Sony Building (New York)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Sony Building[1] (1984), formerly the AT&T Building, is a 37-story highrise in Manhattan, on Madison Avenue between 55th and 56th streets. It was designed by architect Philip Johnson and his less famous partner John Burgee, and was constructed in 1984. It became immediately controversial for its ornamental top (sometimes mocked as the "Chippendale pediment," after the famous American furniture manufacturer whose couches sported a similar design) and spectacular arched entranceway, measuring about seven stories in height. With these ornamental additions, the building challenged architectural modernism's demand for stark functionalism and purely efficient design. For this it is considered by many critics to be a prime exemplar of postmodern architecture.
![[1]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sony_Building_by_David_Shankbone_crop.jpg){kind=link}