140 Broadway

Office skyscraper in Manhattan, New York HSBC Building, New York the tower in Midtown Manhattan HSBC Tower (Midtown Manhattan) other HSBC Buildings HSBC Building (disambiguation) September 2025 May 2020 140 Broadway Marine Midland Building HSBC Bank Building 140 Broadway 001.jpg 200px The western facade viewed from the ground in February 2023 1964 1967 140 BroadwayManhattan, New York 10005U.S. Complete 688 ft m on 52 111,805 m2 ft2 on Gordon Bunshaft (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill) International Style James Ruderman Union Investment yes 40 42 31 N 74 00 36 W inline,title yes NYCL June 25, 2013 2530 140 Broadway (formerly known as the Marine Midland Building or the HSBC Bank Building) is a 51-story International Style office building on the east side of Broadway between Cedar and Liberty streets in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City. The building was designed by Gordon Bunshaft, of the firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and consists of a mostly smooth black facade on a trapezoidal plot. It is approximately 688 ft m tall, with approximately 1.17 e6sqft sqm pre rentable. It is known for the distinctive sculpture at its entrance, Isamu Noguchi's Cube. The developer Erwin S. Wolfson acquired the site in several stages between 1952 and 1961. Initial plans called for a 36-story monolith, but when Wolfson died, the architects modified their plans to a 51-story tower, which occupied only two-fifths of the block and conformed to the 1961 Zoning Resolution. The building was erected between late 1964 and 1967 and was originally known for its main tenant, the Marine Midland Corporation (later part of HSBC). Several early tenants were affiliated with the financial industry, including banking and accounting firms. In 1998, the building was sold to Silverstein Properties, which undertook a major renovation. The primary tenant of the building since 2002 is Brown Brothers Harriman, filling a vacancy left after HSBC relocated in 2001. The building has been owned by Union Investment since 2004, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building as a city landmark in 2013. Reviews of the building among architecture critics have been largely positive, with several praising the structure's smooth black facade. Site 140 Broadway is located on an entire city block bounded to the west by Broadway, to the north by Liberty Street, to the east by Nassau Street, and to the south by Cedar Street.NYCityMap http://maps.nyc.gov/ NYC.gov New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications March 20, 2020 February 19, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210219214900/http://maps.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/ liveLandmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 2 The block is an irregular trapezoid, with all of its frontages being of different lengths. The block measures 144 ft along Broadway, 318 ft along Liberty Street, 184 ft along Nassau Street, and 301 ft along Cedar Street. The building occupies two-fifths of the block, with dimensions of between 87 and 209 ft.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 3–4Stern Mellins Fishman 1995 . 179 Its footprint is rhomboid, matching the shape of the block.Nash Eric Manhattan Skyscrapers https://archive.org/details/manhattanskyscra00nash_0 registration Princeton Architectural Press 2005 978-1-56898-652-4 121 407907000 Roger N. Radford, the leader of the team that designed 140 Broadway,Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 3 stated that many of the tenants he knew were unaware of the building's "funny shape".. Oral History 2008 87 Within 140 Broadway's immediate surroundings are One Liberty Plaza to the northwest; the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York and the Liberty Tower to the north; the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Building to the northeast; 28 Liberty Street to the east; the Equitable Building to the south; the Trinity and United States Realty Buildings to the southwest; and Zuccotti Park to the west.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 4–5 Trinity Church and Wall Street are located two blocks south. Former buildings 800 center 200px Center Former buildings at 140 Broadway New York Clearing House.png The New York Clearing House at 77-81 Cedar Street National Bank of Commerce, New-York.jpg The National Bank of Commerce at 31-33 Nassau Street Guaranty Trust Building.jpg The Guaranty Trust Building, the original 140 Broadway American Exchange National Bank.jpg The American Exchange National Bank at 128 Broadway The six plots on the block had been owned by different entities including The Clearing House, the National Bank of Commerce, and the Guaranty Trust Company (later part of J.P. Morgan & Co.), and had five buildings between nine and nineteen stories tall. The plots were combined under a common ownership between 1952 and 1962. The Guaranty Trust Company acquired 140 Broadway, then consisting of just the southeast corner of Broadway and Liberty Street, in 1911.1911-05-05 To Erect New Building https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-to-erect-new-building/176913553/ 2025-07-18 New-York Tribune 131911-08-02 The Real Estate Market https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sun-the-real-estate-market/176913866/ 2025-07-18 The Sun 7 Guaranty Trust also obtained part of the adjacent 132 Broadway to the south.1911-08-02 The Real Estate Field https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-the-real-estate-field/176913719/ 2025-07-18 The New York Times 13 The 7-story Mutual Life Insurance Building, designed by York & Sawyer in a neoclassical style,1911-11-09 The Real Estate Field https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-the-real-estate-field/176913903/ 2025-07-18 The New York Times 16 was constructed on the site in 1912.1912-11-10 New Downtown Offices for 25,000 Business Men https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sun-new-downtown-offices-for-25000/176914100/ 2025-07-18 The Sun 1, 4 The American Exchange National Bank had occupied the site at 128 Broadway (at the corner with Cedar Street) since 1857–1858.Dec 6, 1900 Financial