One of New York City’s earliest skyscrapers will open its rooftop to the public for the first time in nearly a century. The recently elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street will offer free guided tours of its 36th-floor cupola beginning in June, accompanied by a US$6 million renovation to prepare the space as a public observation deck.
Originally completed in 1914 and designed by William M. Kendall of McKim, Mead & White, the Beaux-Arts landmark was conceived after the consolidation of New York’s five boroughs in 1898 to accommodate a growing municipal workforce. The structure combines a 25-story base with a 15-story central tower and was designed as a civic monument aligned with the City Beautiful movement. Its classical detailing includes a monumental arch inspired by Rome’s Arch of Constantine and is crowned by “Civic Fame,” a 25-foot gilded copper statue by Adolph A. Weinman symbolizing the five boroughs.
The building was also notable as the first in the city to integrate a subway station into its base, featuring vaulted Guastavino tilework modeled on Roman precedents. Designated a landmark in 1966, it was renamed in 2015 in honor of former Mayor David N. Dinkins. Despite originally being intended for public access, the cupola has remained closed for decades.
The planned upgrades will include repainting the cupola, repairing the rotunda, installing protective glass barriers, and restoring the space to accommodate small, six-person guided tours led by the city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services. City officials described the reopening as both a tribute to Dinkins’ legacy and an effort to democratize access to panoramic views—offering 360-degree vistas from Midtown’s skyline to the Atlantic Ocean and across the boroughs—within one of the city’s most architecturally significant civic buildings.
Read more at 6sqft.com