Sunday, February 4, 2007

General Motors Building

General Motors Corporation or GM is the world largest automobile maker in the world. Founded in Flint, Michigan in 1908, the company manufactures some of the most recognizable and popular cars in the world. Despite stiff competitions from Japanese, Korean and European automobile manufactureres, and the struggles to finance its expensive company funded pension plans, GM still manages to be the world leader in the automobile industry.

The General Motors Building, built in 1968, takes up an entire block between Madison and 5th Avenue, and 58th and 59th Street. It is 705 feet (215 meters) tall and 50 storeys high. The 5th Avenue lobby of the building used to be an automobile showroom but now, the CBS Television Studio occupies most of the space. A smaller section of the lobby belongs to FAO Schwartz, a toy store. The Apple Cube was recently constructed above the plaza in front of the GM Building.

This photo, taken with a slow shuttle speed exposure, shows the ceiling tiles, lighting fixtures and support pillars of the 5th Avenue entrance to the GM Building. The ceiling is probably 5 storeys tall and has an impressive geometric design made from marble stone.