considerable real estate holdings. They are administered by a trust committee that oversees the fortune. Management of this fortune today also rests with professional money managers who oversee the principal holding company, Rockefeller Financial Services, which controls all the family's investments. The Rockefeller Center is no longer owned by the family. Its present chairman and patriarch

9075-440: The first half-century of its existence. The major exception was in the 1970s, when it was only 85 percent rented. However, Rockefeller Center was not popular as an entertainment complex, having been used for mainly commercial purposes through its history. The LPC held hearings in 1983 to determine how much of Rockefeller Center should be protected as a landmark. The Rockefeller family and Columbia University acknowledged that

9196-449: The floor area formerly occupied by Sinclair, the U.S. Rubber Company indicated that it wanted to expand its office building into the space that was taken up by the underused theater. In October 1953, it was announced that the theater would be demolished. It was demolished in 1954. Time-Life also wanted to expand, as its existing space in 1 Rockefeller Plaza was also becoming insufficient. In August 1953, Rockefeller Center, Inc., bought

9317-651: The land along Sixth Avenue that had been owned by the Underel Corporation at a cost of $ 5.5 million. Rockefeller Center leased the land back from Columbia until 1973 for $ 200,000 a year. This allowed Columbia to install air conditioning, passing the costs on to the remaining tenants in return for lease extensions. The small Center Theatre was deemed redundant to the Radio City Music Hall, and in its final years, had been used as an NBC and RCA broadcasting space. After NBC and RCA expanded into

9438-505: The land beneath Rockefeller Center. Two years later, Columbia agreed to sell the land to the Rockefeller Group for $ 400 million. The Rockefeller Group immediately set out to modernize many aspects of the complex. The Rainbow Room was closed for a $ 20 million restoration and expansion that brought the restaurant's floor area to 4,500 square feet (420 m ), and it reopened in December 1987. The RCA Building's observation deck

9559-781: The land upon which sits the United Nations headquarters , in New York, in 1946. Earlier, in the 1920s, he had also donated a substantial amount towards the restoration and rehabilitation of major buildings in France after World War I , such as the Rheims Cathedral , the Fontainebleau Palace and the Palace of Versailles , for which he was later (1936) awarded France's highest decoration, the Grand Croix of

9680-446: The larger Radio City Music Hall's activities, it was deemed uneconomical almost from its opening, and was considered redundant by the 1950s. In 1954, it was replaced by the expansion of 1230 Avenue of the Americas. The block immediately to the north, on Sixth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets, is occupied by 30 Rockefeller Plaza and its western annex at 1250 Sixth Avenue. The 70-floor, 872-foot-tall (266 m) building anchors

9801-488: The largest such order at the time. The RKO Building was the first structure to be completed, in September 1932, followed by the Music Hall in December 1932 and the British Empire Building in April 1933. The RCA Building's opening was delayed from May 1 to mid-May because of a controversy over Man at the Crossroads , a painting in the building's lobby, which was later covered up and removed. A new street through

9922-499: The lobby. The RKO Building served as headquarters for its namesake company in the 1930s, and was renamed for the American Metal Climax Company (AMAX), its new owners, in the early 1960s. The International Complex is along Fifth Avenue, with the 41-story International Building and four smaller country-themed structures with retail outlets. The tower and the two southern retail buildings—were planned after

10043-474: The middle of the block between Rockefeller Plaza and Fifth Avenue, contains a central plaza on its east, facing the Fifth Avenue entrance, which contains the famous statue of Atlas. The Palazzo d'Italia and International Building North serve as six-story retail wings of the International Building. The Palazzo d'Italia is at 626 Fifth Avenue, on the south side of the plaza, while International Building North

10164-582: The more prominent of these residences are: Prominent banker David Rockefeller Sr. was the family patriarch until his death in 2017. In 1960, when his brother Nelson Rockefeller was governor of New York, David Sr. successfully pressed for a repeal of a New York state law that restricted Chase Manhattan Bank from operating outside the city. David Sr. was twice offered the post of Treasury secretary by President Richard M. Nixon , but declined on both occasions. In 1979, he used his high-level contacts to bring Mohammad Reza Shah of Iran , who had been overthrown in

10285-529: The nearby Roxy Theatre , which Rothafel had originally managed. The 3,700-seat Center Theatre had a short massing (general shape) in place due to height restrictions at the time, which prohibited construction above theater auditoriums. The theater's stage was enlarged for musicals in 1936, and four years later, 380 seats were removed in order to make way for an ice rink for skating spectaculars. It showed film, musicals, ice-skating competitions, and television through its 21-year existence. Due to its duplication of

