Ansonia Hotel ARCHITECT: Paul E. M. DuBoy DATE: 1899-1904 STYLE: French Beaux-Arts
This apartment-hotel in the grand French Beaux-Arts style occupies the entire blockfront on the West side of Broadway between 73rd and 74th Streets. It rises on its conspicuous site to a height of seventeen stories. Built at the turn of the century, with over three hundred suites, it was at that time one of the largest apartment-hotels in the world.
The Ansonia is a symbol of an era of opulence and elegance, and still stands as one of the truly grand buildings of Manhattan’s West Side. The most striking features of this vast structure are the corner towers on Broadway, with their domes and railings, which rise slightly above and repeat the theme of the three story convex mansard roof that crowns the building. Another noticeable feature, the result of a plan which provides maximum light and air, is a series of recessed courts: two on the north side, two on the south side and one on Broadway.