Puck Building
Encyclopedia
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The Puck Building occupies the block bounded by Lafayette
, Houston, Mulberry
and Jersey Streets in the borough
of Manhattan
, New York City
, United States
. An example of the German Rundbogenstil
style of Romanesque Revival architecture
, the building was designed by Albert Wagner, and was constructed in two parts. The north section was built in 1885-1886, and the south addition in 1892-1893. The front of the building – on Lafayette Street – was relocated in 1899 when the street – then called Elm Place – was widened, this was supervised by Herman Wagner. The building was rehabilitated in 1983-1984 and further renovated in 1995 by Beyer Blinder Belle
. The building sports two gilded statues by sculptor Henry Baerer of Shakespeare
's character Puck
, from A Midsummer's Night Dream, one on the northeast corner at Houston and Mulberry, and one over the main entrance on Lafayette.
The Puck Building is at the northwestern corner of Manhattan's NoLIta
neighborhood, bordered by SoHo
and the NoHo
section of Greenwich Village
. It is owned by Kushner Properties
, the company of Charles Kushner
, a major donor to Democratic politicians in New Jersey, and his son Jared Kushner
, the owner of The New York Observer.
The Puck Building occupies the block bounded by Lafayette
Lafayette Street (Manhattan)
Lafayette Street is a major north-south street in New York City's Lower Manhattan, which runs roughly parallel to Broadway to the west. Originally, the part of the street below Houston Street was called Elm Place....
, Houston, Mulberry
Mulberry Street (Manhattan)
Mulberry Street is a principal thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York. The street was listed on maps of the area since at least 1755. The "Bend" in Mulberry in which the street changes direction from southwest to northeast to a northerly direction was to avoid the wetlands surrounding the Collect Pond...
and Jersey Streets in the borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. An example of the German Rundbogenstil
Rundbogenstil
Rundbogenstil , one of the nineteenth-century historic revival styles of architecture, is a variety of Romanesque revival popular in the German-speaking lands and the German diaspora....
style of Romanesque Revival architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, the building was designed by Albert Wagner, and was constructed in two parts. The north section was built in 1885-1886, and the south addition in 1892-1893. The front of the building – on Lafayette Street – was relocated in 1899 when the street – then called Elm Place – was widened, this was supervised by Herman Wagner. The building was rehabilitated in 1983-1984 and further renovated in 1995 by Beyer Blinder Belle
Beyer Blinder Belle
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP is an international architecture firm. It is based in New York City and has an additional office in Washington, DC. The firm's name is derived from the three founding partners: John H. Beyer, Richard Blinder, and John Belle. The three architects met...
. The building sports two gilded statues by sculptor Henry Baerer of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's character Puck
Puck (Shakespeare)
Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream that was based on the ancient figure in English mythology, also called Puck. Puck is a clever and mischievous elf and personifies the trickster or the wise knave...
, from A Midsummer's Night Dream, one on the northeast corner at Houston and Mulberry, and one over the main entrance on Lafayette.
The Puck Building is at the northwestern corner of Manhattan's NoLIta
NoLIta, Manhattan
Nolita, sometimes written as NoLIta, and deriving from "NOrth of Little ITAly"., is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Nolita is bounded on the north by Houston Street, on the east by the Bowery, on the south roughly by Broome Street, and on the west by Lafayette Street...
neighborhood, bordered by SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
and the NoHo
NoHo
NoHo, for North of Houston Street is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, roughly bounded by Houston Street on the south, The Bowery on the east, Astor Place on the north, and Broadway on the west. NoHo is wedged between Greenwich Village, west of Broadway, and the East Village...
section of Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. It is owned by Kushner Properties
Kushner Properties
Kushner Properties is a real estate developer in the New York City metropolitan area.The company's biggest presence is in the New Jersey residential market. It also owns in the Puck Building in New York City...
, the company of Charles Kushner
Charles Kushner
Charles Kushner is an American real estate developer, philanthropist and political fundraiser.- Family :Kushner's parents were Joseph and Rae Kushner, who had come to America from Belarus by way of Italy in 1949...
