It is hard to find a tourist in New York who has not photographed the famous Atlas sculpture on Fifth Avenue.
This is an especially popular spot among tourists, surrounded by dozens of world-famous attractions: the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Rockefeller Center complex, which includes the observation deck, the famous skating rink, Radio City Music Hall, and the Christie’s auction house, which also operates partly as a free museum.
But few people know that behind the enormous 14-meter-tall Atlas is an entrance area leading into the spectacular lobby of the International Building, which anyone can enter completely free of charge.
The International Building is a 41-story Art Deco skyscraper that opened on May 1, 1935. The idea was to create an “international complex” along Fifth Avenue, with each wing leased to a different country. According to the original plan, the southern wing of the International Building was supposed to be given to Italy under the name Palazzo d’Italia, while the northern wing was being prepared for Germany as Deutsches Haus. However, the Rockefellers canceled the deal after Hitler came to power, and the building remained known as International Building North. After the United States entered the war in December 1941, the southern Italian wing was also renamed International Building South.
You should step inside the building primarily to see its enormous Art Deco lobby. The walls are finished with green marble, the floor is made of polished stone with red and green flecks, and the high ceiling is covered in copper.
On the walls is Light and Movement by Japanese artist Michio Ihara, installed in 1978. Around 1,600 small golden metal plates are suspended from cables and reflect light differently as people walk past them.
At the center of the hall are escalators leading to the upper level, where there are tables and chairs. It is a convenient place to take a break during a walk or grab a quick bite. The second floor is open only during business hours.
And if you look toward Fifth Avenue from the second floor, you will get what is perhaps the most spectacular view of the Atlas sculpture.
📍International Building / 630 5th Ave, New York, NY 10111
