Editing Seagram Building (section)

==Architecture==
German-American architect [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]] designed the Seagram Building<ref>{{Cite web |title=AD Classics: Seagram Building / Mies van der Rohe |date=May 10, 2010 |url=https://www.archdaily.com/59412/ad-classics-seagram-building-mies-van-der-rohe |access-date=May 25, 2022 |publisher=ArchDaily |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526040116/https://www.archdaily.com/59412/ad-classics-seagram-building-mies-van-der-rohe |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite aia5|page=320}}</ref> in the International Style.<ref name="NYCL p. 1; NPS p. 13; Stern (1995) p. 345"/> [[Philip Johnson]] was the co-architect and the partnership of [[Ely Jacques Kahn]] and [[Robert Allan Jacobs]] were the associate architects.<ref name="NYCL p. 1; NPS p. 13; Stern (1995) p. 345">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|p=1}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|p=13}}; {{harvnb|Stern|Mellins|Fishman|1995|ps=.|p=345}}</ref> Numerous consultants were involved in the building's design, including mechanical engineers [[Jaros, Baum & Bolles]]; structural engineers [[Severud Associates|Severud-Elstad Krueger]]; electrical engineer Clifton E. Smith; lighting consultant Richard Kelly; acoustics consultant [[Raytheon BBN|Bolt Beranek and Newman]]; graphics consultant Elaine Lustig; and landscape architects Charles Middeleer and Karl Linn.<ref name="NYCL p. 5" /><ref name="AF 1955-04" /><ref name="AAA p. 15">{{harvnb|Arts and Architecture|1960|ps=.|loc=PDF p. 15}}</ref>

[[Phyllis Lambert]]—a [[Bronfman family]] member and the daughter of Seagram CEO [[Samuel Bronfman]], whose idea it was to develop the building—did not impose a budget on Mies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2013 |title=Why Green Architecture Hardly Ever Deserves the Name |url=https://www.archdaily.com/396263/why-green-architecture-hardly-ever-deserves-the-name |access-date=August 21, 2020 |website=ArchDaily |archive-date=September 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928112559/https://www.archdaily.com/396263/why-green-architecture-hardly-ever-deserves-the-name |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYT1">{{Cite news |last=Bagli |first=Charles V. |date=October 12, 2000 |title=On Park Avenue, Another Trophy Changes Hands |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=limited |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/12/nyregion/on-park-avenue-another-trophy-changes-hands.html |access-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911062637/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/12/nyregion/on-park-avenue-another-trophy-changes-hands.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Lambert said the Seagram Building was supposed to "be the crowning glory of everyone's work, his own, the contractor's, and Mies's".<ref name="NYCL p. 5; NPS p. 14">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|p=5}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=14}}</ref> The architects used new or redesigned materials if they believed these innovations provided an improvement over existing products.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 72" /> The design used costly, high-quality materials, including bronze, [[travertine]], and [[marble]].<ref name=NYT1/><ref name="NPS p. 14" /> The lavish interior, overseen by Johnson, was designed to ensure cohesion with the appearance of the facade.<ref name="NPS p. 15">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=15}}</ref> The Seagram Building was the first office building in the world to use extruded bronze on a facade,<ref name="NPS p. 11">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=11}}</ref><ref name="nyht19560610">{{cite news |last=Peebles |first=Niles N. |date=June 10, 1956 |title=House of Seagram Here 1st to Get Bronze Sheath |page=A10 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1323870278}} }}</ref> as well as the first New York City skyscraper with full-height plate glass windows.<ref name="NPS p. 16">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 1956 |title=P/A News Survey |url=https://usmodernist.org/PA/PA-1956-07.pdf |journal=Progressive Architecture |volume=37 |issue=7 |pages=75 |access-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807201536/https://usmodernist.org/PA/PA-1956-07.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Form===
The Seagram Building occupies half the site<ref name="NYCL p. 5">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|ps=.|p=5}}</ref> and is recessed {{Convert|90|ft}} behind Park Avenue.<ref name="AAA p. 14">{{harvnb|Arts and Architecture|1960|ps=.|loc=PDF p. 14}}</ref><ref name="Stern (1995) p. 345">{{harvnb|Stern|Mellins|Fishman|1995|ps=.|p=345}}</ref><ref name="AF (1958) p. 68">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1958|ps=.|p=68}}</ref>{{efn|The [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] and ''[[The New York Times]]'' state the slab is {{Convert|100|ft}} from Park Avenue.<ref name="NYCL p. 5"/><ref name="nyt19580726"/>}} The building's main section is a 38-story [[high-rise]] slab topped by a mechanical story; it does not include any [[Setback (architecture)|setbacks]].<ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 4">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|p=7}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=4}}</ref> The slab rises {{Convert|515|ft}} above ground.<ref name="SkyscraperPage.com">{{cite web |title=Seagram Building, New York City |url=https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=2386 |access-date=March 14, 2021 |website=SkyscraperPage.com |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301073108/http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=2386 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Emporis">{{Cite web |title=Seagram Building |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/115572/seagram-building-new-york-city-ny-usa |access-date=March 9, 2021 |publisher=Emporis |archive-date=January 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127081111/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/115572/seagram-building-new-york-city-ny-usa |url-status=usurped}}</ref>{{efn|[[SkyscraperPage]] and [[Emporis]] cite a height of {{convert|515|ft}}<ref name="SkyscraperPage.com"/><ref name="Emporis"/> while ''[[Architectural Forum]]'' and the [[National Park Service]] give a height of {{Convert|520|ft}}.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 68" /><ref name="NPS p. 4"/>}} As planned, the slab measured {{convert|95|by|145|ft}}.<ref name=nyt19550330/> Along the eastern end of the slab is a narrow shaft with an emergency-exit stair, which is sometimes referred to as the "spine".<ref name="NPS p. 4">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=4}}</ref><ref name="Mertins p. 344">{{harvnb|Mertins|2014|ps=.|p=344}}</ref> The spine, which forms part of the building's framework, contains restrooms on the sixth to tenth floor and offices above.<ref name="Mertins p. 348">{{harvnb|Mertins|2014|ps=.|p=348}}</ref>

