Harrison & Abramovitz (also known as Harrison, Fouilhoux & Abramovitz; Harrison, Abramovitz, & Abbe; and Harrison, Abramovitz, & Harris) was an American architectural firm based in New York and active from 1941 through 1976. The firm was a partnership of

Wallace Harrison Wallace Kirkman Harrison (September 28, 1895 – December 2, 1981) was an American architect. Harrison started his professional career with the firm of Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray, participating in the construction of Rockefeller Center. He is ...

and

Max Abramovitz Max Abramovitz (May 23, 1908 – September 12, 2004) was an American architect. He was best known for his work with the New York City firm Harrison & Abramovitz. Life Abramovitz was the son of Romanian Jewish immigrant parents. He graduat ...

History

The firm, founded in 1941 by

(1895–1981), J. André Fouilhoux (1879–1945),

(1908–2004), was best known for modernist corporate towers on the East coast and Midwestern cities. Most are straightforward. One notable stylistic innovation was the use of stamped metal panels on the facade, first at the 1953 Alcoa Building in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, and repeated at the 1953 Republic Center Tower I in Dallas and the 1956 former

Socony–Mobil Building The Socony–Mobil Building, also known as 150 East 42nd Street, is a 45-story, skyscraper in the Murray Hill, Manhattan, Murray Hill and East Midtown neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It occupies the block bounded by 41st Street, ...

at 150 East 42nd Street in New York City. The firm's first significant project was the

United Nations headquarters The headquarters of the United Nations (UN) is on of grounds in the Turtle Bay, Manhattan, Turtle Bay neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It borders First Avenue (Manhattan), First Avenue to the west, 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd ...

in New York City (1947–52). Both Harrison and Abramovitz were design architects and worked independently. Some projects are clearly attributable to one or the other: for instance the buildings at

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

, Abramovitz's alma mater, are his designs. Harrison's work at the

Empire State Plaza The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza (known commonly as the Empire State Plaza, and also as the South Mall or Albany Mall) is a complex of several state government buildings in downtown Albany, New York, Albany, New York. The ...

"commanded his attention almost exclusively" for 15 years, from 1962 through 1976, which implies the other work of the partnership in that period is primarily attributable to Abramovitz. After 1976 Abramovitz partnered with others.

Also known by

The firm was also known as Harrison, Fouilhoux & Abramovitz from 1941 through Fouilhoux's death in 1945, then as Harrison, Abramovitz, & Abbe, and finally as Harrison, Abramovitz, & Harris.

Works

The firm's credits include: *

Corning Museum of Glass The Corning Museum of Glass is a museum in Corning (city), New York, Corning, New York, United States, dedicated to the art, history, and science of glass. It was founded in 1951 by Corning Incorporated, Corning Glass Works and currently has a ...

Corning, New York Corning is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States, on the Chemung River. The population was 10,551 at the 2020 census. It is named for Erastus Corning, an Albany financier and railroad executive who was an investor in the company th ...

(1951) * 525 William Penn Place,

Downtown Pittsburgh Downtown Pittsburgh, colloquially referred to as the Golden Triangle, and officially the Central Business District, is the urban downtown center of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Allegheny River an ...

, Pennsylvania (1951) *

Regional Enterprise Tower The Alcoa Building (a.k.a. the Regional Enterprise Tower) is a skyscraper in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was completed in 1953 and has 31 floors. It is the 15th tallest building in the city and is adjacent to Mellon Square. In 2016, ...

, originally the Alcoa Building,

, Pennsylvania (1953) * Republic Center Tower I,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

(1953) *

Embassy of the United States, Havana The Embassy of the United States of America in Havana () is the United States of America's diplomatic mission in Cuba. On January 3, 1961, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower severed relations following the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s. In 197 ...

Havana, Cuba Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Socony–Mobil Building The Socony–Mobil Building, also known as 150 East 42nd Street, is a 45-story, skyscraper in the Murray Hill, Manhattan, Murray Hill and East Midtown neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It occupies the block bounded by 41st Street, ...

