New York City is synonymous with luxury, high-rise living. And the city skyscrapers are getting taller and taller, with billionaires willing to pay out the big bucks for penthouses that sit in the clouds. These days, an apartment in Central Park Tower, 111 West, or 432 Park shows you’ve made it. However, just a century ago, wealthy New Yorkers would have turned their noses up at the idea of living stacked on top of each other like that. It took Architect Rosario Candela’s luxury apartment designs (and a bit of marketing) to convince the rich that high-rise living was the new symbol of status. Candela invented the New York apartment we all dream about, and his pre-war buildings are still some of the most sought-after real estate on Park Ave. 

City Architecture is Ever Changing

American cities are constantly changing, especially in places like New York, where buildings go up seemingly overnight. While Candela made high-rise living sought after, world events pushed the change. (We’ll get into the specifics in just a few.) But to put things in perspective, a major change is happening in cities right now that could shape the future of how they look. 

In the years following the COVID pandemic, many folks have continued to work from home and are transitioning to “WFH” life full-time. Bloom surveyed nearly 30,000 Americans and estimated that 20 percent of all full work days would continue to be done from home post-pandemic, compared to 5 percent pre-pandemic. City office buildings are emptying out, leaving skyscrapers vacant. This poses the new question of whether these office buildings should be turned into housing. There are many complications, from zoning issues to a lack of natural interior light. However, this is causing us to view city life differently. As history repeats itself, the effects of COVID will change city architecture. 

How the War Revenue Act of 1917 Changed NYC Architecture

We’re currently grappling with how the pandemic is changing our cities. However, in the past, the results of war had major effects on city development. After WWI, the United States passed the War Revenue Act of 1917, which raised the highest income tax rate from 15 percent to 67 percent. Until this point, the wealthy of New York maintained large homes on the Upper East Side, boasting multiple floors, luxury finishes, yards, and room for house staff to run it all. After the tax increase, no one could afford this lifestyle in the city. So, the wealthy were forced to downsize. However, they didn’t want to sacrifice a luxurious life. One architect had the solution. 

Architect Rosario Candela Invented High-rise Luxury 

Rosario Candela would go on to redefine the Manhattan skyline and luxury living. He was born in Sicily in 1890 and immigrated to the United States in 1909 to join his father in the construction business. He gained admission to Columbia University’s School of Architecture and graduated in 1915. There are stories that he was so talented that his desk was roped off from other students to prevent anyone from copying his work. He began working with a close-knit network of Italian immigrants on projects financed by the developer Anthony Campagna or the Paterno Brothers firm. 

High-rise apartment buildings for the wealthy had been attempted before Rosario Candela’s career. However, they felt choppy, as many of the designs tried to fit the floorplan of a traditional home into a stacked tower. Candela approached things differently. He designed apartment units with sweeping terraces overlooking Central Park, high ceilings, lavish entertaining spaces, and quarters to accommodate smaller staff. His designs gave marketers something to work with, promoting views of the city and a world of opportunity at your doorstep. 

Rosario Candela’s first building was the Clayton on West 92nd, completed in 1922. It was a joint venture between Campagna and Paterno, who had purchased land from William Waldorf Astor’s estate. Gilded Age mansions were going down, and Jazz Age apartments were going up! 

While economic conditions created the environment to launch Rosario Candela’s career, they also caused its end. In 1929, he filed plans for six of his most ambitious apartment buildings yet. But the following year, the Wall Street crash sent his business plunging to only two commissions in 1930 and just one the following year. In the late 1930s, his career took a turn to cryptanalytics, and he used his code-breaking skills in the WWII efforts. 

In his own time, Rosaria Candela was not a “name brand” architect. However, today, he is credited with creating the New York apartment and redefining the Manhattan skyline. His prewar buildings remain some of the most sought-after places to live on the Upper East Side. 

The Future of American City Architecture

I am so interested to see what the future holds for cities. I think they will transform, but I feel folks will still need and want to be gathered together for work. I have written before about how I feel it’s important for younger people, especially to be physically close to more experienced workers, to gain their knowledge. Perhaps we will create more communal spaces for living, work, and play. 

But one thing is for sure: our cities’ buildings will continue to evolve.