The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-08-13
EQUITABLE BUILDING
TO Be LARGEST IN WORLD
Site Sold to Corporation. Which
Says 1t Will Provide Most
Floor Space.
THE LAND COST $1l,OOO,OOO
Structure to BE SO Stories, With
Arcadcs Running Four Direc-
tiOns Through Block.

The Equitable Life Assurance So
ciety has sold its property at 120 Broad
way and upon that site there Is to be
erected new building for general
office purposes. 1t will be known as
the Equitable Building and 1t will be
thirty-six stories high. 1t will have
the largest. floor space Of any office
building In the world. 1t Is to be ready
for occupancy not later than May 1.
1914.
The purchaser of the property Is q
corporation organized by T. Coleman
du Pont Of Wilmington. Del. or this cor
poration Frank NJ. Andrews, the presi-
dent and architect OF the new Hotel
McAipin. at Broadway and Thirty
fourth street, IL the vice. president. and
by him and w. A. Day. president OF
the Equitable Life Assurance Society,
the negotiations for the sale OF the
property were conducted. The cost was
S14, ,OOO, 900, which Is s2s2 a square foot
not high price for that section.
This plot Is bounded by broadway
Pine, Nassau and Cedar streets. and
| was occupied by the Equitable Build
ing, which was destroyed by fire Janu-
ary 8 last. Ii Is In the heart OF the
financial district. and Its outlook upon
four importent streets Is to be en-
, HANGED in value by the peculiar con-
struction OF the new building.
! Special attention is to be paid tc
the accommodation OF institutions thai
require a large area Of floor space, OF
more than one floor, with complete IA
/ cllities for light. ventilation and nexi'
bility Of interior arrangement To TINS
end the unit system is to be followed
in the construction. with private ele'
yator service for each unit and sucf
other exclusive facilities as would bt
desired II the unit were a separate
building.
A feature Of the ground floor Is Il
be an arcade extending from Broadwa!
to Nassau street, and crossing at righ
angles In the centre Of the building
another arcade running from Pine t
Cedar street. This arcade will he tw'
stories high and beneath It there u
to be n thoroughfare leading from tn
subway to Wall street and the ada
cent district. Facing on the nrcad
there will be retail shops on either sid
as well as elevators leading TO tn
upper floors The elevators will be 81
grouped as to be equally accessible
from either Of the arcades. Broa'
marble staircases will lead from tn
arcadcs to the basement thorOughfare.
AS in the old Equitable Building. tn
Savarin cafe will be located in tn
basement. and 1t is said to be the in
tention TO make its decorations an
Appointments elaborate. Above IN
ground floor there will be a mezzanins
subdivided into spaces for offices an
shops that will overlook the mai
arcade The second floor is to he ar
ranged for banking purposes. and fror
that floor to the thirty-sixth there WI
be Offices with special arrangements 10
tenants who may desire them.
The top floor will he arranged fo
club purposes and with accommoda
tions for IA law library. The Lawyer
Club had quarters in the old Eaultabl
Building, but il was said last night ol
behalf of the Du Pont Company tina
II is not yet known whether this organl
zation will have this top floor or no
OF other tenants except the Equitabl
Lille <AShuTdUCe S|otiVts Nohi
be learned. This company is to resuin
business in the new structure as 500
as 1t Is completed. 1t IL not know
how many floors will be given owe
to II.
AS to its exterior the building is I
be simple and dignificd In design 1t
style will be Italian Renaissance, an
stone. tapestry brick and terra colt
7 L.. ~.
feature Of the building will be the al
rangement Of light courts in such
way that the elevator corridors ON eac
floor will have access to outside ligf
and air. Interior staircases and fiT
escapes will he constructed accordin
I to the most approved design for builf
ings of this character. The new ownt
Of the property will take possession O
| December 16 and the work of cor
struction is to begin Immediately.
! r. NJ. Andrews Il Co. of this city ar
| the architects In charge of the wor
, and Ernest Graham OF Chicago. u men
, ber OF the d. II. Burnham Company
! the consulting architect. l.. j. HorC
, witz. president Of the Thompson-Stal
rett Company, IN associated with thos
engaged In the enterprise and the ger
a eral contracting work Is to be done b
his company.
= The owning company has been incol
: porated under the laws OF New Yor
with capitalization of sl2.O00.OOO. tt
officers and directors are II. Coleman d
Pont Of Wilmington, president: Fran
h NJ. Andrews Of New York, vice.pres
dent; l.. L. Durham OF Wilmingto
y Del. secretary and treasurer; Willia
A. Clman OF New York, director, ar
Paul E. Wilson Of Wilmington. directo
Mr.. Clman IL also general counsel (,
n the company.