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John D. Rockefeller, the philanthropist son of an oil Tycoon, first opened the Top of the Rock in 1933 in an effort to give back his beloved New York City. His initial vision, a design inspired by the luxurious ocean liners of his era featured deck chairs, gooseneck fixtures, and vents reminiscent of ship stacks. Working together, these elements often inspired visitors to feel that they were setting sail on an adventure at the center of most exciting city in the world.
Rockefeller’s gift to the city of New York was operational for 53 years before it was closed in 1986 to accommodate renovations to the famous restaurant, the Rainbow Room, another brainchild of Rockefeller meant to symbolize the overwhelming elegance and style of New York’s nightlife.
However, nearly twenty years later, the completion of new-and-improved Rainbow Room ushered in the much-anticipated 2005 reopening of Top of the Rock’s 70th floor observatory at the tip-top of the Rockefeller Center. Thankfully, visitors are now permitted to feast their eyes on one of New York City’s most magnificent and memorable views: a 360 degree panorama of some of New York City’s greatest landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Long Island, Brooklyn Bridge, Hudson River, East River and the Chrysler Building.
The facility itself has also been updated to a more modern look-and-feel. Though the new design uses elements from the lavish ocean-liners of Rockefeller’s era, it also incorporates the luxurious industry of our time; the new observatory features a more modern, uncluttered space complete with fully transparent non-reflective safety glass for unobstructed views of the entire city.
After the closing of the Top of the Rock, the Empire State Building took monopoly in the birds-eye view category, but the reopening of the Top of the Rock has provided some stiff competition. Though the Empire State Building still claims to be New York’s best vantage point, Top of the Rock offers something that the Empire State Building (one of the most famous and beautifully constructed skyscrapers in America) can never give—a view of itself.
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