The World Diamond Tower, 580 Fifth Avenue

Entrance and Canopy Design

When commissioned to design the 33-story Art Deco building at 580 Fifth Avenue, architects Warren & Wetmore faced an unusual challenge: a 12-story building already occupied the site, and, rather than tear it down, the developer wanted to incorporate it into the new structure. The resultant building, completed in the late 1920s, eventually became a hub of activity in the diamond trade, earning it the name “World Diamond Tower.”

To update the historic building’s main entrance and street-level retail facades, owner Forty Seventh Fifth Company, LLC retained Hoffmann Architects + Engineers. Our design team began with a review of documents, reports, and building data, then conducted on-site investigations to determine existing conditions, building usage, and egress requirements. Hoffmann then presented a variety of schematic designs and renderings for the main entrance and canopies, from which Forty Seventh Fifth Company selected a combination of options.

Following field verification and design development, our design professionals prepared contract documents for the final design of the new retail canopies. During the contractor selection process, Hoffmann provided bidding assistance to Forty Seventh Fifth Company for the planned facade revitalization.

Given the building’s reputation within the renowned “Diamond District,” the goal of the entrance re-design was to evoke the prestige, history, and import of the property while maximizing the project budget.