Items. The Independent ... Devoted to the Consideration of Politics, Social and Economic Tendencies, History, Literature, and the Arts 2948 52 2714 90489327Sep 1928 American Exchange Sells Building at 128 Broadway Bankers' Magazine 483 117 3 124382018 The American Exchange National Bank Building, a 16-story early skyscraper, was built there in 1900.1900-05-16 News of the Railroads; Pennsylvania Offices to be Moved to New York. A Floor Secured in the American Exchange National Bank Building, Which Is Now Being Erected. https://www.nytimes.com/1900/05/16/archives/news-of-the-railroads-pennsylvania-offices-to-be-moved-to-new-york.html 2025-07-18 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 The exterior was made of granite and Indiana limestone, while the interior was made of marble. To the south, a 5-story commercial building had existed at 130 Broadway since the mid-19th century; this structure had a Victorian design with a limestone facade. In 1912, the American Exchange Bank purchased the building and demolished it to enlarge their own building.American Exchange National Bank Building, Broadway and Cedar Street - 1913 https://www.geographicguide.com/united-states/nyc/antique/broadway/cedar-street.htm#:~:text=1896%2C%20corner%20of%20Nassau%20Street,see%20the%20original%20building 18 July 2025 geographicguide In 1928, the buildings were sold to the Guaranty Trust Company, after the American Exchange Bank's merger with the Irving Trust Company.3 Aug 1928 Irving Trust Sells Building On Broadway: Guaranty Trust Co. Squares Out Holdings by Purchase of Tall Structure at 128 New York Herald Tribune 30 1941-0646 1113540973 At 77–81 Cedar Street was the New York Clearing House Building, the site for which was acquired in 1893.1893-12-30 Clearing House's New Site https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-clearing-houses-new-si/176914919/ 2025-07-18 New-York Tribune 101893-12-30 Site for the New Clearing House; Nos. 77, 79, and 81 Cedar Street Bought for $375,000 -- Old Building to be Sold. https://www.nytimes.com/1893/12/30/archives/site-for-the-new-clearing-house-nos-77-79-and-81-cedar-street.html 2025-07-18 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 The Clearing House commissioned Robert W. Gibson in 1894 to design an Italian Renaissance structure made of white marble. The building was three stories high, with a domed roof, Corinthian colonnaded lower stories, and statues on the third story of the facade.1894-07-22 Temple of the Financiers; New Building Designed for the Clearing HousE. Italian Renaissance in Style, White Marble in Material, and Seventy-five Feet in Height -- How the Three Stories Are to be Occupied -- The Edifice Is to be Detached and Separate in Character -- Much Activity in the Preparatory Work. https://www.nytimes.com/1894/07/22/archives/temple-of-the-financiers-new-building-designed-for-the-clearing.html 2025-07-18 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 The National Bank of Commerce began developing another early skyscraper, this one 18 stories, at 31-33 Nassau Street (at the corner with Cedar Street) in 1896. The structure was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by James B. Baker and was made of granite, brick, and terracotta.1896-08-09 The National Bank of Commerce https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-the-national-bank-of/176915194/ 2025-07-18 The New York Times 20 Sculptor Karl Bitter carved two large figures above the main entrance,Miller Tom The Lost Bank of Commerce - 31 Nassau Street https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-lost-bank-of-commerce-31-nassau.html#:~:text=On%20May%201%2C%201896%2C%20the,at%20Nassau%20and%20Liberty%20Streets 18 July 2025 daytoninmanhattan April 7, 2025 which generated controversy due to their being nude.21 Mar 1897 The Figure Boarded Up: Bald-headed Men Gazed at It in Admiration It Was Placed in Position on the Building of the National Bank of Commerce and Attracted a Crowd That Made Nassau-st. Impassable--a Report That Mr. Comstock Had Interfered Denied New-York Tribune 10 1941-0646 574280021 Architecture 140 Broadway was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in the International Style, with Gordon Bunshaft as the lead on the project.. Krinsky 1988 161Emporis HSBC Bank Building http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=hsbcbankbuilding-newyorkcity-ny-usa May 2, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20080315085835/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=hsbcbankbuilding-newyorkcity-ny-usa March 15, 2008 usurped It was erected by the Diesel Construction Company, co-founded by prolific real-estate developer Erwin S. Wolfson,Wolfson's other projects included 100 Church Street, 529 Fifth Avenue, and the MetLife Building. and led by Carl Morse at the time of the building's construction.Fowler Glenn November 16, 1989 Carl Morse, a Builder, Dies at 83; Helped Shape New York's Skyline en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/16/obituaries/carl-morse-a-builder-dies-at-83-helped-shape-new-york-s-skyline.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20171221014522/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/16/obituaries/carl-morse-a-builder-dies-at-83-helped-shape-new-york-s-skyline.html December 21, 2017 live Roger N. Radford was the design team's leader; Allan Labie was the project manager; Bradley B. Sullivan was the job captain; and James Ruderman was the structural engineer.January 28, 1966 James Ruderman Is Dead; Designer of Largest Buildings; New York Structures He Laid Out Contain 40-Million Square Feet of Space en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1966/01/28/archives/james-ruderman-is-dead-designer-of-largest-buildings-new-york.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20180305052240/https://www.nytimes.com/1966/01/28/archives/james-ruderman-is-dead-designer-of-largest-buildings-new-york.html March 5, 2018 live Thomas Crimmins Construction Company were hired to excavate the site,Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 5 and U.S. Steel provided the steel.Porterfield Byron May 29, 1966 Construction Crews Muffling Sounds of Work on Broadway; A Quiet Tower Downtown Nears Topping-Out Stage en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1966/05/29/archives/construction-crews-muffling-sounds-of-work-on-broadway-a-quiet.