There are two five-story wings east of the main slab, facing 52nd and 53rd Streets. The 10-story central section between the wings is sometimes characterized as a "[[bustle]]".<ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 4" /><ref name="Mumford p. 20">{{harvnb|Mumford|1959|ps=.|p=20}}</ref><ref name="Mertins p. 348" /> As planned, the "bustle" measured {{convert|90|by|85|ft}} while the wings measured {{convert|90|by|200|ft}}.<ref name="nyt19550330">{{Cite news |date=March 30, 1955 |title=Seagram Offices Get Final Plan; 38-story Skyscraper to Rise on Park Avenue Block at 52d and 53d Streets |page=50 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1955/03/30/93736096.pdf |access-date=March 15, 2021}}</ref> The April 1955 edition of ''[[Architectural Forum]]'' described the relative simplicity of the building's massing as "a no-setback building but a building all set back".<ref name="AF 1955-04">{{cite magazine |date=April 1954 |title=Seagram's Plans Plaza Tower in New York |url=https://usmodernist.org/AF/AF-1955-04.pdf |journal=Architectural Forum |volume=102 |issue=4 |page=9 |access-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803004522/https://usmodernist.org/AF/AF-1955-04.PDF |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Plaza====
[[File:Park Avenue from 64th Street to Grand Central Terminal - panoramio (34).jpg|thumb|alt=Looking toward the southeast within the building's plaza. There is a fountain at the left center.|Plaza as seen from Park Avenue, looking southeast]]
A pink granite plaza with pools and greenery lies on the western side of the Seagram Building.<ref name="AAA p. 14" /><ref name="Mertins p. 349">{{harvnb|Mertins|2014|ps=.|p=349}}</ref> The plaza is raised slightly above sidewalk level on Park Avenue, with three steps leading from the center of the Park Avenue frontage.<ref name="Mertins p. 349" /><ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 3" /> A low granite retaining wall runs on either side of the flight of steps, extending around to 52nd and 53rd Streets, where they flank the building.<ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 3">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|p=7}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=3}}</ref> There are marble caps atop the retaining walls on the side streets.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /> At the eastern ends of the retaining walls on 52nd and 53rd Streets are granite steps from street to lobby, above which are travertine canopies.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /><ref name="Mertins p. 352" /> The parapets on the side streets each measure {{Convert|3.75|ft}} wide by {{Convert|180|ft}} long and are made of 40 pieces of green Italian marble.<ref name="nyht19570224">{{cite news |date=February 24, 1957 |title=Seagram Park to Have Pools, Pink Pavement |page=1C |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1324063846}} }}</ref>

The plaza is largely symmetrical with rectangular pools placed on the northwest and southwest corners. The southern pool contains a bronze flagpole, the only deviation from the design's symmetry. The water level of the pools is just below that of the plaza.<ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 3" /> The cluster of fountain jets at the center of either pool is not part of the original design.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /><ref name="NYCL p. 11">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|ps=.|p=11}}</ref> The pools measure {{Convert|46|ft}} wide by {{Convert|70|ft}} long and each contain {{Convert|60,000|gal|sp=us}} of water recirculated every two-and-a-half hours.<ref name="nyht19570224" /> The initial plan had been to place abstract sculptures in the plaza. Mies abandoned this when he could not find a sculptor he felt could produce work suited for the landscape.<ref name="NPS p. 14; Stern (1995) p. 345">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|p=14}}; {{harvnb|Stern|Mellins|Fishman|1995|ps=.|p=345}}</ref> East of both pools are three planting beds with ivy and a [[Ginkgo biloba|gingko tree]].<ref name="NPS p. 3" /> These planting beds had contained [[weeping beech]]es before November 1959, when they were replaced with hardier gingko trees.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Devlin |first=John C. |date=October 29, 1959 |title=Park Ave. Plaza Gets New Trees; First of 6 Gingkoes Planted at Seagram Building – Woman Directs Job |page=22 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1959/10/29/82715963.pdf |access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Stern (1995) p. 346">{{harvnb|Stern|Mellins|Fishman|1995|ps=.|p=346}}</ref> The plaza contains a heating system to prevent ice buildup.<ref name="NYCL p. 5" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 9, 1956 |title=Ice, Snow Doomed in Seagram Plaza; Sidewalk Heating in Front of New Park Ave. Building May Also Dry Up Rain |page=317 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1956/12/09/90762416.pdf |access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref> At the building's completion, the plaza's surface required daily vacuuming with a sweeper.<ref name="nyt19610319">{{cite news |last=Bartnett |first=Edmond J. |date=March 19, 1961 |title=Keeping a Skyscraper Clean Is a Job That Goes On Around the Clock |page=R1 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|115261266}} }}</ref>

From its construction, the plaza was intended not only as an [[urban green space]] but as a point of interest.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 68" /> Architecture critic [[Lewis Mumford]] said of the plaza: "In a few steps one is lifted out of the street so completely that one has almost the illusion of having climbed a long flight of stairs."<ref name="Mumford p. 21">{{harvnb|Mumford|1959|ps=.|p=21}}</ref> In its simplicity, the plaza's design was a marked contrast to the [[Channel Gardens]] in front of [[30 Rockefeller Plaza]], which architectural writer [[Robert A. M. Stern]] describes as being known for its festiveness.<ref name="Stern (1995) p. 345" />

