A comparative study of two bank skyscrapers: One Chase Manhattan and Citicorp Center, Manhattan, USA. 1960-1978

Abstract

This paper is a study of architecture design; exterior and interior, encompassing elements, constructions, forms and plaza program in relation to U.S. bank skyscrapers in the 1960s and 1970s using two case studies, respectively - One Chase Manhattan Plaza and Citicorp Center in Manhattan. Two central topics are examined in this paper. The first is an examination of how skyscraper design reflected the priorities of capitalism in the 1960s and 1970s in Manhattan. Especially, this paper propose that the skyscraper is an extreme visual representation of the culture, ambition and people of Manhattan in the era of capitalism. The second relates to a ‘plaza-program’ to their skyscrapers’ exterior and interior design and construction as a solution for complex financial organisations.