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103140543/https://www.nytimes.com/1966/05/29/archives/construction-crews-muffling-sounds-of-work-on-broadway-a-quiet.html live 140 Broadway contains 51 stories and measures either 677 ft or 688 ft tall. It has about 21,000 to 24,000 ft2 on each floor, or 1.2 e6ft2 total.Rothstein Mervyn February 3, 1999 Commercial Real Estate; Downtown Tower Gets a New Look en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/03/nyregion/commercial-real-estate-downtown-tower-gets-a-new-look.html live May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20191001001926/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/03/nyregion/commercial-real-estate-downtown-tower-gets-a-new-look.html October 1, 2019 The structure uses a frame weighing 14000 ST LT t. Because of 140 Broadway's energy efficiency, the U.S. Green Building Council has certified 140 Broadway as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold structure.140 Broadway U.S. Green Building Council February 13, 2018 https://www.usgbc.org/projects/140-broadway-3 April 1, 2020 March 17, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220317122111/https://www.usgbc.org/projects/140-broadway-3 live Inside the building are open plan offices, illuminated by sunlight from the large windows on the facade; some offices have curved walls. There is an amenity space with a pool room, a snack bar, and 100-person meeting room that could be subdivided.Schiavo Amanda 2025-07-23 140 Broadway's Amenity Space Was Designed With the Cool Kids in Mind https://commercialobserver.com/2025/07/the-plan-140-broadway/ 2026-01-22 Commercial Observer Form and facade The New York City Department of City Planning passed the 1961 Zoning Resolution in October 1960,Bennett Charles G. October 19, 1960 Planners Adopt New City Zoning; Resolution Goes to Board of Estimate for Final Vote en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1960/10/19/archives/planners-adopt-new-city-zoning-resolution-goes-to-board-of-estimate.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103115648/https://www.nytimes.com/1960/10/19/archives/planners-adopt-new-city-zoning-resolution-goes-to-board-of-estimate.html live and the new zoning rules became effective in December 1961, superseding the 1916 Zoning Resolution.December 15, 1961 New Zoning Code Goes into Effect en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1961/12/15/archives/new-zoning-code-goes-into-effect.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103115753/https://www.nytimes.com/1961/12/15/archives/new-zoning-code-goes-into-effect.html live Rather than the inclusion of setbacks that the old zoning laws had encouraged, the new zoning laws allowed skyscrapers to have a bulky massing with additional floor area, in exchange for the inclusion of ground-level open spaces. 140 Broadway's design strictly adhered to the 1961 law; according to Radford, the law "force[d] the mass of the building toward the center of the site".Dixon 1968 . 39 Harry Helmsley, who took over the building's development after Wolfson's death, sought to emphasize the building's vertical axis. As a result, Radford decided to emphasize the vertical window-washing tracks along the black-aluminum facade. The facade is otherwise smooth, with dark glass panels as well as slightly textured aluminum window trim. The western facade has three vertical bays of six windows each, while the eastern facade has four bays of six windows. The northern and southern facades each have seven bays of six windows. Little else was attached to the facade, except for signs with the number 140 on both faces of either southern corner, as well as the name of the Marine Midland Bank on the Broadway and Cedar Street sides. There are numerous revolving doors on all four sides that provide access to the building.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 8 Initial plans called for a rectangular building with a light-gray, grid-like facade made of concrete or aluminum.This would have been similar to Houston's First City National Bank Building, New Orleans's K&B Plaza, and Midtown Manhattan's 500 Park Avenue, all designed by SOM. The building had been redesigned by 1965 to have a smooth facade that harmonized with the surrounding masonry buildings while standing out from its surroundings. One critic wrote that the previous design had 140 Broadway as "a little brother to [28 Liberty Street] in the same shiny finish", which he said "would have looked like a poor relation."Dixon 1968 . 43 Another compared the new plan to contemporary graphic design and Ad Reinhardt's "black" paintings.. Krinsky 1988 162 The design of 140 Broadway's facade was also patterned after the Equitable Life Assurance Building, designed by Pietro Belluschi in Portland, Oregon. Plaza left|thumb|The Cube 140 Broadway is set back 80 ft from the curb on Broadway, 30 ft from Cedar Street's curb, and 25 ft from Liberty Street's curb. A public plaza is located in this intermediate space and is made of tiled white travertine. An entrance to the New York City Subway's Broad Street station existed on the plaza's southeast corner but was removed by 1999.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 5, 10 A granite monument to Harry Helmsley was located at the plaza's southwest corner, this has since been replaced by a plaque in the monument's footprint. The sidewalks on all sides of 140 Broadway are 20 ft wide and are maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation rather than the building's owners, but are sometimes considered part of the plaza.Revised designs revealed for the modernist plaza at SOM's 140 Broadway https://archpaper.com/2018/03/revised-designs-140-broadway-revealed/ Wachs Audrey March 15, 2018 Archpaper.com en-US live https://web.archive.org/web/20180317063733/https://archpaper.com/2018/03/revised-designs-140-broadway-revealed/ March 17, 2018 May 1, 2020 The Cube According to Radford, Bunshaft suggested that Isamu Noguchi be involved with the project.Oral History 2008 . 88Stern Mellins Fishman 1995 . 