===Facade===
[[File:Park Av May 2022 44.jpg|thumb|alt=View from Park Avenue toward the northwestern corner of the lobby|View of the columns at the lobby's northwestern corner]]
The northern, southern, and western ends of the slab overhang the plaza and are supported by bronze-clad columns at their perimeters, forming an [[Arcade (architecture)|arcade]] in front of the entrance.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Fowler |first=Glenn |date=September 7, 1958 |title=New Skyscrapers Are Reviving Classical Street Arcade: Purpose Unchanged, but Styling Reflects Modern Design |page=R1 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|114464589}} }}</ref> Each column measures {{convert|3|by|3|ft}} across and two stories tall.<ref name="Mertins p. 345">{{harvnb|Mertins|2014|ps=.|p=345}}</ref> The arcade's ceiling contains recessed light fixtures within a ceramic tile surface.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /> The first-story walls behind the arcade contain full-height glass panes. Above the arcade, on the western side of the building, is a [[Marquee (structure)|marquee]] made of [[Muntz metal]], with recessed lighting.<ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 4" /> The bases of the wings on 52nd and 53rd Streets, beneath the first story, are clad in granite and contain entrances to the restaurant and bar spaces inside.<ref name="NPS p. 4" /> The eastern portions of both wings contain garage doors, while the eastern wall of the 53rd Street wing is faced in brick.<ref name="NPS pp. 4-5" /> The eastern section of the 52nd Street wing has an entrance that leads to the Grill and Pool restaurant while bypassing the main lobby.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 9; NPS p. 8">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|p=9}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=8}}</ref> A similar entrance exists on the 53rd Street wing to the Brasserie restaurant.<ref name="NPS p. 8">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=8}}</ref>

The curtain wall begins above the lower stories<ref name="Murray p. 37">{{harvnb|Murray|2009|ps=.|p=37}}</ref> and is composed of [[curtain wall (architecture)|non-structural glass walls]], which are colored amber-gray.<ref name="Mertins p. 348" /> The glass panels cover about {{Convert|122000|ft2}}<ref name="NYCL p. 6" /><ref name="nyt19560722">{{Cite news |date=July 22, 1956 |title=Synthetic Hurricane Winds Used To Test Strength of Structure |pages=1–2 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1956/07/22/306653952.pdf |access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref> and are designed to be heat- and glare-resistant.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 72" /><ref name="Murray p. 36">{{harvnb|Murray|2009|ps=.|p=36}}</ref> Because the windows are sealed permanently, and the tower rises with no setbacks, the Seagram Building's [[Window cleaner|window washing]] team could not use standard window-washing equipment. Therefore, a custom-made pneumatic scaffold was installed, with a {{Convert|27|ft|4=-wide|adj=mid}} deck that covers six columns of windows at a time.<ref name="nyht19590607">{{cite news |date=June 7, 1959 |title=Tower Gives Endless Job To Cleaners: Seagram Crew Is Always Busy |page=8C |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1323087206}} }}</ref> Behind each window, Mies sought to avoid irregularity when [[window blind]]s were drawn. As a result, the building uses window blinds with slats angled in 45-degree positions, allowing the blinds to be set in three positions: fully open, halfway open, or fully closed.<ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 9">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|p=7}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=9}}</ref><ref name="AF (1958) p. 73">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1958|ps=.|p=73}}</ref>

[[File:Seagram Building (6268045534).jpg|thumb|alt=Refer to caption|upright=0.9|The main slab viewed from across Park Avenue and 52nd Street]]

The facade used {{convert|1600|ST|LT t|sp=us}} of bronze,<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 2, 1956 |title=New Skyscraper on Park Avenue To Be First Sheathed in Bronze; 38-Story House of Seagram Will Use 3,200,000 Pounds of Alloy in Outer Walls Colored for Weathering |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1956/03/02/archives/new-skyscraper-on-park-avenue-to-be-first-sheathed-in-bronze.html |access-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022020328/https://www.nytimes.com/1956/03/02/archives/new-skyscraper-on-park-avenue-to-be-first-sheathed-in-bronze.html |url-status=live}}</ref> manufactured by the [[General Bronze Corporation]] at its plant in [[Garden City, New York]].<ref name=nyt19571110/><ref>{{cite news |date=September 15, 1957 |title=Metals From One Firm Vary 3 Tower Facades |page=2C |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1336066498}} }}<br />{{cite magazine |date=July 1956 |title=News Bulletins |url=https://usmodernist.org/PA/PA-1956-07.pdf |journal=Progressive Architecture |volume=37 |issue=7 |pages=75 |access-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807201536/https://usmodernist.org/PA/PA-1956-07.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Murray p. 31">{{harvnb|Murray|2009|ps=.|p=31}}</ref> The glass panes are set within vertical bronze [[mullion]]s made from {{Convert|4.5|by|6|in|adj=on}} [[extrusion]]s of [[I-beam]]s.<ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 4" /><ref name="Murray p. 36" /> The bronze mullions separate the facade into {{Convert|30|ft|4=-wide|adj=mid}} [[bay (architecture)|bay]]s, or vertical spaces between columns; each bay contains five windows per floor.<ref name="Mumford p. 20" /> The tops and bottoms of the mullions are tapered, exposing their cross-sections.<ref name="Mertins p. 348" /> The Seagram Building's mullions are only for aesthetics and are thus susceptible to thermal expansion and contraction.<ref name="Mertins p. 348" /><ref name="Murray pp. 36-37">{{harvnb|Murray|2009|ps=.|pp=36–37}}</ref> At the building's completion, General Bronze said the facade would need to be cleaned twice a year with soap, water, and lemon oil to prevent discoloration;<ref>{{cite news |date=March 9, 1958 |title=Bronze Building to Get 2 Beauty Baths a Year |page=R4 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|114458597}}}}</ref> this work could be performed using the window-washing scaffold.<ref name="nyt19610319" /> [[Spandrel]]s, made of Muntz metal, separate the windows on each story horizontally, which gives them an appearance similar to that of copper.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 72" /><ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 4" /><ref name="Mertins p. 348" />  A sample facade section, tested in a [[wind tunnel]] in 1956, was resistant to winds of up to {{Convert|100|mph}}.<ref name="nyt19560722" />

