The structure has a simple slab-like shape devoid of any decoration, its prosaic façade consisting of vertical alternating limestone and glass stripes. The façade stone piers are supernumerary; there are twice as many of them as structurally necessary. The glass bands are contiguous and offer no indication of floor levels. These features ably create the visual lack of scale, so the tower does not look overly bulky.[4]
The building was part of the later Rockefeller Center expansion (1960s–1970s) dubbed the XYZ Buildings.[4] Their plans were first drawn in 1963 by the Rockefeller family's architect, Wallace Harrison, of the architectural firm Harrison & Abramovitz.[5] Their letters correspond to their height. 1251 Avenue of the Americas is the "X" Building as it is the tallest at 750ft (229 m) and 54 stories, and was the first completed, in 1971. The "Y" is 1221 Avenue of the Americas, which was the second tower completed (1973) and is the second in height (674ft and 51 stories). The "Z" Building, the shortest and the youngest, is 1211 Avenue of the Americas with 45 stories (592ft).[4]
The structure is LEED-certified at a silver-level designation by USGBC.[6] In January 2025, RXR Realty bought a 49% ownership stake in 1211 Avenue of the Americas.[7][8] RXR subsequently refinanced the building that October for $1.45 billion[9][10] and announced plans to renovate the building.[11]
Notable tenants
The building served as the global headquarters for the original News Corporation, founded by Australian-born businessman Rupert Murdoch in 1980. It continues to serve as the headquarters for subsequent spin-offs Fox Corporation (2019–present) and the present-day News Corp (2013–present), and until 2019, 21st Century Fox (2013–2019). The building is well-known for housing the main Fox News studios, part of the Fox News Group which is currently owned by Fox Corp, as well as its streetside plaza, known as Fox Square. News Corp divisions housed located in the building include Dow Jones & Company, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post.[12] News Corp and Fox Corp renewed their leases for a combined 1.2million square feet (110,000m2) for 20 years in 2023,[13] but Fox vacated one-fourth of that space in 2025.[14][15]
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