179–180 During the building's construction, Noguchi was commissioned to create a sculpture for the portion of the plaza facing Broadway. He had originally proposed a "megalith" or a "cluster of primitivisitic monoliths".Dixon 1968 . 41 However, Helmsley felt that the "megalith" would have cost too much.Stern Mellins Fishman 1995 . 180 Subsequently, Bunshaft had suggested combining Noguchi's "series of rocks" into a single block. Noguchi's final sculpture, titled The Cube, was installed in 1968. It is a vermilion-hued rhombohedron with a cylindrical hole through its center, standing upon one corner and measuring 28 ft tall.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 5, 739 The Cube is located off-center, on the north side of the plaza, contrasting with 140 Broadway's dark facade while turning viewers' attention toward the surrounding plaza.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 6 Like 140 Broadway, it was detailed by SOM and has an aluminum frame.. Krinsky 1988 163 Bunshaft praised The Cube as "work[ing] beautifully with the building [in] every way",Schonberg Harold C. April 14, 1968 Isamu Noguchi, A Kind of Throwback; A Kind of Throwback (Cont.) en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1968/04/14/archives/isamu-noguchi-a-kind-of-throwback-a-kind-of-throwback-cont.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103145236/https://www.nytimes.com/1968/04/14/archives/isamu-noguchi-a-kind-of-throwback-a-kind-of-throwback-cont.html live while Metropolitan Museum of Art director Thomas Hoving said that the cube was a sign of "change in public taste".Hoving Thomas January 1970 The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_Bulletin_v_28_no_5_January_1970 28 5 203 May 1, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200503223654/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_Bulletin_v_28_no_5_January_1970 May 3, 2020 live History Planning and construction thumb|Viewed from Broadway and Cedar Street In August 1961, Wolfson purchased the entire city block bounded by Cedar, Liberty, and Nassau Streets, and Broadway. The assemblage consisted of six plots owned by J.P. Morgan, who had acquired five of the plots from other landowners. At the time, Wolfson was planning a 32-story building on the site, a bulky mass that would conform with the 1961 Zoning Resolution, as well as allow for the widening of Liberty Street in conjunction with the construction of 28 Liberty Street, then known as One Chase Manhattan Plaza.August 3, 1961 Block to Be Sold in Financial Area; Wolfson to Buy Site From Morgan for Skyscraper en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1961/08/03/archives/block-to-be-sold-in-financial-area-wolfson-to-buy-site-from-morgan.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103115734/https://www.nytimes.com/1961/08/03/archives/block-to-be-sold-in-financial-area-wolfson-to-buy-site-from-morgan.html live Wolfson's building would have had masonry canopies protruding from the floor plates. Also in 1961, SOM was hired as the architecture firm for the proposed building. Wolfson died suddenly in June 1962.June 27, 1962 Erwin S. Wolfson Is Dead at 60; Leading Builder of Skyscrapers; Headed Diesel Construction Company Was Working on Pan Am Tower Here en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1962/06/27/archives/erwin-s-wolfson-is-dead-at-60-leading-builder-of-skyscrapers-headed.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103115832/https://www.nytimes.com/1962/06/27/archives/erwin-s-wolfson-is-dead-at-60-leading-builder-of-skyscrapers-headed.html live Upon Morse's request, developer Harry Helmsley agreed to collaborate on the project, and Helmsley created the 140 Broadway Corporation. Lawrence A. Wien also became a sponsor of the project.August 25, 1964 Helmsley Revises Plans for Building In Financial Area en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1964/08/25/archives/helmsley-revises-plans-for-building-in-financial-area.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103131737/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/08/25/archives/helmsley-revises-plans-for-building-in-financial-area.html live The plans were modified in May 1963 to provide for a 40-story skyscraper occupying two-fifths of the block. The modified plans also provided for closing Cedar Street, thereby forming a pedestrian plaza extending to 28 Liberty Street, as well as adding subway entrances.May 28, 1963 Broadway to Get New Skyscraper; 40-Story Building to Rise in Block at Cedar St. en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1963/05/28/archives/broadway-to-get-new-skyscraper-40story-building-to-rise-in-block-at.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103122909/https://www.nytimes.com/1963/05/28/archives/broadway-to-get-new-skyscraper-40story-building-to-rise-in-block-at.html live By June 1964, Wolfson's estate and Helmsley were about to submit plans for the building.June 22, 1964 12 Skyscrapers to Be Ready in '64; Construction in Manhattan Continuing Postwar Pace en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/22/archives/12-skyscrapers-to-be-ready-in-64-construction-in-manhattan.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103131622/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/22/archives/12-skyscrapers-to-be-ready-in-64-construction-in-manhattan.html live Two months later, Wien withdrew from the project and Helmsley modified the building to have 49 floors, still occupying two-fifths of the block. The architects submitted a new-building application to the New York City Department of Buildings in early 1964, though minor changes to the plans were made in subsequent months.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 4Actions: Premises: 140 Broadway Manhattan http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/ActionsByLocationServlet?stypeocv3=&stypeocv3_sel=NB&requestid=1&allbin=1001027 New York City Department of Buildings May 1, 2020 August 20, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200820035141/http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/ActionsByLocationServlet?stypeocv3=&stypeocv3_sel=NB&requestid=1&allbin=1001027 live Demolition of existing buildings on the site started in June 1964.June 1, 1964 Site Being Cleared for Big Skyscraper en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/01/archives/site-being-cleared-for-big-skyscraper.