14th Street (1864–1925) In 1864,
William Steinway built elegant
showrooms housing over 100 Steinway & Sons pianos at 109
East 14th Street, at the corner of Fourth Ave. (now Park Ave South) in
Manhattan. During the next two years, demand for Steinway pianos had increased dramatically. Construction of the first Steinway Hall was pushed by the need for expansion, increased promotion, and better presentation of pianos and music culture through regular live performances. William Steinway carried planning and construction of the first Steinway Hall with the full support and cooperation from the City of New York. The concert hall was designed with 2,000 seats, and had a concert stage for a full 100-piece symphony orchestra. The concert hall was built in 1866 behind the showrooms on 14th Street in Manhattan and was one of the first concert halls for wider audiences in New York City. The hall opened on October 31, 1866. Its four floors had enough space to fit in a showroom for more than 100 pianos, the concert hall and rooms for piano lessons. The hall and the other rooms were illuminated with over 700
gaslights. The ground floor was occupied by the showroom and the office. The first floor there was taken by the concert hall. With 2,500 seats at that time, it was one of the biggest halls in the city of New York, becoming soon one of the cultural centers of the United States. One critic wrote, "no larger auditorium—before or since—has ever been built by a musical instrument manufacturer." William K. Benedict and Marvin & Davis designed a 10-story building for the site, but because of legal disputes and the recently enacted
1916 Zoning Resolution, plans were delayed for several years. A 16-story building was ultimately designed by
Warren and Wetmore and built from June 1924 to April 1925. A grand opening was held on October 27, 1925. Among the notable performances at the 57th Street building was the 1928 duo piano recital by
Vladimir Horowitz and
Sergei Rachmaninoff. Above the third story is a frieze with portraits of classical composers and pianists. The northern elevation on 58th Street is clad with brick, limestone, and
terracotta. The upper stories on both sides are clad with brick and contain various decorative elements. The ceiling has four paintings by
Paul Arndt, surrounded by
grotesques and images painted by Cooper and Gentiluomo. The rotunda sat up to 300 guests and a small symphony orchestra. The lobby level also contained Steinway Hall's showrooms, Steinway Hall and its land were sold to the
Manhattan Life Insurance Company in 1958. Throughout the years, Steinway Hall's tenants also included publications such as
Musical America,
Architectural Forum, and
The Economist, as well as
CBS broadcasting studios. Steinway Hall was acquired by 111 West 57th Street Associates in 1980. The
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated Steinway Hall's facade as a New York City landmark in November 2001. The leasehold interest was sold to developers in 2013, and the LPC designated the rotunda as an interior landmark the same year. The Steinway Hall on 57th Street was incorporated into a residential development at
111 West 57th Street, which started construction in 2014.
Sixth Avenue (2016–present) Steinway & Sons were allowed to stay in the 57th Street building for eighteen months after it had been sold. In 2016, a new Steinway Hall opened at 1133
Sixth Avenue and 43rd Street. ==London==