The design of the slab's facade is carried onto the wings and "bustle".<ref name="NYCL p. 7; NPS p. 4" /> The "spine" on the eastern side of the slab is clad with serpentine marble panels instead of glass because of the presence of [[shear wall]]s made from [[concrete]].<ref name="NPS p. 4" /><ref name="Mertins pp. 348-349">{{harvnb|Mertins|2014|ps=.|pp=348–349}}</ref> The curtain-wall facade cost {{Convert|18|$/ft2}}, equivalent to {{Convert|{{formatnum:{{inflation|value=18|index=US-GDP|start_year=1958}}}}|$/ft2}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 72" /> Above the 38th story is a triple-height mechanical story with a [[louver]]ed screen.<ref name="NPS p. 4" />

===Features<span class="anchor" id="Interior"></span>===
The superstructure is a [[steel frame]] covered with concrete and gypsum.<ref name="NYCL p. 6; NPS p. 16">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|p=6}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=16}}</ref> At the time, American [[building code]]s required that all [[structural steel]] be covered in a fireproof material, such as concrete, because improperly protected steel columns or beams may soften and fail in confined fires.<ref>{{cite report|last1=Hool |first1=George Albert |last2=Johnson |first2=Nathan Clarke |oclc=1161028617 |url=https://archive.org/details/handbookbuildin00johngoog |title=Handbook of Building Construction |date=1920 |publisher=McGraw Hill |pages=[https://archive.org/details/handbookbuildin00johngoog/page/n388 338]}}</ref> The concrete core shear walls rise to the 17th floor, while the diagonal core bracing, with shear [[truss]]es, extends to the 29th floor.<ref name="Al-Kodmany Ali 2013 p. 172">{{cite book |last1=Al-Kodmany |first1=Kheir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yBPA9kYZXTMC&pg=PA172 |title=The Future of the City: Tall Buildings and Urban Design |last2=Ali |first2=Mir M. |publisher=WIT Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-1845644109 |oclc=783138327 |page=172 |access-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021131954/https://books.google.com/books?id=yBPA9kYZXTMC&pg=PA172 |url-status=live}}</ref> The structural system also includes steel columns whose centers are {{Convert|27.75|ft}} apart.<ref name="NYCL p. 6">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|ps=.|p=6}}</ref>  The Seagram Building's heating and air conditioning systems are divided into two sections: a basement unit serving the 20th story and all floors below, and a roof unit serving the 21st story and all floors above.<ref name="nyht19561028">{{cite news |date=October 28, 1956 |title=Seagram Tower to Have Dual Heating System |page=2C |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1323882745}}}}</ref> Ducts for utilities such as electric, telephone, and [[closed-circuit television]] cables were embedded into the concrete floor slabs.<ref name="NYCL p. 6; NPS p. 16" />

The Seagram Building has {{convert|849,014|ft2|m2}} of floor space,<ref name="ZoLa" /> including three basement stories.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 10">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989a|ps=.|p=10}}</ref> Inside the building were the [[Four Seasons Restaurant|Four Seasons]] and Brasserie restaurants, originally designed by Philip Johnson.<ref name="Morabito 2015">{{cite web |last=Morabito |first=Greg |date=June 23, 2015 |title=Everything's Falling to Pieces at The Seagram Building: Brasserie Leaving Along With Four Seasons |url=https://ny.eater.com/2015/6/23/8830827/everythings-falling-to-pieces-at-the-seagram-building-brasserie |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Eater NY |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505002432/http://ny.eater.com/2015/6/23/8830827/everythings-falling-to-pieces-at-the-seagram-building-brasserie |url-status=live}}</ref> The restaurant interiors were decorated with numerous artworks. These included the [[Seagram murals]] by [[Mark Rothko]], which he claimed were intended to sicken the patrons of the Four Seasons Restaurant,<ref name="nyt20130407">{{Cite news |last=Lamster |first=Mark |date=April 3, 2013 |title=A Personal Stamp on the Skyline |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=limited |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/arts/design/building-seagram-phyllis-lamberts-new-architecture-book.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215070854/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/arts/design/building-seagram-phyllis-lamberts-new-architecture-book.html}}</ref> as well as [[Pablo Picasso]]'s painted curtain ''[[Le Tricorne]]'', designed for the [[Ballets Russes]] in 1919.<ref>{{cite web |last=Andrews |first=Suzanna |date=September 8, 2014 |title=The Battle over the Four Seasons Restaurant's Picasso Curtain |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/society/2014/10/picasso-curtain-four-seasons-restaurant |access-date=March 15, 2021 |magazine=Vanity Fair |archive-date=November 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102162755/https://www.vanityfair.com/style/society/2014/10/picasso-curtain-four-seasons-restaurant |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bagli |first=Charles V. |date=June 12, 2014 |title=After Much Debate, Picasso Curtain Will Be Moved From the Four Seasons |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/nyregion/after-much-debate-a-picasso-tapestry-is-headed-to-the-new-york-historical-society.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 15, 2021 |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102040012/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/nyregion/after-much-debate-a-picasso-tapestry-is-headed-to-the-new-york-historical-society.html}}</ref> By 2017, the building housed three restaurants owned by Major Food Group: the Pool, the Grill, and the Lobster Club.<ref name="Dai 2017">{{cite web |last=Dai |first=Serena |date=October 13, 2017 |title=What Major Food Group's Final Former Four Seasons Restaurant Will Look Like |url=https://ny.eater.com/2017/10/13/16473204/the-lobster-club-nyc-opening-design |access-date=March 13, 2021 |website=Eater NY |archive-date=February 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203042915/https://ny.eater.com/2017/10/13/16473204/the-lobster-club-nyc-opening-design |url-status=live}}</ref> The Pool was merged with the Grill in 2020, though a separate event space called the Pool Lounge continues to operate.<ref name="Warerkar 2020" />

