Citigroup Center

At 915ft / 279m, the aluminum and reflective glass clad tower known as the Citigroup Center is one of the tallest building in Midtown Manhattan. But what really makes this skyscraper stand out are the triangular rooftop and the four massive 114ft (35m) columns on which the building seems to float.

The Plot

Citigroup Center

Those columns were the result of an agreement between Citibank and the St. Peter's Lutheran Church. The church owned a valuable property in Midtown, occupying one third of a city block on Lexington Avenue and 54th street. In the 1960s the church faced financial problems and wanted to sell its property.
At the same time Citibank, which was located just across the street, was looking to expand. Thus the church sold its property to Citibank, but only on the condition that the bank would build a new church replacing their 1904 Gothic Revival church. The two parties also agreed that the new St. Peter's church had to be a distinctive building, not incorporated in the office tower.