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103130101/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/01/archives/site-being-cleared-for-big-skyscraper.html live The builders endeavored to reduce noise as much as possible: demolition took place only during off-peak hours, and heavy blankets were used to muffle the sound of blasting as well as contain the debris. Site excavation was completed in the middle of the following year, and construction of the building frame commenced, with 600 workers being employed. Keeping with the noise-reduction policy of the foundation's excavation, the building utilized a "butt-welded structural frame", which necessitated less time on the noisy processes of bolting and riveting. One floor was built every two days, and 140 Broadway topped out during June 1966. One person working nearby stated that his lawnmower made more noise than the building's construction. Bunshaft recalled that the building's cost was higher than average "due to the wisdom of Wolfson initially, Helmsley waking up, and Carl Morse urging that it not be the cheapest building in the world but the most economical one...." Usage thumb|Viewed from Zuccotti Park to the west|alt=|left In October 1965, Marine Midland Bank leased the two basements and the first 20 floors. Because the bank was the largest tenant at 140 Broadway, Helmsley's corporation gave the bank naming rights to the building. According to the bank's annual report for that year, 140 Broadway was to be the new headquarters of the bank. The second floor contained the main banking hall. By March 1967, the building was 90% rented.Whitehouse Franklin March 22, 1967 News of Realty: Downtown Lease; Building at 140 Broadway Is Reported 90% Rented en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1967/03/22/archives/news-of-realty-downtown-lease-building-at-140-broadway-is-reported.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103145130/https://www.nytimes.com/1967/03/22/archives/news-of-realty-downtown-lease-building-at-140-broadway-is-reported.html live The Department of Buildings gave a temporary occupancy certificate that April, and certified the building as complete in October 1967. Other original tenants at the building included Clarke, Dodge Company;August 29, 1967 News of Realty: Rooms at the Top; Three Highest Floors Are Leased at 140 Broadway en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/29/archives/news-of-realty-rooms-at-the-top-three-highest-floors-are-leased-at.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103145159/https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/29/archives/news-of-realty-rooms-at-the-top-three-highest-floors-are-leased-at.html live Delafield Delafield;January 12, 1967 News of Realty: Downtown Lease; Large Space Taken in New Building at 140 Broadway en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1967/01/12/archives/news-of-realty-downtown-lease-large-space-taken-in-new-building-at.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103142110/https://www.nytimes.com/1967/01/12/archives/news-of-realty-downtown-lease-large-space-taken-in-new-building-at.html live Laird Company Corporation;Whitehouse Frank March 1, 1967 News of Realty: Downtown Lease; Brokers Take Space in New Building at 140 Broadway en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1967/03/01/archives/news-of-realty-downtown-lease-brokers-take-space-in-new-building-at.html live May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20180307211743/https://www.nytimes.com/1967/03/01/archives/news-of-realty-downtown-lease-brokers-take-space-in-new-building-at.html March 7, 2018 and Control Data Corporation.Smith William D. August 30, 1967 Control Data Plugs Into Wall St.; Maker of Computers Opens a New Office at 140 Broadway en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/30/archives/control-data-plugs-into-wall-st-maker-of-computers-opens-a-new.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103145202/https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/30/archives/control-data-plugs-into-wall-st-maker-of-computers-opens-a-new.html live Later tenants included Morgan Stanley,June 13, 1972 Morgan Stanley to Move en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/13/archives/morgan-stanley-to-move.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103181539/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/13/archives/morgan-stanley-to-move.html live Paine Webber,Gambee R. https://books.google.com/books?id=SmkuiHw8im4C&pg=PA224 Wall Street: Financial Capital W.W. Norton 1999 978-0-393-04767-7 224 May 13, 2020 April 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220424185031/https://books.google.com/books?id=SmkuiHw8im4C&pg=PA224 live Ernest & Ernest, the City Midday Club, Puerto Rico's government, and Helmsley's company Helmsley-Spear. In 1980, HSBC acquired a 51% controlling interest in the Marine Midland Corporation. After Helmsley died in January 1997, his widow Leona Helmsley sold off over a dozen of his properties.Bagli Charles V. September 26, 1997 Helmsley Turns Over Control of Company en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/26/nyregion/helmsley-turns-over-control-of-company.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20171229000713/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/26/nyregion/helmsley-turns-over-control-of-company.html December 29, 2017 live The New York Times wrote that 140 Broadway had "attracted the most attention from prospective buyers":Bagli Charles V. January 30, 1998 Investor Agrees to Pay $190 Million for Helmsley Skyscraper on Broadway en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/30/nyregion/investor-agrees-to-pay-190-million-for-helmsley-skyscraper-on-broadway.