FRIENDS' Testimony:

The proposed enlargement of window openings at 923 Fifth Avenue will disrupt the symmetry of the building’s fenestration. Below the 19th floor, as well as on the floor above, most of the windows are aligned and of similar size. By radically changing these window sizes, the eye is drawn to the awkward spacing of the windows, which leaves an inadequate balance between the masonry and openings. This interruption of the fenestration is most apparent on the parts of the penthouse which are not set back and are flush with the rest of the facade. FRIENDS questions the purpose of the existing master plan for this building if it does not pertain to new openings and allows for this kind of deviation. We believe that this application should honor the guidelines of the master plan, including the plan’s tripartite arrangement for the larger existing openings, rather than the single pane windows as proposed.

The removal of the metal railing and its replacement with a glass rail also amounts to excessive glazing. In addition, the metal visor which wraps around interrupts the verticality of the top of the building. FRIENDS asks the Commission to deny this application.