Le Grand Palais design good neighbor in Midtown.

Le Grand Palais was designed by Fox & Fowle Architects to fit in with the contemporary Midtown surroundings of 54th Street and Second Avenue. This 170-unit, 40-story apartment building, while obviously residential, makes good use of metal and glass as a link to nearby office buildings.

Ultra luxurious floor to ceiling glass with a state-of-the-art curtain wall of stone, glass, and aluminum enabled the architects to achieve their aesthetic aims. By manipulating the curtain-wall system, they were able to create a slender curved facade where the building turns the corner; at the same time, they were able to meet their client's budgetary and time constraints. Further adding to the building's distinction are bands of bright red panels that appear every five floors.

This residential building consists of studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, all with 9-foot high ceilings, and most with splendid views of the city. Its entrance is on East 54th Street. Retail shops, however, have been designed along the street level and these appear most prominently along Second Avenue.

The building form is a juxtaposition of two separate masses possessing both a solidity and lightness; it never loses its identity as a residential building among the many office building giants in a neighborhood that is mainly commercial.