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20150527085057/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/30/nyregion/investor-agrees-to-pay-190-million-for-helmsley-skyscraper-on-broadway.html May 27, 2015 live although the building was only 59% occupied and required renovations, real estate in the Financial District was highly sought. After several bids were received from six "serious finalists",Oser Alan S. January 25, 1998 Perspectives; Moving the Helmsley Properties to New Ownership en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/25/realestate/perspectives-moving-the-helmsley-properties-to-new-ownership.html live May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20180131062727/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/25/realestate/perspectives-moving-the-helmsley-properties-to-new-ownership.html January 31, 2018 the building was sold to Larry Silverstein's company Silverstein Properties for $190 million in January 1998. Subsequently, Silverstein undertook a $60 million renovation and leased out much of the remaining space. At the time, Silverstein harbored concerns that HSBC, which occupied 40% of the space, would move out once its lease expired in 2002. HSBC subsequently moved its primary headquarters to the HSBC Tower in Midtown Manhattan in 2001. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. was then signed as 140 Broadway's major tenant, moving to 20 floors.Gilpin Kenneth N. January 31, 2002 Brown Brothers Harriman Names Managing Director en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/31/business/brown-brothers-harriman-names-managing-director.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20180129124101/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/31/business/brown-brothers-harriman-names-managing-director.html January 29, 2018 livehttps://nypost.com/2001/07/21/brown-brothers-takes-140-bway/ Brown Brothers Tales 140 B'Way July 21, 2001 New York Post Steve Cuozzo May 1, 2020 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190204065921/https://nypost.com/2001/07/21/brown-brothers-takes-140-bway/ February 4, 2019 The building was purchased in 2004 by German firm Union Investment.Barr Linda May 12, 2004 Germans pay $465m for 140 Broadway Real Estate Weekly 40 50 On June 25, 2013, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Marine Midland Building as a New York City landmark.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 1 In January 2018, the building's owners proposed adding circular planters to the plaza,https://ny.curbed.com/2018/1/30/16950098/financial-district-modern-architecture-140-broadway-landmarks Public plaza at Lower Manhattan's celebrated 140 Broadway may get unwelcome additions Plitt Amy January 30, 2018 Curbed NY en April 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20180203000355/https://ny.curbed.com/2018/1/30/16950098/financial-district-modern-architecture-140-broadway-landmarks February 3, 2018 dead as well as adding "street furniture" on the sidewalk, which would potentially displace street vendors.http://tribecatrib.com/content/fidi-tower-owner-hopes-displace-food-vendors-street-furniture FiDi Tower Owner Hopes to Displace Food Vendors with Street Furniture Tribeca Trib Online Glassman Carl January 22, 2018 tribecatrib.com live https://web.archive.org/web/20181023080829/http://tribecatrib.com/content/fidi-tower-owner-hopes-displace-food-vendors-street-furniture October 23, 2018 April 21, 2020 Despite controversy over the plans, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the changes in March 2018.https://ny.curbed.com/2018/3/20/17142980/financial-district-140-broadway-landmarks-renovations Modernist plaza at SOM's 140 Broadway will get new planters, other changes Plitt Amy March 20, 2018 Curbed NY en April 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20180320231059/https://ny.curbed.com/2018/3/20/17142980/financial-district-140-broadway-landmarks-renovations March 20, 2018 dead The designs for the renovated plaza called for planters to be installed on the section of the plaza on Liberty Street. By 2021, the building's owners were marketing Brown Brothers Harriman's space for rent;2021-06-01 Manhattan office vacancies reach new heights, a growing trend as construction continues https://www.crainsnewyork.com/commercial-real-estate/manhattan-office-vacancies-reach-new-heights-growing-trend-construction 2021-06-27 Crain's New York Business en June 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210627200240/https://www.crainsnewyork.com/commercial-real-estate/manhattan-office-vacancies-reach-new-heights-growing-trend-construction live during that decade, the building gained tenants such as services firm Arup GroupArup to relocate New York City office with 100,000-square-foot lease in Financial District New York Business Journal 2025-04-09 https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2025/04/08/arup-140-broadway-manhattan-office-77-water-st-nyc.html 2026-01-22 and law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith.Getlen Larry 2025-10-14 Lewis Brisbois Takes 70K SF at 140 Broadway https://commercialobserver.com/2025/10/lewis-brisbois-takes-70k-140-broadway/ 2026-01-22 Commercial Observer Union Investment hired Gensler to design an amenity space for the building, which was completed in 2025. The next year, the owners placed the building for sale at a price of $400 million.Bockmann Rich 2026-01-21 German investor asking $400M for FiDi's 140 Broadway https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2026/01/21/union-investment-puts-140-broadway-for-sale/ 2026-01-22 The Real Deal Incidents Bombings A bombing occurred on 140 Broadway's eighth floor on August 20, 1969, injuring 20 people. Police estimated the bomb to be the equivalent of 25 sticks of dynamite, making it among the city's strongest bomb blasts to date. The explosive was placed in a hallway just off the elevators some time during the evening and it exploded at around 10:30 pm. The injured were working on the night shift in the bank's stock bookkeeping department and were working on the other side of the corridor wall. The inside of this wall was lined with floor-to-ceiling automated file units that weighed 3 tons each and which absorbed most of the blast. Still, the blast moved the file units about a foot, blew out all the windows on that side of the building, and opened a 5 ft m on hole in the reinforced concrete floor.Gelder Lawrence Van August 21, 1969 Blast Rips Bank in Financial Area; 20 Hurt at Marine Midland -- 'Device' is Blamed