Building Tours

New Yorkers today are eyewitnesses to the third phase of Park Avenue’s historic evolution as a value corridor and luxury brand. Almost vanished are the first era of buildings of the original “Terminal City” erected on the New York Central’s “air rights” zone above the railyard. The second growth of modern office buildings of the postwar decades are now beginning to yield to new ambitions and market forces. The Department of City Planning’s 2017 rezoning of East Midtown has also made possible a new scale of construction.

One architectural firm—Foster + Partners—has so far dominated the new activity on the avenue and skyline. The striking tower of 425 Park Avenue for L&L Holding Company, first proposed in 2012 and completed in 2021 – the first new full-block building in the district in more than 50 years—preceded the passage of the new zoning and represented an ingenious response to design and construction under the old law. In 2025, Foster + Partners completed the new global headquarters of JPMorgan Chase at 270 Park, which represents the third, “climax species” of skyscrapers on the site first occupied by the 1917 Margery Apartments, then the 1960 Union Carbide Building. On the drawing boards is the tallest of the firm’s three Park Avenue projects: the design for a new headquarters for Citadel at 350 Park.

Jeremy Dworken, a partner at Foster + Partners will discuss the firm’s work in the district. Jeremy joined Foster + Partners in 2010 and became a partner in 2018. He now co-directs the New York office.

The nominal “park” of the Park Avenue median from 46th Street to 57th Street has stretched and shrunk over the past century. Created out of thin air from 1903 to 1913 during the electrification and double decking of the New York Central’s railyard, underground, Park Avenue is both a bridge and a tunnel. Above “ground,” it is one of the world’s greatest urban boulevards.

Now, the century-old infrastructure of road and bridge is the focus of a lengthy rehabilitation effort by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad, which is responsible for the maintenance and reconstruction of the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed. Over the coming years, as the roof is repaired in phases, Park Avenue’s medians will be widened and the public space redesigned. Working with the landscape architects of Starr Whitehouse, NYC DOT is engaged in the final stages of “putting the ‘park’ back in Park Avenue.”

This final program in the Museum’s series Park Avenue: Past, Present, Future will bring together key members of the Park Avenue team to discuss their process and plans. Panelists to be announced.

Join the AIANY Committee on Residential Architecture, in collaboration with the Fallingwater Institute, for an immersive and interactive weekend at Fallingwater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We're inviting design professionals to join us—on their own or with friends and family of all ages—on October 11–12 to explore the principles of organic architecture expressed in Fallingwater, perceived by many as Frank Lloyd Wright's crowning achievement built in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania. Through an intensive exploration of this landmark structure, attendees will learn how and why organically inspired architecture, in harmony with its natural habitat, continues to captivate generations and inspire awe.

Fallingwater stands as one of the most recognizable and admired designs for homes and gardens globally, having inspired many poets, playwrights, novelists, and artists to reflect on the qualities of nature that make life truly worth living. Why are we so captivated by the woodlands, waterways, and cliffs that inspired the construction of this cantilevered, stone-and-glass shelter? This symposium delves deeper into the profound impact of organic architecture on our cultural development as a nation. 

Even if you’ve already experienced Fallingwater, this symposium is uniquely designed to allow design professionals to bring friends, family, and children for a multigenerational learning event.

Notes on Registering:

• One adult registration is required for the main session, “Fallingwater Grounds Tours and Activities,” on Sunday, October 11, from 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
• To register for the optional tours on Sunday, October 11 at 3pm, and Monday, October 12 at 10am, please select each session below.
• To register additional attendees, click “Add Another Registrant” and select the appropriate sessions for each person.
• Please note that age requirements for children vary by activity, as detailed below.

Sunday, October 11 

(1x Adult Registration Required)

Fallingwater Grounds Tours and Activities (6 LU | 6 HSW)
8:00am to 1:30pm
$280 per person. All ages. Children up to age 12 may accompany an adult at no additional charge. Includes box lunch.

Design professionals and their friends and family will gather for an exciting series of interactive activities and optional tours of the historic grounds of Fallingwater. In collaboration with the Fallingwater Institute, the AIANY Committee on Residential Architecture has developed an extensive program that immerses participants in a profound exploration of passive solar and organic architecture. This program, meticulously crafted, enables children of all ages to accompany an adult throughout the entire visit.

Additional tour choices include:

• In-depth Fallingwater Private Architectural Guided House Tour (ages 9 and up)
• Gnome-eye Fallingwater Institute Design Challenge and Tour (ages 8 and up, accompanied by an adult)
• Design Symposium: Preserving Fallingwater (ages 12 and up)
• Outback Tour on The Geology of Fallingwater (all ages, children up to 12 must be accompanied by an adult)

Speakers will be provided by the Fallingwater Institute and will include experts in architectural conservation, preservation, FLW Studio history, and landscape restoration and sustainability. Guest speakers will moderate interactive discussions throughout all programs and activities, sharing their knowledge and experiences on various building sciences related to passive solar and organic architecture. 

We recommend that attendees be in the Fallingwater area by the evening of Saturday, October 10, to help ensure they are on time for the tour beginning promptly at 8:00 AM on Sunday, October 11. As the tour will start on schedule, no exceptions can be made for late arrivals.

Sunday, October 11

(Optional Tours)

Kentuck Knob Tour (2 LU | 2 HSW)
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
$95 per person. All ages. Children ages 6–12 may accompany an adult at no additional charge. 

Gather at Kentuck Knob—the historic house and grounds designed for I.N. and Bernadine Hagan by Frank Lloyd Wright Studios. Construction began in 1953 on Kentuck Knob, an impressive residential structure perched 2,050 feet above sea level. It seamlessly blends into its surroundings, almost as if it were an integral part of the mountain itself. The organic floor plan, designed on a hexagonal module, features cantilevered overhangs and expansive areas of glass. This remarkable feat showcases the innovative power of imaginative building sciences.

Additional tour choices include:

• Outback Tour on The Geology of Fallingwater (all ages, children up to 12 must be accompanied by an adult)

Monday, October 12

(Optional Tours)

Polymath House Tour (2 LU | 2 HSW)
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

$45 per person. Ages 9 and up. Children ages 9–12 may accompany an adult at no additional charge.
Join us for a tour of Duncan House and Mantyla House at Polymath Park, a Mid-century Modern Usonian-style community development plan. This plan features shared common areas and 5-acre lots for each homeowner, designed according to the organic principles pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright Studio.

Please note, tour times may be subject to slight adjustments. A final itinerary will be shared with attendees via email prior to the program.