====Basements====
Two of the basement levels originally contained a 150-space parking garage,<ref name="nyht19570602">{{cite news |date=June 2, 1957 |title=New Garage To Provide Ample Area: Seagram lo Limit Total to 150 Cars |page=1C |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1324039053}}}}</ref><ref name="Property Management 2014">{{cite web |date=October 11, 2014 |title=Seagram Building |url=https://rfr.com/properties/property/375-park-avenue/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707155733/https://rfr.com/properties/property/375-park-avenue/ |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |access-date=March 16, 2021 |website=RFR Property Management}}</ref> connected to the lobby via its own elevator.<ref name="nyht19570602" /> Starting in 2019, the garage was renovated into a gym known as the Seagram Playground.<ref name="wsj20200620">{{Cite news |last=Karmin |first=Craig |date=June 30, 2020 |title=Developer Is Updating Historic Seagram Building With New Playground |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/developer-is-updating-historic-seagram-building-with-new-playground-11593518400 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813230945/https://www.wsj.com/articles/developer-is-updating-historic-seagram-building-with-new-playground-11593518400 |archive-date=August 13, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Covering {{Convert|23500|ft2}}<ref name="Baird-Remba 2023 f956">{{cite web | last=Baird-Remba | first=Rebecca | title=Yes, That's a Climbing Wall. RFR's Seagram Building 'Playground' | website=Commercial Observer | date=May 2, 2023 | url=https://commercialobserver.com/2023/05/seagram-building-amenities-playground-rfr/ | access-date=December 11, 2023 | archive-date=December 11, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211173124/https://commercialobserver.com/2023/05/seagram-building-amenities-playground-rfr/ | url-status=live }}</ref> or {{Convert|35000|ft2}}, the gym was designed in a contrasting style to the original building to attract younger employees.<ref name="wsj20200620"/> It contains a multipurpose [[basketball]], [[pickleball]], and [[volleyball]] court with a [[climbing wall]].<ref name="Facility Executive 2022">{{cite web |date=August 15, 2022 |title=NYC Building Adds "Playground" To Enhance Office Experience |url=https://facilityexecutive.com/2022/08/iconic-nyc-building-adds-playground-enhance-office-experience/ |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=Facility Executive |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212160346/https://facilityexecutive.com/2022/08/iconic-nyc-building-adds-playground-enhance-office-experience/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nyt-2022-08-10">{{Cite news |last=Margolies |first=Jane |date=August 10, 2022 |title=The Seagram Building's New Playground |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/10/nyregion/seagram-playground.html |url-access=limited |access-date=August 12, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812042628/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/10/nyregion/seagram-playground.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Next to the court was a multipurpose exercise room, a training area, a [[spin bike]] room, and an open lounge.<ref name="Baird-Remba 2023 f956"/> The gym could also be used as a 150-seat theater with eight tiers of wooden [[bleacher]]s,<ref name="Facility Executive 2022" /> and there are two conference rooms on a mezzanine overlooking the gym.<ref name="Baird-Remba 2023 f956"/> The basements also contain storage, loading platforms, and service areas for the first-floor occupants.<ref name="NYCL p. 11" />

====Lobby====
[[File:Seagram Building-NewYork-4.jpg|thumb|alt=Refer to caption|The lobby and facade as viewed from Park Avenue at night]]
Unlike designs in [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] office buildings, the Seagram Building's lobby lacks a central space, instead leading visitors directly from the plaza to the elevators or restaurants.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 6">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989a|ps=.|p=6}}</ref> The lobby is designed as if it were an extension of the plaza,<ref name="AF (1958) p. 72">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1958|ps=.|p=72}}</ref><ref name="Mertins p. 349" /><ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 5; NPS p. 15; Stern (1995) p. 345">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989a|p=5}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|p=15}}; {{harvnb|Stern|Mellins|Fishman|1995|ps=.|p=345}}</ref> leading Mumford to write: "Outside and inside are simply the same."<ref name="Mumford p. 21" /><ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 5">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989a|ps=.|p=5}}</ref> It is divided into three parts: a western section facing the plaza; a central section with elevators; and an eastern section facing the restaurant space.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 6; NPS p. 5">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989a|p=6}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=5}}</ref>

The western part of the lobby has three bronze revolving doors and is interrupted by two bronze columns. The central section comprises three corridors connecting the western and eastern thirds of the lobby, within four elevator and stair enclosures,<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 7; NPS p. 5">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989a|p=7}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=5}}</ref> whose walls are clad with travertine.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 72" /><ref name="AAA p. 14" /><ref name="Mertins p. 349" /> There are three elevators on each corridor's north and south walls—a total of eighteen elevators.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 7; NPS p. 5" /> The elevators abutting the northern corridor serve floors 25–38; those in the center corridor serve floors 2–10; and those in the southern corridor serve floors 10–25.<ref name="Anderson p. 77">{{harvnb|Anderson|1958|ps=.|p=77}}</ref> The northernmost and southernmost elevator enclosures have fire stairs exiting to the plaza, and all enclosures have mechanical spaces and service closets.<ref name="NPS p. 5">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=5}}</ref> The interiors of the elevator cabs contain stainless steel and bronze mesh panels, while the ceilings contain white panels that illuminate each cab.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 73" /><ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 7" /><ref name="NPS p. 9">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=9}}</ref> Above the elevator doors are fluorescent lights installed in the doorway [[soffit]]s. The central third of the lobby contains mailboxes, a standpipe alarm box, and service doors made of bronze.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 7">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989a|ps=.|p=7}}</ref>