en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1969/08/21/archives/blast-rips-bank-in-financial-area-20-hurt-at-marine-midland-device.html live May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20190702011731/https://www.nytimes.com/1969/08/21/archives/blast-rips-bank-in-financial-area-20-hurt-at-marine-midland-device.html July 2, 2019Kirkman Edward August 22, 1969 Find Superbomb Cause of Blast in Bank Skyscraper 5 New York Daily News https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50022905/ April 30, 2020 newspapers.com April 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220424185032/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50022905/find-superbomb-cause-of-blast-in-bank/ live The bomber, Sam Melville, was convicted of this and seven other 1969 Manhattan bombings and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was killed by a state sharpshooter during the Attica Prison riot in September 1971.Tomasson Robert E. September 15, 1971 Melville, Attica Radical, Dead; Recently Wrote of Jail Terror en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/15/archives/melville-attica-radical-dead-recently-wrote-of-jail-terror.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20180723212347/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/15/archives/melville-attica-radical-dead-recently-wrote-of-jail-terror.html July 23, 2018 live As a result of the bombing, the Marine Midland Company increased security.Stern Michael March 14, 1970 Bombed Companies Tighten Security en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1970/03/14/archives/bombed-companies-tighten-security.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 September 22, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200922222425/https://www.nytimes.com/1970/03/14/archives/bombed-companies-tighten-security.html live In 1972, Ronald Kaufman made an unsuccessful attempt to bomb the building by hiding an explosive in a bank vault.January 20, 1972 Kaufman Is Indicted Here In Bomb Plot on 3 Banks en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/20/archives/kaufman-is-indicted-here-in-bomb-plot-on-3-banks.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103174443/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/20/archives/kaufman-is-indicted-here-in-bomb-plot-on-3-banks.html liveJanuary 7, 1972 Police in two cities locate bombs hidden in bank vaults 1 The Courier-News Associated Press https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50022730/ May 1, 2020 newspapers.com April 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220424185033/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50022730/police-in-two-cities-locate-bombs/ live The building was again damaged in 1974, when Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña detonated a car bomb on the adjacent street. The bomb's force was equivalent to 40 sticks of dynamite and scattered debris for one and a half blocks.Lissner Will 1974-10-27 Terrorists Here Set Off 5 Bombs at Business Sites en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/27/archives/terrorists-here-set-off-5-bombs-at-business-sites-window-walls.html 2020-05-25 0362-4331 August 7, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200807204250/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/27/archives/terrorists-here-set-off-5-bombs-at-business-sites-window-walls.html live Other incidents On October 20, 1981, a fire occurred at 140 Broadway's 47th floor. When an elevator with five workers inside opened its doors on the 47th floor, the occupants were injured and had to manually seal the door.Dunlap David W. October 21, 1981 Fire in Downtown Skyscraper Injures 5 and Routs Hundreds en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/21/nyregion/fire-in-downtown-skyscraper-injures-5-and-routs-hundreds.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20150524083507/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/21/nyregion/fire-in-downtown-skyscraper-injures-5-and-routs-hundreds.html May 24, 2015 live This prompted an investigation, which found that hundreds of New York City buildings' elevators did not have keys that enabled firefighters to navigate to specific floors.Gaiter Dorothy J. November 30, 1981 Safety Deficient in Office Towers en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/30/nyregion/safety-deficient-in-office-towers.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20180126041658/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/30/nyregion/safety-deficient-in-office-towers.html January 26, 2018 live The elevators were supposed to have been upgraded as part of a 1973 law that mandated compliance with a new fire code, including upgrades to elevators that were activated by heat rather than automatically. The law had a deadline of September 1981, and after the fire at 140 Broadway, numerous landlords were given summonses for not complying with the new fire code.Gruson Lindsey October 30, 1982 Most Office Towers Still Violate City Fire Code en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/30/nyregion/most-office-towers-still-violate-city-fire-code.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20150524121232/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/30/nyregion/most-office-towers-still-violate-city-fire-code.html May 24, 2015 live thumb|Seen from Liberty Street and Broadway; 140 Broadway is located behind the plaza containing The Cube. The Equitable Building is at right In 1984, a disgruntled maintenance engineer removed parts of 140 Broadway's air-conditioning system, hiding key components. After the air-conditioning system had been disassembled for the winter, the engineer, Robert Rodriguez, dumped crucial components, including a steam-bearing case cover, thrust-bearing housing cover and several tapered dowels into a tank on the 37th floor, which served the building's sprinkler system. Some 10,000 personnel lost air-conditioning for several weeks, being "uncomfortably warm" until June 1984, when Rodriguez was arrested and the parts were retrieved by scuba divers.Shenon Philip June 8, 1984 Cool Again: A Whodunit on Wall St. en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/nyregion/cool-again-a-whodunit-on-wall-st.