NEW YORK l The Larkin Tower l 1,208 FT / 368 M | 1926 | 108 FLOORS | NEVER BUILT

ethereal_reality · #1 Posted **Apr 15, 2008, 6:45 PM**

New York City 1926

interesting info:

The Book Tower in Detroit mentioned above was scaled back to a shorter height.

below is the original Book Tower proposal for Detroit.

Only the shorter portion of the proposal was built (the tower on the right).
It stands abandoned in downtown Detroit.
It is still a great looking building.

Ducov · #2 Posted **Apr 15, 2008, 7:16 PM**

The Larkin tower was incredible, I just don't see how most of the top stories could be viable, it looked as if there floor plan was only slightly bigger than the room I'm in now, and considering you would need a portion of that for some sort of access shaft between the floors, even it were just a spiral staircase - what could they be used for?

And thanks for posting the book tower image, I found out about it years ago, but images of it are no where to be found now.

Can I just ask, you seem to have access to a lot of high quality photos from this era, I was just wondering do you collect them, or scan them from books?

ethereal_reality · #3 Posted **Apr 15, 2008, 9:11 PM**

Hey Ducov
I'm doing research for a book. I sift through thousands of photographs daily.

I find alot of them on ebay...often mislabeled or with no information at all.
I can go days without finding anything....then I'll find a treasure trove of obscure snapshots
hidden in a familly album or what not.

I'm glad you appreciate them.

Ducov · #4 Posted **Apr 15, 2008, 10:29 PM**

cool, what's the book going to be about?

Patrick · #5 Posted **Apr 15, 2008, 11:55 PM**

I'm a little so/so about the Larkin Tower, I mean its really all not that special, a real plain design. Although It wouldnt be a bad thing to see it built. I wonder what It would look like in modern day NYC.

Can someone post a thread including all the cancelled Detroit Towers, I remember seeing a few back then and being amazed, I want to see more!

Lost Island · #6 Posted **Apr 16, 2008, 3:48 AM**

The design isn't shapeless, but at the same time, so uninspired.

Swede · #7 Posted **Apr 16, 2008, 6:15 AM**

The massing of the set-backs are weird and the top few floors look kinda small. Other than that it's pretty nice. Would be fun to see a Manhattan skyline with all these unbuilt projects (that were realistic and not just architects visions) photoshopped in. My skills are woefully inadequat for that, sadly.

canucklehead2 · #8 Posted **Apr 16, 2008, 2:13 PM**

Does anyone have a photo of the current site of the Book Tower? To me it would be really cool if one day they actually build the 81 floor second tower...

ethereal_reality · #9 Posted **Apr 16, 2008, 2:52 PM**

Here is the current Book Tower.

photographer unknown

NYguy · #10 Posted **Apr 16, 2008, 7:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

New York City 1926

Another one from history. I wonder how this would have affected the Chrysler and Empire State buildings.

Aleks · #11 Posted **Apr 17, 2008, 12:54 AM**

It would've made both seem more beautiful compared to this.

ethereal_reality · #12 Posted **Apr 17, 2008, 1:38 AM**

^^^
I agree actually...the Larkin Tower design is simply telescoping.
It's VERY boring.
The equivalent in Chicago is the Miglin-Beitler Tower proposal.

Wrightguy0 · #13 Posted **Apr 17, 2008, 1:52 AM**

remember, this was pre art deco, so no decorations, cool, but a mistake for new york, I would have taken it to the thid tower segment then capped it in a way similar to 40 wall

ramvid01 · #14 Posted **Apr 17, 2008, 3:54 AM**

Would be right where the Port Authority Bus terminal stands and the McGraw Hill Building.

Jibba · #15 Posted **Apr 17, 2008, 5:52 AM**

This one sort of awkwardly and unassuredly stumbles towards the sky. It wouls have been an impressive structure, especially given the time period, but I can't say that I'm terribly upset that this was never built.

antinimby · #16 Posted **May 25, 2008, 1:46 AM**

Lecom · #17 Posted **May 27, 2008, 5:29 AM**

Despite the sort of awkward massing, it has that classic, Gotham look to it. What a shame that it was scrapped.

DecoJim · #18 Posted **Jul 1, 2008, 6:44 PM**

I remember seeing the Larkin image in an old architecture book many years ago and being unimpressed even then when compared to the other New York skyscrapers that were actually built. There is little excuse for the banal design of the Larkin Tower. Art Deco was coming into vogue at that time - starting with the Exposition internationale des arts décoratif et industriels modernes held in Paris in 1925.

The mention of the 2nd Book Tower in the Larkin announcement is very interesting since it shows how close the Detroit project was to actuality.

By the way Detroit's Book tower is not abandoned. It has changed hands twice since 2005 and is now owned by KSI Capital Corp.; however, I imagine that vacancy rates are fairly high due to the maintenance problems with the elevators and electrical system. Plus the building facade has never been cleaned (at least while I have been alive).

DecoJim · #19 Posted **Jul 1, 2008, 6:49 PM**

Here is a link to a nigh-time photo of the Book Tower taken recently:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanm/...n/photostream/
Photo by Flickr member Alan M.

There are lights on in the building - not a lot- but some.

Lecom · #20 Posted **Jul 1, 2008, 8:23 PM**

Wonder if it would've gotten an antenna in the 50's, with the small floors by the top outfitted with communications equipment.