Dome

View, from the south on Madison Avenue, depicting the base (after restoration by Sony); Designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee in association with Henry Simmons. Its entrance is about 7 stories tall [of the total 37 stories] and was specifically designed to accommodate and house the spectacular, large gilded statue, "The Spirit of Communications," by Evelyn Longman Batchelder [now moved]. "The building that drew the widest attention to Johnson, vaulting him to public superstardom, was the AT&T Building (now the Sony Building). Various period references, mostly Renaissance and Baroque, were overshadowed by the celebrated Chippendale pediment that provides the building with a unique profile on the Manhattan skyline. While this and other 'signature' commercial structures were spectacular and more often than not satisfying to their clients, they aroused heated controversy among the critics, many of whom rebuked Johnson for his purported fascination with novelty for novelty's sake." Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 12/2/2007)