American Radiator Building Facts for Kids

The American Radiator Building is a famous skyscraper in New York City. It's also known as the American Standard Building. This tall building is about 103 meters (338 feet) high and has 23 floors. You can find it at 40 West 40th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

Two architects, John Howells and Raymond Hood, designed it. It was built in 1924 for a company called American Radiator. Later, this company joined with another to become American Standard. This building is so special that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.

Design and Look
What It Is Now
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Design and Look

The building's unique look

The building's design was inspired by another architect's idea for the Tribune Tower. The designers, Howells and Hood, mixed old Gothic styles with new, modern ideas.

They used black bricks on the outside, which looked like coal and made the building seem very strong. Gold bricks were used too, like fire, adding a bright touch. The entrance has fancy marble and shiny black mirrors. An artist named Rene Paul Chambellan helped with the cool decorations and sculptures on the building.

A famous artist, Georgia O'Keeffe, even painted the building in 1927. Her painting is called Radiator Building – Night, New York.

What It Is Now

In 1988, the company American Standard sold the building. Later, in 1998, it was sold again for a lot of money.

In 2001, the American Radiator Building was changed into The Bryant Park Hotel. It now has 130 hotel rooms and a theater in the basement. Because the outside of the building is a landmark, workers had to be very careful when fixing it up. They couldn't make big changes, like adding bigger windows for the hotel rooms.