Bank Of America Tower Remains Top NYC Skyline Feature

New York City’s Bank of America Tower is the 8th tallest building in the Manhattan skyline. It was the city’s first skyscraper to receive a Platinum LEED certification. However, today, the structure has been hit with fines due to carbon neutrality violations.

The Bare Essentials: Bank of America Tower

Bank Of America US Building

The Bank of America Tower in New York City holds the distinction as the tenth tallest building in the US, standing 1,200 feet tall with 55 floors, three escalators, and 52 elevators

Architects Cookfox Adamson designed the Bank of America Tower. The building opened to the public in 2009 and cost $1 billion.

Located on 6th Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, its physical address is 1111 Avenue of the Americas. The building is also known as 1 Bryant Park. Bank of America chose the location due to its connection with the park, which meant it had to apply for a “vanity address.”

Primarily an office building, it also includes restaurants, public spaces, a theater, and subway entrance.


Bank of America Tower: Interior 

The Bank of America Tower is, first of all, an office building. However, outside the lobby entrance is the platform station for Bryant Park & Fifth Avenue.

Complementing the building’s lobby, the entrance was designed with the subway in mind. An underground passageway was intended to connect the Bryant Park complex with Times Square.  However, due to the additional costs that would have incurred, the developers passed on that idea. Today, the space remains unused.


Urban Garden Room

North of the lobby, the building has an Urban Garden Room that’s open to the public. Margie Ruddick designed the space and her mother Dorothy Ruddick sculpted it.

The 3,500-square-foot area is separated from the lobby by a glass wall. Ferns, moss, and lichen fill the space along with four sculptures. It is also an indoor area where employees can escape, play chess, and enjoy live performances.


Stephen Sondheim Theatre

What used to be called the Henry Miller Theatre was rebuilt when the Bank of America Tower was built. The theater space has 1,055 seats and includes mementos from the original theatre.

Because the new theater could not be taller than the old facade. the developers removed 70 feet below street level. It’s also soundproofed so it doesn’t disturb the traders who work in the building.


Big Fines

When the Bank of America Tower was completed in 2010, it was certified LEED Platinum. Now, however, it may be in for about $2.4 million in annual fines when a new city law goes into effect. The new law imposes carbon caps for not complying with emission limits for NYC’s largest buildings.

Bank of America Tower requires a massive amount of electricity due to the workforce inside the building as they use computers. The skyscraper a few green features, but they’re not enough to comply with the forthcoming regulations. 


Bank of America Tower NYC vs Bank of America Tower Charlotte

Bank of America Tower NYC is one of New York’s tallest buildings, but it’s not the only Bank of America building. 

The Bank of America Tower Charlotte is another well-known skyscraper. The bank’s corporate headquarters is 871 feet tall, 60 stories and is the tallest building in Charlotte and in North Carolina. If you’re looking at the Bank of America Tower Charlotte vs. the Bank of America Tower NYC, the one in New York is taller. The Charlotte building is the 174th-tallest building in the world and the 31st-tallest building in the US.

Also, the Bank of America Tower Chicago is well known. It has 57 stories, and is 816.83 feet tall, making it the tallest commercial office building completed in Chicago in the past 30 years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

What's inside the Bank of America Tower in New York?

The Bank of America occupies about three-fourths of its namesake building. Another main tenant is the Durst Organization, which owns the building.

Is the Bank of America Tower one of the tallest buildings?

The Bank of America Tower height is 1,200 feet, making it the 8th tallest building in New York.

Is the Bank of America Tower the tallest bank building?

No, the U.S. Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles, California is the tallest bank building at 1,018 feet. It is also called the Library Tower.

When was the Bank of America Tower New York built?

Developers broke ground on the skyscraper in 2004 and topped it out in 2009. 

Who designed the Bank of America Tower?

Architects Cookfox Adamson designed the NYC Bank of America Tower