GE building, New York

The centerpiece of the Center, the GE Building is one of the world’s most famous and most honored office buildings. Designed by the great skyscraper architect Raymond Hood, it takes its shape from his belief in the virtues of natural light. To guarantee all office space was no more than 27 feet from a window, Hood chose not to build any enclosed space above each elevator bank. This gives the façade its dramatic sculptural effect, narrowing and drawing back as it climbs. One critic called it “the largest frozen fountain ever built.”