This NYC skyscraper is one of the most unpleasant-looking buildings in the world

New York often ranks as one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. With its skyscrapers, rivers, parks, and bridges, this city attracts millions of tourists every year. Although the City that Never Sleeps is full of iconic views, this one NYC building is on most people’s least favorite list. 

The former Verizon Building on 375 Pearl Street is considered to be the third ugliest building in the United States and sixth in the world, according to a survey conducted by Buildworld. Nearly 20 percent of tweets that mention this skyscraper criticize its appearance. The J. Edgar Hoover Building ranked no.1 on the "Top 10 Eyesore Buildings in the U.S." list, followed by Boston City Hall.

“Not to be confused with the Verizon Building on West Street, the Verizon on Pearl Street has long been a 'doer-upper' without ever becoming an acceptable sight for New York’s eyes,” said the report. “When an investment firm bought the much-maligned 1975 telephone exchange in 2007, a reporter told the CEO: ‘Mr Pariser, you have a challenge cut out for you — turning a GE dishwasher into an office building.’ The firm failed to meet the challenge and re-sold it for a fraction of its intended price.”

This skyscraper, which often appears in pictures of the NYC skyline, has long been disliked by New Yorkers. Since its construction in 1975, the 32-story tower has received mixed feedback from architecture critics and the public. In 2016, the building underwent a long overdue renovation that replaced parts of its façade with shiny floor-to-ceiling glass walls. However, even after the changes, this building is still deemed one of the most unpleasant-looking in New York. 

To create this ranking, the UK-based building supply website, Buildworld, analyzed tweets that mentioned the appearance of some of the most famous buildings. The Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh was named the ugliest building in the world by Twitter users. More than 42 percent of tweets have criticized its design. J. Edgar Hoover Building had the second-highest share of tweets with negative feedback – nearly 38 percent. Newport Station in Newport, Wales, ranked third on Buildworld’s list, with over 25 percent of negative tweets. 

“Architecture is an art form dictated by the few to the many. While public buildings are chosen by a committee and private ones are selected by investors, everybody has to see them when they walk past in the street,” Buildworld said. “It’s no wonder there are some that people would prefer to see removed.”

Resources:

“The Ugliest Buildings in the World,” (Buildworld, 2023)

“NYC is home to one of the ugliest buildings in the U.S., a study says,” by Shaye Weaver (Time Out, 2023)

“NYC Is Home to One of the Ugliest Buildings in the World, According to Website,” by NBC New York Staff (NBC New York, 2023)

“Skyline blights: New York’s ugliest building finally gets its glassy update,” by Diane Pham (6sqft, 2016)

“One of New York City's ugliest buildings is finally getting a makeover,” by Ameena Walker (Curbed, 2016)