, 150 East 42nd Street, NYC (1956) * Commercial Credit Company Building,

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

(1957) * 129 West Trade,

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

(1958) * Several projects for

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

, including the general Master Plan (1950s), Three Chapels (1955), Slosberg Music Center (1957), Pearlman Hall (1957), Goldfarb Library (1959), Wien Faculty Center (1959), Rose Art Museum (1961), Rapaporte Treasure Hall (1965), Spingold Theater (1965), and Sachar International Center *

Daily News Building The Daily News Building (also the News Building) is a skyscraper at 220 East 42nd Street in the East Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The original tower, designed by Raymond Hood and John Mead Howells in th ...

expansion,

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York (1960) * Chase Tower,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

(1961) * Springs Mills Building (Charles H. Abbe, chief designer), 104 West 40th Street, New York (1961–63)A designated New York City Landmark. For designation report, see: Postal, Matthew A.
Springs Mills Building, Manhattan
'', April 13, 2010. * Jerome L. Greene Hall,

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...

, New York City (1961) * United Nations

Dag Hammarskjöld Library The Dag Hammarskjöld Library is a library on the grounds of the headquarters of the United Nations, located in the Turtle Bay/ East Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is connected to the Secretariat and Conference buildi ...

Building, New York (1961) * Continental Can Building, New York City (1961) * General site planning and Plaza for

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

, New York (1961–1966) *

David Geffen Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designed by Max Abramovitz, was o ...

(Formerly Avery Fisher Hall, and opened as Philharmonic Hall) at the

, New York (1962) *

Assembly Hall An assembly hall is a hall to hold public meetings or meetings of an organization such as a school, church, or deliberative assembly. An example of the last case is the Assembly Hall (Washington, Mississippi) where the general assembly of the s ...

(1963) *

Erieview Tower The Erieview Tower (also known as the Tower at Erieview, 100 Erieview, or the Erieview Plaza Tower) is a skyscraper featuring elements of the International style located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The building has 40 stories, r ...

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

(1964) *

New York Hall of Science The New York Hall of Science, branded as NYSCI, is a science museum at 4701 111th Street, within Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Corona, Queens, Corona neighborhood of Queens in New York City, New York. It occupies one of the few remain ...

Flushing, New York Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the ...

(1964) * Columbus Center,

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

(1964) * Metropolitan Opera House at the

, New York (1966) * Main Place Tower,

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

(1969) * PNC Center,

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

(1969) * Fifth Third Center,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

(1969) * Fiberglas Tower,

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

(1970) * School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

(1970) *

U.S. Steel Tower The U.S. Steel Tower, also known as the Steel Building, or USX Tower (1988–2001), is a 64-story skyscraper at 600 Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The interior has of leasable space. At tall, it is the tallest building i ...

, originally the USX Tower, the tallest building in

, Pennsylvania (1970) *

11 Stanwix Street 11 Stanwix Street, formerly known as the Westinghouse Tower, is one of the major distinctive and recognizable features of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. History and architectural features 11 Stanwix Street was completed ...

, originally the Westinghouse Tower,

, Pennsylvania (1970) *

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

Original Headquarters Building, Langley, Virginia (1961) *

National City Tower PNC Tower is a skyscraper in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and located at 101 South Fifth Street. It was completed in 1972 and was originally named First National Tower. Naming The building, originally named First National Tower, was named af ...

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

(1972) *

Borden Building The Borden Building is a 438 ft (134m) tall skyscraper located at 180 East Broad Street in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It was topped out on May 9, 1973, and completed the next year. Harrison & Abramovitz designed the building following a ...

, Columbus, Ohio (1973) *

Learning Research and Development Center The Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) at the University of Pittsburgh is an interdisciplinary center focused on describing, understanding, improving, and researching various aspects of human cognition and learning in order to improv ...

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

(1974)

Gallery

File:The_Socony-Mobil_Building.jpg,

, New York City, 1956 File:CIA Original Headquarters Building.jpg, CIA Original Headquarters Building at Langley, Virginia, 1961 File:Avery Fisher Hall photo D Ramey Logan.jpg, Philharmonic Hall,

, 1962 File:Assembly-hall-01.jpg,

, 1963 File:Spingold Theatre, Brandeis University.jpg, Spingold Theater Center, Brandeis University, 1965 File:Main Place Tower Buffalo, New York.jpg, Main Place Tower, Buffalo, New York, 1969

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison and Abramovitz Defunct architecture firms based in New York City American companies established in 1941 1941 establishments in New York City Companies disestablished in 1976 1976 disestablishments in New York City