, a major donor to Democratic politicians in New Jersey, and his son Jared Kushner
Jared Kushner
Jared Corey Kushner is an American real estate entrepreneur and newspaper publisher. He is the principal owner of Kushner Properties, his family’s holding company, and the publisher of The New York Observer. He is the son of American real estate developer Charles Kushner.-Early life:Kushner is the...
, the owner of The New York Observer.
Since 2004, the building has been used by New York University New York University New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan... for the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service Wagner Graduate School of Public Service The Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service is a public policy school that offers a comprehensive curriculum in public and nonprofit policy and management. It is one of 14 schools and divisions at New York University and is the largest school of public service in the United States... and the department of sociology Sociology Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity... . The building contains both office space as well as ballrooms for large events on both the ground floor and the top floor - though the ground floor is in the process of being converted to retail space as of October 2011. HistoryOnce the printing facility of J. Ottmann Lithographing Company and Puck MagazinePuck (magazine) Puck was America's first successful humor magazine of colorful cartoons, caricatures and political satire of the issues of the day. It was published from 1871 until 1918.-History:... , which ceased publication in 1918, the building later housed numerous independent printing firms and related printing services such as type setters and a printing ink company, Superior Printing Ink. The odor of printing ink permeated the building for many years. An office stationery company, S. Novick & Son, once occupied the second floor. Notable amongst the firms' salesmen was Alger Hiss Alger Hiss Alger Hiss was an American lawyer, government official, author, and lecturer. He was involved in the establishment of the United Nations both as a U.S. State Department and U.N. official... , the former assistant Secretary of State who was brought down in a spy scandal in the 1950s. In the 1980s the Puck Building was the home of Spy Magazine, whose editors informally dubbed it "The Spy Building". In the early 2000s, the building housed the Manhattan Center of Pratt Institute Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,... . , the building is undergoing large-scale renovations. A new REI Rei -People:*Rei, the Biblical term for those who retained their allegiance to King David when Adonijah rebelled, as mentioned in 1 Kings 1:8*Rei Hiroe*Rei Igarashi*Rei Kawakubo*Rei Kikukawa*Rei Mikamoto*Rei Munakata*Rei Okamoto*Rei Omishi... store selling outdoor recreation gear is scheduled to open in it. In popular culture |
- During Little ItalyLittle Italy, ManhattanLittle Italy is a neighborhood in lower Manhattan, New York City, once known for its large population of Italians. Today the neighborhood of Little Italy consists of Italian stores and restaurants.-Historical area:...
's annual Feast of San GennaroFeast of San GennaroThe Feast of San Gennaro, originally a one-day religious commemoration, began in September 1926 when newly arrived immigrants from Naples congregated along Mulberry Street in the Little Italy section of New York City, to continue the tradition they had followed in Italy to celebrate San Gennaro as...
, which takes place on Mulberry Street, strings of lights are strung from the building's Mulberry Street walls. - An exterior shot of the Puck Building is often seen on the popular American television sitcomSituation comedyA situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Will & GraceWill & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, as the building where the title character Grace AdlerGrace AdlerGrace Elizabeth Adler-Markus is a fictional character on the American sitcom Will & Grace, portrayed by Debra Messing. She is a Jewish interior designer , living in New York City with her gay best friend Will Truman...
(played by Debra MessingDebra MessingDebra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
) works. - The Puck Building serves as the venue for a black-tie party in the 1991 Bret Easton EllisBret Easton EllisBret Easton Ellis is an American novelist and short story writer. His works have been translated into 27 different languages. He was regarded as one of the so-called literary Brat Pack, which also included Tama Janowitz and Jay McInerney...
novel, American PsychoAmerican PsychoAmerican Psycho is a psychological thriller and satirical novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by the protagonist, serial killer and Manhattan businessman Patrick Bateman. The book's graphic violence and sexual content generated a great deal of...
. - The final scene of the 1989 Kevin KlineKevin KlineKevin Delaney Kline is an American theatre, voice, film actor and comedian. He has won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards, and has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and an Emmy Award.- Early life :...
film, January Man, was shot at the Puck Building, featuring both interior and exterior shots.