Striking Rockefeller Center Addition Shot Down By Landmarks Panel

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A proposal by the owners of Rockefeller Center to renovate 30 Rock's famed observation deck was shot down by the city's landmarks commission on Tuesday, as members said they could not abide eye-catching changes to the iconic skyscraper.

The plans by owner Tishman Speyer center on two additions to the "Top of the Rock" roof decks at 30 Rockefeller Plaza: a moving attraction on the 69th floor modeled after the famous "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper" photo, and a new elevated platform to be built on the topmost 70th floor.

Tuesday marked the second time architects for Rockefeller Center had presented plans to the commission. A previous visit in September was coolly received, as commissioners called the platform out-of-step with 30 Rock's Art Deco design.

This week's meeting revealed a brand-new plan for the platform, ditching its formerly flat, imposing shape in favor of an ornate design inspired by Egyptian and gothic motifs, clad with aluminum panels.

But the changes were not enough for several members of the 11-person commission, who demanded that architects return with a design less visible from the street.

"It just doesn’t fit," said Commissioner Jeanne Lutfy, pointing to renderings of 30 Rock as seen from West 45th Street and Fifth Avenue, which she said showed that the platform's "flat-top" effect would compromise street-level views. She suggested that architects reduce the height of the platform, which is set to stand 19 feet above the 70th floor.

Commissioners held firm in their opposition despite reminders from Landmarks Chair Sarah Carroll that views of 30 Rock from 45th and Fifth will soon be eclipsed by a new development from Extell — leaving few spots where the platform could even be seen from the street.

Some members even took aim at the "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper Experience," which will consist of three movable beams giving visitors the chance to briefly hover above 30 Rock's roof. Though that addition will be nearly invisible from the street, Commissioner Michael Devonshire could not stomach the whimsical feature.

"An amusement ride of lunch on a beam is almost an insult to this dignified building, and I don’t want to see any of it, anywhere," he said.

Inspiration for the rooftop platform came from an initial deck that opened on Rockefeller Center's roof in the 1930s, whose ocean-liner theme evoked feelings of "fantasy and escape," presenter Cas Stachelberg told the commission.

Other proposed changes include a new 28-foot-tall spherical "beacon," modeled after a globe, which would be installed on the 70th floor, and light up at night. The lobby of the landmarked building, meanwhile, will get wall extensions and new light fixtures, while storefronts along 50th Street would be outfitted with new entries and exits.