This 37-story building was started in January of 1931 by its developer, the H. K. Ferguson Company of Cleveland, and completed in 1938 by Caughey & Evans. Initially a rental apartment building, it was converted to a Cooperative building in 1949.
Standing with confidence amidst the more uniformly designed neighboring buildings, the Hampshire House is an architectural icon, tastefully conveying a brilliant synthesis of the finest design elements of the post depression era. With a steep copper roof and twin chimneys, the crown of the Hampshire House is a clear reference to the design of the Savoy-Plaza. The dormers below are Spanish Baroque, and the base of the building with its rusticated white marble walls, aluminum fixtures, and polished black granite trim are a stylish example of Modern Classicism. In addition to its signature roof, the Hampshire House is characterized by its glistening white brick, and an unusual cascade of setbacks attached to a rectangular tower that rise from the back of the property.
No other city in the modern world offers such a vast array of architectural styles as New York City. The Savoy-Plaza was designed in a neo-Classical/French Renaissance style by McKim, Meade & White on the present site of the General Motors Building across from the Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue. The Savoy-Plaza made the southeast corner of Central Park the city’s most elegant enclave, tying together the formal elegance of The Plaza and Bergdorf Goodman with a massive, elegant tower noted for its pitched roof. Only the former Pennsylvania Station and the Singer Building on Lower Broadway were greater architectural losses in the city in the 20th Century. Theme parks such as the South Street seaport have replaced what were once landmark developments and buildings.
The Hampshire House dons a canopied entrance with a revolving door, a health club, a doorman and front desk, and an impressive list of amenities. Located in the epicenter of Manhattan, it is convenient to public transportation, shopping, and restaurants and has spectacular views. It is located on Central Park South near the main entrance to the park – an icon unto itself often referred as the ‘Heart of Manhattan’. Central Park South is considered one of the most inspiring combinations of architecture, landscape design, and urban planning around the globe.