10406-431: The north end of Rockefeller Plaza, and four International Style buildings on the west side of Sixth Avenue. In 1928, Columbia University , the owner of the site, leased the land to John D. Rockefeller Jr. , who was the main person behind the complex's construction. Originally envisioned as the site for a new Metropolitan Opera building, the current Rockefeller Center came about after the Met could not afford to move to

10527-555: The north end of the existing property, became part of Rockefeller Center after ownership of the building was transferred from the Haswin Corporation to Rockefeller Center, Inc. The building was topped out the next month. Hugh Robertson stepped down as manager the next year, and he was replaced by Gustav Eyssell. Some tenants, such as the Sinclair Oil Corporation , indicated that they wanted to leave

10648-690: The now abandoned German village Rockenfeld in the early 17th century. The American family branch is descended from Johann Peter Rockefeller (1681-1763), who migrated from the Rhineland to Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania around 1723. In the US, he became a plantation owner and landholder in Somerville , and Amwell, New Jersey . One of the first members of the Rockefeller family in New York

10769-498: The office of Allen Dulles , who would later head the Central Intelligence Agency . Rockefeller Center only became profitable after the last building in the original complex was completed. The complex had incurred $ 26 million in debt by 1935, which had increased to $ 39 million by 1940. However, the complex was already 87% rented by 1940, and by the next year, Rockefeller Center was nearly fully rented, making

10890-433: The original complex's buildings, as well as the interiors of the International Building's and 30 Rockefeller Plaza's lobbies, on April 23, 1985. In its approval of the complex's landmark status, the commission wrote, "Rockefeller Center ranks among the grandest architectural projects ever undertaken in the United States". The buildings became a National Historic Landmark two years later. The United States Department of

11011-693: The papers of Laurance Rockefeller are also open. In addition, the Archive Center has a microfilm copy of the Winthrop Rockefeller papers, the originals of which are held at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. The papers of the family office, known as the Office of the Messrs. Rockefeller, are also open for research, although those portions that relate to living family members are closed. The total number of blood relative descendants as of 2006

11132-469: The plot who refused to leave their property, and Rockefeller Center was built around these buildings . Excavation of the Sixth Avenue side of the complex began in July 1931, and construction on the first buildings, Radio City Music Hall and the Center Theatre , began later that year. Fourteen million cubic feet (400,000 m ) of Indiana Limestone were ordered for the project in December 1931,

11253-482: The promise of more leasable space, a commodity that was scarce in the fully leased complex. These problems were pushed aside temporarily by the onset of the Korean War in 1950. By 1951, Columbia had acquiesced to reimbursing Rockefeller Center, Inc., for AC installation, while NBC and RCA were given permission to use the Center Theatre for extra broadcasting space. In 1949, in the face of a shrinking congregation,

11374-458: The property for $ 1.85 billion. The original center has several sections. Radio City, along Sixth Avenue and centered on 30 Rockefeller Plaza , includes Radio City Music Hall and was built for RCA 's radio-related enterprises such as NBC . The International Complex along Fifth Avenue was built to house foreign-based tenants. The remainder of the original complex originally hosted printed media as well as Eastern Air Lines . While 600 Fifth Avenue

11495-593: The proposed new building. Various plans were discussed before the current one was approved in 1932. Construction of Rockefeller Center started in 1931, and the first buildings opened in 1933. The core of the complex was completed by 1939. Described as one of the greatest projects of the Great Depression era, Rockefeller Center became a New York City designated landmark in 1985 and a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The complex and associated land has been controlled since 2000 by Tishman Speyer , which bought

11616-530: The setback, rooftop garden, and half-penthouse. The 512-foot (156 m) International Building has the address 630 Fifth Avenue to its east, or 45 Rockefeller Plaza to its west. The tower stands at 41 stories high, including mechanical floors. One of two skyscrapers that opened in Manhattan in 1935, it was noted for its short 136-day duration of construction, as well as the construction quality, overall design, and materials used. The building, located in

11737-480: The size of three standard blocks. One of the landmark buildings' defining features is the Indiana limestone facade possessed by all 14 structures, as specified in the original plans. All of the structures were designed by Associated Architects, with Raymond Hood as the principal architect, and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The east side of Sixth Avenue, officially known as Avenue of

11858-555: The source of the family wealth is fossil fuels, we feel an enormous moral responsibility for our children, for everyone -- to move forward." The Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced it was divesting from fossil fuels in September 2014, the Rockefeller Family Fund announced plans to divest in March 2016, and the Rockefeller Foundation pledged to dump their fossil fuel holdings in December 2020. With