[[File:Seagram Building Floor Plan.png|thumb|alt=Refer to caption|upright=0.9|left|The lobby's floor plan]]

The eastern section has two additional revolving doors within the northern and southern glass walls.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 7; NPS p. 5" /> A cross-passage connects the two sets of doors.<ref name="Mertins p. 348" /><ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 7; NPS p. 5" /> There are service doors on the eastern wall of the cross-passage, as well as an elevator control panel, a fire station panel, and directories on the western wall.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 7" /> From the cross-passage, a set of travertine steps connects to the restaurant spaces that originally comprised the Four Seasons Restaurant.<ref name="NPS p. 5" /><ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 6">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|ps=.|p=6}}</ref>

Throughout the entire lobby, the {{convert|24|foot|adj=on}}-tall ceiling is made of black cement and {{Convert|1|x|1|in|adj=on}} gray glass mosaic tiles.<ref name="AAA p. 14" /><ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 6; NPS p. 5" /><ref name="AF (1958) p. 71">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1958|ps=.|p=71}}</ref> Recessed within the lobby ceiling are lights with dimmers.<ref name="NPS p. 5" /><ref name="AF (1958) p. 71" /> The floors, walls, and columns are also clad with travertine.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 71" /> The exterior walls of the lobby contain bronze mullions within which the exterior glass panes are set. A horizontal bronze bar, about {{Convert|42|in|cm}} above the floor level, surrounds the exterior walls.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 6; NPS p. 5" /> The horizontal bronze bar was installed in the 1970s per New York state building regulations.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 6" /> Signs in the lobby were originally designed in a [[Slab serif|square serif]] font custom-made for the Seagram Building.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 6" />

====The Grill and Pool====
{{For|the original design of the Four Seasons Restaurant prior to reconfiguration|The Four Seasons Restaurant#Design}}{{Featured article}}
[[File:Four Season Restaurant Trees.JPG|thumb|alt=An overview photograph of the Four Seasons Restaurant room with the trees and the pool |The Pool]]

The Grill and Pool (formerly the Four Seasons Restaurant) occupy two stories in the Seagram Building's "bustle", east of the lobby and main shaft. The upper story is just above the lobby, while the lower story is at ground level near 52nd and 53rd Streets.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 6; NPS p. 5">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|p=6}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=5}}</ref> When they opened as separate restaurants in 2017, the Grill served mid-20th-century cuisine while the Pool largely served seafood.<ref name="Wallpaper Magazine 2017">{{cite web |last=Peasley |first=Aaron |date=April 27, 2017 |title=Grill power: Aby Rosen's dynamic taming of the Seagram Building's restaurant space |url=https://www.wallpaper.com/travel/aby-rosens-dynamic-taming-of-the-seagram-buildings-restaurant-space |url-status=live |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Wallpaper |archive-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124003449/https://www.wallpaper.com/travel/aby-rosens-dynamic-taming-of-the-seagram-buildings-restaurant-space}}</ref><ref name="Krader 2017">{{cite web |last=Krader |first=Kate |date=April 20, 2017 |title=A First Look Inside New York's Most Important New Restaurant |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-04-20/photos-of-the-grill-the-new-restaurant-in-the-seagram-building |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Bloomberg  |archive-date=May 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519101610/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-04-20/photos-of-the-grill-the-new-restaurant-in-the-seagram-building |url-status=live}}</ref> The Grill and Pool, named after the rooms of the same name in the former Four Seasons, contains similar design features to the lobby. It has travertine walls and floors, cement ceilings with gray-glass mosaic tiles, and bronze engaged piers.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 6" /> The original Four Seasons had five dining rooms, preserved in the modern-day Grill and Pool restaurant.<ref name="NPS pp. 5-6">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|pp=5–6}}</ref><ref name="nyt19590716">{{Cite news |last=Claiborne |first=Craig |author-link=Craig Claiborne |date=July 16, 1959 |title=$4.5 Million Restaurant to Open Here; Four Seasons, Nearing Completion, Said to Be World's Costliest Seagram Building Unit Is Lavishly Decorated and Landscaped |page=33 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1959/07/16/80537494.pdf |access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref>{{efn|Sources disagree on whether the rooms had a combined maximum capacity of 400<ref name="NPS pp. 5-6"/> or 485.<ref name="Architectural Record 2016" />}} The Pool is on the north side of the first floor; the Grill is on the south side. There are two dining areas on a balcony above the Grill, as well as a balcony above the Pool.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 6; NPS p. 6">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|p=6}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=6}}</ref> A staircase leads down from the Grill Room to a separate entrance lobby and foyer on 52nd Street.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 9; NPS p. 8" />

