6 Modernist Architectural Marvels in Upper Manhattan

Harlem and the surrounding area is best known for its brownstones and other pre-war architectural styles.

Still, amazing examples of mid-century modernism can be found throughout—if you know where to look.

While the wrecking ball has come for sites like the pavilion at Lasker Rink and Pool in the recent past (see bottom of post), you can still check out some notable buildings from the '50s, '60s and '70s.

From south to north, they are:

1. The Greater Refuge Temple

2081 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd and W 124th St

Architect: Costas Machlouzarides

Year: 1966

An old movie house that became a church, this building was "scooped out" and turned into something resembling a Lincoln Center concert hall by architect Costas Machlouzarides. A year later he went on to design the Church of the Crucifixion in Harlem's Sugar Hill (see No. 5 below).

2. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building

163 W 125th St and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd

Architect: Ifill Johnson Hanchard

Year: 1973

Designed by Black architecture firm Ifill Johnson Hanchard to resemble an abstracted African mask in the Brutalist style (see the two eyes?), this 19-story building juts out from a large public plaza in the center of Harlem in all its concrete-and-granite glory.

3. Manhattanville Houses

Broadway to Amsterdam Ave between W 129th and W 133rd Sts

Architect: William Lescaze

Year: 1954-1961

Designed by Swiss architect William Lescaze (of PSFS Building fame) between 1954 and 1961, the Manhattanville Houses introduced new ideas to public housing. Their Y-shape was a departure from the typical slab or cross shapes frequently seen in other projects. And Lescaze used colored panels not only to update the public's perception of the building, but to decorate the balconies on each floor that served as "backyard[s] in the sky."

4. Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church

58 W 135th St and Malcolm X Blvd

Architect: unknown

Year: 1960s

The colorful, modern facade—architect unknown—actually hides a much older structure. Built as the Lincoln Theater in 1915, it was once a destination for black vaudeville before turning into a movie theater and later a church. The house of worship was supposed to be replaced by a residential building after a development deal that involved secret payments to religious leaders, but the church still stands—for now (albeit with some significant wear and tear).

5. The Episcopal Church of the Crucifixion

459 W 149th St and Convent Ave

Architect: Costas Machlouzarides

Year: 1967

Reminiscent of Le Corbusier's church at Ronchamp, this building is a spectacular modern sight in the Sugar Hill historic district, an area better known for its beautiful old brownstones. Along with the Calhoun School on the Upper West Side, the church is considered one of architect Costas Machlouzarides's signature works.

6. George Washington Bridge Bus Station

Fort Washington to Wadsworth Aves between W 166th and W 167th Sts

Architect: Pier Luigi Nervi

Year: 1963

Designed in 1963 by Italian architect and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi (also responsible for the 1960 Olympic Stadium in Rome), this massive bus terminal is a visual jolt of soaring lines and bold geometric patterns made from reinforced concrete. The building on the west side of Broadway resembles some sort of futuristic steam liner, while other views are reminiscent of Eero Saarinen's swooping TWA terminal at JFK (which opened in 1962, one year earlier).

Gone but not forgotten:

Lasker Rink and Pool

W 110th Street and Lenox Ave

Architect: Fordyce & Hamby Associates

Year: 1966 (demolished 2021)

Built in the '60s, the concrete pavilion overlooking the old Lasker Rink and Pool in Central Park was demolished in 2021 as work began on the new pool and rink facility called the Harlem Meer Center.

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