11979-439: The southern block that had been used for vehicle parking. Eleven buildings had been completed by 1937 at a total cost of over $ 100 million. A building for Associated Press on the northern block's empty lot, which had been reserved for the Metropolitan Opera house, was topped out by June 1938 and occupied by December of that year. The presence of Associated Press and Time Inc. expanded Rockefeller Center's scope from strictly

12100-487: The southernmost block of the complex along Sixth Avenue, between 48th and 49th streets, contains the former U.S. Rubber Company Building (now Simon & Schuster Building) at 1230 Avenue of the Americas. The last structure in the original complex to be built, it was topped out in November 1939. The 23-story building contains two 7-story wings on its north and south sides. It was renamed after Uniroyal in 1967, and again after Simon & Schuster in 1976. 1230 Avenue of

12221-505: The successors to his company Standard Oil , for their record on climate change. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Rockefeller Family Fund both backed reports suggesting that ExxonMobil knew more about the threat of global warming than it had disclosed. David Kaiser , grandson of David Rockefeller Sr. and president of the Rockefeller Family Fund, said that the "...company seems to be morally bankrupt." Valerie Rockefeller Wayne, daughter of former Senator Jay Rockefeller , said, "Because

12342-628: The tower since the beginning. A preservation dispute arose in May 1998, when the owners announced plans to enlarge shop windows on the center's Fifth Avenue buildings to two stories. These windows were reduced in size upon the LPC's request, and the modifications were approved in September 1998. Due to the decline of the newsreel theater industry, the Guild was shuttered in late 1999 after Tishman Speyer decided not to renew its lease. Tishman Speyer , led by David Rockefeller's close friend Jerry Speyer and

12463-548: The tower was completed by 1952. The building was named after the Sinclair Oil Company, who leased eight floors. As a result of Sinclair's relocation to 600 Fifth Avenue, as well as Esso's relocation to 75 Rockefeller Plaza, NBC and RCA could expand into the space that Sinclair and Esso formerly occupied in the original complex, and they moved out of the Center Theatre shortly after the Sinclair Oil Company moved into its own tower. In mid-1953, Columbia bought all of

12584-553: The transformation of raw materials into finished goods reliably generates greater profitability , which underlies the faster growth of developed economies . The twenty largest countries by industrial output (in PPP terms) at peak level as of 2020, according to the IMF and CIA World Factbook . 22nd This industry -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center

12705-411: The two structures were renovated all at once because their space was largely vacant. Rockefeller Center Inc. renewed their lease on the complex in 1973. Through the 1960s, the Music Hall was successful regardless of the status of the city's economic, business, or entertainment sectors as a whole. However, by the early 1970s, the proliferation of closed-captioned foreign movies had reduced attendance at

12826-554: The venture wanted to construct a hotel to the west of 75 Rockefeller Center, but ultimately, a glass-and-concrete 43-story office building was built on the site. In 1961, the building was named after Sperry Corporation , who leased eight floors in the future building. The hotel, New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center , was built two blocks north in 1963. 600 Fifth Avenue was sold to Rockefeller Center's managers in 1963, thus officially becoming part of Rockefeller Center. The same year, officials from Esso (later renamed Exxon ) proposed

12947-583: The west side of Avenue of the Americas during the 1960s and 1970s. The center spans 22 acres (8.9 ha) in total, with some 17,000,000 square feet (1,600,000 m ) in office space. The landmarked buildings comprise 12 acres (49,000 m ) in Midtown, bounded by Fifth and Sixth avenues between 48th and 51st streets. Built as a cohesive unit, the buildings have been owned by Tishman Speyer since 2000. The buildings are spread along six blocks, with three blocks facing each avenue. These six blocks are

13068-419: The western part of the base at 1250 Avenue of the Americas. As an icon of the complex, 30 Rockefeller Plaza's architecture influenced the design of the rest of the complex, with its limestone facade and Gothic -inspired four-leafed spandrels . Radio City Music Hall at 1260 Avenue of the Americas, occupying the southwestern portion of the block between 50th and 51st streets. The only remaining theater in

13189-399: Was a devout Northern Baptist , and he supported many church-based institutions. While the Rockefeller family are mostly Baptists , some of the Rockefellers were Episcopalians . The combined wealth of the family—their total assets and investments plus the individual wealth of its members—has never been known with any precision. The records of the family archives relating to both