The Grill and Pool are discrete {{Convert|60|by|90|ft|adj=on}} rooms.<ref name="Architectural Record 2016">{{cite web |last=Stephens |first=Suzanne |date=June 24, 2016 |title=Goodbye to All That: The Four Seasons Restaurant Leaves the Seagram Building |url=https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11752-goodbye-to-all-that-the-four-seasons-restaurant-leaves-the-seagram-building |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Architectural Record |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411044236/https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11752-goodbye-to-all-that-the-four-seasons-restaurant-leaves-the-seagram-building |url-status=live}}</ref> Both major rooms and their auxiliary spaces have {{Convert|20|ft|m|-high|adj=mid}} ceilings with gridded off-white aluminum panels and recessed lighting. The outer walls are glass curtain walls, containing metal curtains that ripple from air released by hidden ventilating ducts.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) pp. 7-8; NPS p. 7">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|pp=7–8}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=7}}</ref> Running north–south between them is a corridor, which is at the top of the stairs leading from the eastern lobby. A glass wall and bronze double doors separate the corridor from the main lobby.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 6; NPS p. 6" /> The corridor's north and south walls contain doors leading to vestibules outside either room.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 7; NPS p. 6">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|p=7}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=6}}</ref> The Pool is centered around a {{Convert|20|by|20|ft|adj=on}} white marble pool.<ref name="Eisenberg 1979">{{cite web |last=Eisenberg |first=Lee |author-link=Lee Eisenberg (author) |date=October 1, 1979 |title=America's Most Powerful Lunch |url=https://classic.esquire.com/americas-most-powerful-lunch |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Esquire |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617084121/http://classic.esquire.com/americas-most-powerful-lunch/ |url-status=live}}</ref> On the eastern side of the Pool, a staircase connects to a mezzanine on a podium slightly above the main floor.<ref name="nyt19590716" /><ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 7; NPS p. 7">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|p=7}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=7}}</ref> The Grill had a lounge in its northwest corner and a bar at its southwest corner.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 8; NPS p. 7">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|p=8}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=7}}</ref> The two private dining rooms are on a balcony raised above the main Grill, accessed by separate staircases and separated from the main Grill by walnut paneled doors.<ref name="NYCL (Four Seasons) p. 8; NPS p. 8">{{harvnb|Breiner|Urbanelli|1989|p=8}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=8}}</ref>

====The Lobster Club====
The Lobster Club is at ground level on 53rd Street, immediately below the Pool room, within the space formerly occupied by Brasserie. It serves Japanese seafood.<ref name="Viladas 2017">{{cite web |last=Viladas |first=Pilar |date=December 6, 2017 |title=The Lobster Club by Peter Marino |url=https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13118-the-lobster-club-by-peter-marino |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Architectural Record |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118230201/https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13118-the-lobster-club-by-peter-marino |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Keh 2017">{{cite web |last=Keh |first=Pei-Ru |date=November 17, 2017 |title=The Lobster Club |url=https://www.wallpaper.com/travel/the-lobster-club |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Wallpaper* |archive-date=January 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119153118/https://www.wallpaper.com/travel/the-lobster-club |url-status=live}}</ref> Philip Johnson had designed the original interior, which was damaged in a fire and redesigned by [[Diller Scofidio + Renfro|Diller + Scofidio]] from 1995 to 1999.<ref name="nyt19990829">{{Cite news |last=Muschamp |first=Herbert |date=August 29, 1999 |title=Updating A Brasserie With Pizazz |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=limited |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/29/arts/art-architecture-updating-a-brasserie-with-pizazz.html |access-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-date=September 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917071003/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/29/arts/art-architecture-updating-a-brasserie-with-pizazz.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AR 2000-03:">{{cite magazine |last=Larson |first=Soren |date=March 2000 |title=The Seagram Building's Long-Lived Brasserie Starts Over with a Diller + Scofidio Redesign |journal=Architectural Record |volume=188 |issue=3 |page=29}}</ref> During a 2017 renovation, the Lobster Club was redesigned by [[Peter Marino]].<ref name="Viladas 2017" /><ref name="Keh 2017" />

The entrance connects to a lobby with restrooms to the east, a coat check to the west, and the dining room to the south. The main dining room is slightly above the 53rd Street lobby, reached by a set of stairs.<ref name="NPS p. 8" /> The lobby is on the north wall of the main dining room, while kitchens and waiters' stations are on the south wall. A second dining room is reached through a doorway at the center of the west wall. A door on the south wall leads to a fire stair to the lobby.<ref name="NPS p. 9" /> The Lobster Club's main dining room has brightly colored furniture and upholstery, 150 [[Drip painting|drip-painted]] concrete floor tiles by artist Laura Bergman, and three bronze-partitioned booths on the south wall. There is a bar on the eastern side of the dining room.<ref name="Keh 2017" /><ref name="Firshein 2018">{{cite web |last=Firshein |first=Sarah |date=January 22, 2018 |title=Peter Marino Pens the Next Chapter For an Iconic Manhattan Restaurant |url=https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/peter-marino-designs-lobster-club/ |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Surface.com |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117070125/https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/peter-marino-designs-lobster-club/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The second dining room is a private suite with white partition walls, red [[terrazzo]] flooring, and metal sculptures.<ref name="Viladas 2017" /><ref name="Keh 2017" />

The Brasserie had seated 150 patrons.<ref name="Architectural Record 2016" /> When used by Brasserie, the foyer had contained a stone wall, and a video camera displayed images of patrons entering from the street, with an LCD sign announcing every customer's entry.<ref name="Luna p. 215">{{harvnb|Luna|2003|ps=.|p=215}}</ref> The main dining room had a U-shaped counter surrounded by circular tables and glass-partitioned dining alcoves.<ref name="Interiors 1960 pp. 94-95">{{harvnb|Interiors|1960|ps=.|pp=94–95}}</ref> The room had wooden panels on its walls;<ref name="Luna p. 215" /><ref name="NPS pp. 8-9" /><ref name="Interiors 1960 p. 94">{{harvnb|Interiors|1960|ps=.|p=94}}</ref> a set of plates designed by Picasso was mounted onto the wooden paneling.<ref name="Interiors 1960 p. 94" /> The side walls contained booths, an allusion to the original booths that Johnson had designed for the space.<ref name="Luna p. 217">{{harvnb|Luna|2003|ps=.|p=217}}</ref> The west wall contained a bar on its northern section and a dining alcove on its southern section. The bar, alcove, and second dining room had carpeted floors; the main dining room had wooden floors. The ceiling was made of flat plaster with recessed lighting fixtures.<ref name="NPS pp. 8-9">{{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|pp=8–9}}</ref> The rear wall of the main dining room contained a double-paned glass wall, behind which sculptures were placed.<ref name="Luna p. 219">{{harvnb|Luna|2003|ps=.|p=219}}</ref> The men's and women's bathrooms used the same cast-resin sink and were decorated with hexagonal tiles.<ref name="Luna p. 215" />