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20150524152348/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/nyregion/cool-again-a-whodunit-on-wall-st.html May 24, 2015 live Reception Reviews among architecture critics were largely positive.Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 . 7 In 1968, Ada Louise Huxtable of The New York Times described 140 Broadway as "one of the handsomest [skyscrapers] in the city", enhanced by the inclusion of The Cube,Huxtable Ada Louise March 31, 1968 Sometimes We Do It Right en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1968/03/31/archives/sometimes-we-do-it-right.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20180909093728/https://www.nytimes.com/1968/03/31/archives/sometimes-we-do-it-right.html September 9, 2018 live and two years later, said that it was the "epitome of nineteen sixties sophisticated architectural elegance" contrasting with the Chamber of Commerce and One Liberty Plaza.Huxtable Adalouise December 6, 1970 Ode to Manhattan's Spires and Shards en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/06/archives/ode-to-manhattans-spires-and-shards.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103164219/https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/06/archives/ode-to-manhattans-spires-and-shards.html live Huxtable further stated in 1974 that 140 Broadway was "not only one of [the] buildings I admire most in New York, but that I admire most anywhere".Huxtable Ada Louise 1974-12-09 Ada Louise, The Mad Bomber New York 7 11 Huxtable's successor at the Times, Paul Goldberger, said "the glass curtain wall is dark and refined, it is discreet", and ranked it as SOM's "best" New York City building.Goldberger Paul https://archive.org/details/cityobservednewy00gold/mode/2up registration The city observed, New York : a guide to the architecture of Manhattan Random House 1979 978-0-394-50450-6 9 4835328 Goldberger later said that 140 Broadway probably had the "most beautiful glass 'skin' of any skyscraper in Manhattan".Goldberger Paul August 19, 1990 Architecture View; Gordon Bunshaft: A Man Who Died Before His Time? en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/19/arts/architecture-view-gordon-bunshaft-a-man-who-died-before-his-time.html live May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20191214080942/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/19/arts/architecture-view-gordon-bunshaft-a-man-who-died-before-his-time.html December 14, 2019 John Tauranac wrote that 140 Broadway was "Manhattan's most elegant tower",Tauranac John https://archive.org/details/essentialnewyork0000taur/mode/2up registration Essential New York : a guide to the history and architecture of Manhattan's important buildings, parks, and bridges Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 1979 978-0-03-042626-1 225 4494970 while John Morris Dixon, writing in Architectural Forum, said it was among "the handsomest office buildings in the U.S.A."Dixon 1968 . 44 Eric Nash said that the building was "one of the last, best expressions of modernist unity". As early as 1996, architect Robert A. M. Stern had suggested that 140 Broadway was a viable candidate for official landmark status.November 17, 1996 A Preservationist's List of 35 Modern Landmarks-in-Waiting en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/17/realestate/a-preservationist-s-list-of-35-modern-landmarks-in-waiting.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20200102160413/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/17/realestate/a-preservationist-s-list-of-35-modern-landmarks-in-waiting.html January 2, 2020 live Stern, in his book New York 1960 had said, "Its sleekly Modernist exteriors were an appropriate extension of the building's exterior minimalism", and had called The Cube one of the building's "most memorable aspects". The 2010 version of the AIA Guide to New York City characterized 140 Broadway as "a taut skin stretched over bare bones". 140 Broadway's design was widely imitated. In New York City, subsequent buildings that used a similar style included SOM's Solow Building and Emery Roth's 450 Park Avenue,Horsley Carter B. November 30, 1975 In Glass Walls, a Reflected City Stands Beside the Real One en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1975/11/30/archives/in-glass-walls-a-reflected-city-stands-beside-the-real-one-in-glass.html May 1, 2020 0362-4331 November 3, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103191510/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/11/30/archives/in-glass-walls-a-reflected-city-stands-beside-the-real-one-in-glass.html live as well as SOM's designs for 919 Third Avenue and 1166 Avenue of the Americas. See also Architecture New York City List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan below 14th Street List of tallest buildings in New York City References Notes Citations Sources Dixon John Morris April 1968 Down-to-Earth Tower Architectural Forum 128 3 37–45 Krinsky Carol Herselle https://archive.org/details/gordonbunshaftof0000krin registration Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architectural History Foundation 1988 978-0-262-11130-0 American monograph series Oral History of Roger Nicholas Radford https://digital-libraries.artic.edu/digital/collection/caohp/id/24662/rec/1 2008 Archival Collections The Art Institute of Chicago Oral History 2008 May 1, 2020 Postal Matthew A. http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2530.pdf 140 Broadway https://web.archive.org/web/20130906154743/http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/reports/2530a.pdf September 6, 2013 New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission June 25, 2013 Landmarks Preservation Commission 2013 live 1960 External links http://www.140broadway.com Emporis SkyscraperPage.com collapsed Category:Broadway (Manhattan) Category:Financial District, Manhattan Category:HSBC buildings and structures Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan Category:Office buildings completed in 1967 Category:Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Manhattan Category:Bank buildings in Manhattan Category:International Style architecture in New York City