13310-569: Was about 150. An article in The New York Times in 1937 stated that William Rockefeller had, at that time, 28 great-grandchildren. The following is a list of figures closely aligned with or subordinate to the Rockefeller family. The following is a list of businesses in which the Rockefeller family have held a controlling or otherwise significant interest. The following is a list of philanthropies and other non-profit institutions which were made by or have otherwise been closely tied to

13431-734: Was built after the other buildings in the main complex, opening in 1952. The 28-story tower was once also known as the Sinclair Oil Building and the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company Building. Its L-shaped footprint surrounds another building at the corner of 49th Street and Fifth Avenue, such that it fronts 200 feet (61 m) on 48th Street, 100 feet (30 m) on Fifth Avenue, but only 63 feet (19 m) midblock on 49th Street. Carson and Lundin designed 600 Fifth Avenue, along with 666 Fifth Avenue three blocks north, to complement

13552-618: Was built as a 16-story slab, basically a miniature version of 1 Rockefeller. 10 Rockefeller's six-story parking garage was the first in Rockefeller Center. Notable modern tenants include the Today Show studios, and since 2005, the Nintendo New York store. 50 Rockefeller Plaza, formerly the Associated Press Building, is located on the west side of Rockefeller Plaza between 50th and 51st streets. It

13673-498: Was businessman William A. Rockefeller Sr. , who was born to a Protestant family in Granger, New York . He had six children with his first wife Eliza Davison, a daughter of a Scots-Irish farmer, the most prominent of which were oil tycoons John D. Rockefeller and William A. Rockefeller Jr. , the co-founders of Standard Oil . John D. Rockefeller (known as "Senior", as opposed to his son John D. Rockefeller Jr. , known as "Junior")

13794-476: Was constructed in the spring of 1938. The only building in the Center built to the outer limits of its lot line, the 15-story building took its shape from Associated Press's need for a single, undivided, loft-like newsroom as large as the lot could accommodate—namely, a 200-by-187-foot (61 by 57 m) blocky structure with no setbacks. 600 Fifth Avenue is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 48th Street and

13915-548: Was formally announced in August 1967. Three months later, officials also announced plans for a tower housing McGraw-Hill , located one block south at 1221 Avenue of the Americas . Plans for a tower anchored by Celanese , to be located at 1211 Avenue of the Americas between 47th and 48th streets, would not be revealed until 1970. The Exxon Building opened in 1971, followed by the McGraw-Hill Building in 1973 and

14036-607: Was honoured for its conservation efforts in November 2005, by the National Audubon Society , one of the United States' largest and oldest conservation organizations, at which over 30 family members attended. At the event, the society's president, John Flicker, stated: "Cumulatively, no other family in America has made the contribution to conservation that the Rockefeller family has made". In 2016 fifth-generation descendants of John Sr. criticized ExxonMobil , one of

14157-411: Was influenced by John Todd's desire for the building to use its air rights to their maximum potential. It has three main segments: the 66-story tower rising from the eastern part of the base with the famous Rainbow Room restaurant on the 65th floor, and, formerly, the Rockefeller family office; a windowless segment in the middle of the base that houses NBC Studios ; and a shorter 16-story tower on

14278-458: Was not completed until October 1940. The construction of the project employed between 40,000 and 60,000 people. The complex was the largest private building project ever undertaken in contemporary times. Architectural historian Carol Herselle Krinsky describes the center as "the only large private permanent construction project planned and executed between the start of the Depression and

14399-490: Was partially occupied by the Center Theatre. The United States Rubber Company agreed to occupy the plot. and excavation of the U.S. Rubber Company Building site commenced in May 1939. John Rockefeller installed the building's ceremonial final rivet on November 1, 1939, marking the completion of the original complex. However, although the final rivet had been driven, the Eastern Air Lines Building

14520-520: Was set up in the Lower Plaza from April to October. In addition, 19 eateries opened within Rockefeller Center during the early 2020s, including 12 sit-down restaurants . In April 2023, Tishman Speyer proposed renovating ten of 10 Rockefeller Plaza's upper stories into a 130-room hotel. At the time, 93 percent of the complex's office space was leased, but the offices were largely empty during workdays. An event venue named Hero opened at Rockefeller Center that November. The Rockefeller Group also renovated

14641-594: Was subsequently closed because the Rainbow Room's expansion eliminated the only passageway to the observatory's elevator bank. In mid-1988, the RCA Building was renamed the GE Building. Mitsubishi Estate , a real estate company of the Mitsubishi Group , purchased the Rockefeller Group in 1989. The Rockefeller Group filed for bankruptcy protection in May 1995 after missing several mortgage payments. That November, John Rockefeller Jr.'s son David and

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