====Office stories====
The office stories were intended to contain executive suites.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 71" /> The office floors generally have a flexible plan, arranged in modules around the elevator core.<ref name="NPS p. 9" /> The flexibility of the office stories derives from the superstructures' wide bays.<ref name="nyht19551030">{{cite news |date=October 30, 1955 |title=Seagram Office Building To Offer Variety of Space |page=4C |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1323299784}} }}</ref> In general, each of the second through fourth stories has about {{Convert|28000|ft2}} of rentable office space; the fifth through tenth stories, around {{Convert|18600|ft2}}; and the upper stories, around {{Convert|12000|ft2|}}.<ref name="nyht19551030" /><ref name="AF (1958) p. 76">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1958|ps=.|p=76}}</ref><ref name="Mertins p. 355">{{harvnb|Mertins|2014|ps=.|p=355}}</ref>{{efn|The total floor space on each story was slightly higher. The second through fourth stories had {{Cvt|31955|ft2}} each; the fifth through tenth stories, {{Cvt|22225|ft2}}; and the eleventh and higher stories, {{Cvt|14933|ft2}}.<ref name="Stern (1995) p. 345"/>}} Johnson mainly oversaw the interior design;<ref name="NPS p. 15" /> all the materials were custom-designed for the Seagram Building.<ref name="nyt19761108">{{Cite news |last=Goldberger |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Goldberger |date=November 8, 1976 |title=Seagram Building Owners Plan To Seek Landmark Designation |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/08/archives/seagram-building-owners-plan-to-seek-landmark-designation.html |access-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-date=July 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721144521/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/08/archives/seagram-building-owners-plan-to-seek-landmark-designation.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

The elevator landings have green terrazzo floors, travertine walls, gray elevator-door surrounds, and gypsum ceilings.<ref name="NPS p. 9" /> The remaining office stories used {{convert|55.5|by|55.5|in|adj=on|cm}} modules.<ref name="Mertins p. 349" /><ref name="NYCL p. 6; NPS p. 9">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|p=6}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=9}}</ref> The elevator doors, suite doors, and partitions were designed to rise from floor to ceiling, which made the openings appear as though they were part of the paneling.<ref name="Mertins p. 349" /><ref name="AF (1958) p. 73" /><ref name="NYCL p. 6; NPS p. 9" /> Partition panels were designed with washable materials, which became standard after they were used in the Seagram Building.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 73" /><ref name="NYCL p. 6; NPS p. 9" /> Doorknobs were made of lever handles instead of round knobs.<ref name="nyht19560916">{{cite news |date=September 16, 1956 |title=Levers to Open Seagram Doors |page=1C |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1323542647}} }}</ref> The ceilings are acoustically tiled [[dropped ceiling]]s.<ref name="NPS p. 9" /> Each story's ceiling is surrounded by luminous tiled panels, activated by a timer,<ref name="NYCL p. 6; NPS p. 15">{{harvnb|Breiner|1989b|p=6}}; {{harvnb|Higgins & Quasebarth|2006|ps=.|p=15}}</ref> which are arranged in a consistent band measuring about {{Convert|11.5|ft}} wide.<ref name="Mertins p. 353">{{harvnb|Mertins|2014|ps=.|p=353}}</ref><ref name="AF (1958) p. 75">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1958|ps=.|p=75}}</ref> The luminous panels, in turn, contain vinyl [[Diffuser (optics)|diffuser]] panels measuring {{convert|4|ft|3|in}} wide.<ref name="Mertins p. 353" /> The rest of each story uses indirect lighting.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 75" /> Air conditioning fixtures are placed only {{Convert|11|in}} above the floor slab, enabling the windows to be full-height glass walls.<ref name="NYCL p. 6; NPS p. 9" /><ref name="AF (1958) p. 74">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1958|ps=.|p=74}}</ref>

The Seagram Company occupied the second through eighth stories when the building was completed.<ref name="Anderson p. 77" /> Philip Johnson, Phyllis Lambert, and [[J. Gordon Carr]] collaborated in the design of the Seagram offices.<ref name="Anderson p. 76">{{harvnb|Anderson|1958|ps=.|p=76}}</ref> The offices had a reception room, containing tapestries and a travertine wall with Seagram's seal.<ref name="Anderson p. 77" /><ref name="AF (1958) p. 71" /> There was also an executive office with furniture designed by Mies.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 71" /><ref name="Anderson p. 78">{{harvnb|Anderson|1958|ps=.|p=78}}</ref> The executive suites contained an oak-paneled dining room and kitchen, which could double as a conference room.<ref name="Anderson p. 78" /> On three sides of the fifth floor were offices with oak paneling, luminous ceilings, and ocher carpeting. The outer offices on the fifth story were wider than on other floors, signifying that story's function as an "important" floor.<ref name="Anderson p. 79">{{harvnb|Anderson|1958|ps=.|p=79}}</ref> The fourth floor contained several large spaces for meetings and receptions, including a {{convert|69|by|36|ft|adj=on|m}} assembly room that could be partitioned into three sections.<ref name="Anderson p. 80">{{harvnb|Anderson|1958|ps=.|p=80}}</ref> Floor-to-ceiling travertine partitions walled off the restrooms in the Seagram suites.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 73" /> Another feature of the Seagram suites was display lights that could retract into the ceiling when they were not being used.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 75" /> ''Architectural Forum'' described Seagram's offices as setting "a high standard" for subsequent tenants.<ref name="AF (1958) p. 71" />