In New York City’s skyline of glass and steel, the soaring tower of Riverside Church seems out of pl

In New York City's skyline of glass and steel, the soaring tower of Riverside Church seems out of place. Its deco-influenced neo-gothic spire makes it the tallest church building in the United States and the twenty-fourth tallest in the world. Distinguished speakers like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. have spoken from its pulpit, and its involvement in social justice dates back to its foundations. In this post, we've put together a short history of this magnificent structure and highlighted a few of its architectural attractions.
Riverside Church, completed in 1930, was the brainchild of noted philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Inspired by the need for a large interdenominational church to serve the Upper West Side neighborhood, he commissioned the firm of Allen, mytravel orlando international drive hotels Pelton and Collens to design and construct the edifice that stands today. mytravel orlando international drive hotels Rockefeller sent his architects to visit the majestic cathedrals of Europe, specifically Spain and France, and they chose to model their architectural designs on the thirteenth-century cathedrals in Chartres and Laon, France. Although its design was inspired by the elaborate flourishes and intricate details of Gothic architecture, the influence of the art deco movement is clear in Riverside Church's façade.
Be sure you don't simply drive by this architectural masterpiece. Leave your car rental in New York at nearby Riverside Park and venture inside the expansive nave. The church's antechamber is home to two sixteenth-century Flemish stained glass windows, rescued from a European cathedral during the French Revolution. A smaller replica of the medieval labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral is inlaid into the floor.  Riverside Church's organ is the second-largest pipe organ in New York City, so if you have a chance to hear it in action, make sure you do.  The church also hosts theater productions—Shakespeare's Twelfth Night recently played—and classical concerts.
While you and your rent a car NYC are in the area, why not walk over to the Columbia University mytravel orlando international drive hotels campus and visit another architectural masterpiece? The Low Memorial Library, built in 1895, boasts the largest freestanding mytravel orlando international drive hotels granite dome in the United mytravel orlando international drive hotels States. Its neo-classical design hearkens back to the Pantheon of Rome. Visitors are welcome to enter the structure, and its sunny steps are an excellent place for a late autumn picnic.
While Riverside Church and the Low Memorial Library are both beautiful mytravel orlando international drive hotels buildings, this post only scrapes the surface of the stunning architecture in New York City. Keep checking mytravel orlando international drive hotels this blog for more tips on architectural landmarks you won't want to miss!