Loving Lever House.

Working in midtown Manhattan is, most of the time, kind of a pain in the butt. It's crowded, it's full of bad, over-priced food, and it's just not as good as working across the street from Madison Square Park (like I used to). It's not completely without its rewards, though, and one of those is the fantastic mid-century architecture that abounds in the East 50s.

I work at 52nd and Madison, which means I pass both Lever House and the Seagram Building on my way to the office. On a clear, sunny day, looking up at either of those towers and glass and steel fills me with a Mary Tyler Moore-esque swell of excitement. I realize where I am, and I get all tingly.

One of the cooler things about Lever House is their rotating collection of art on public display in their glass-walled lobby and open-air atrium. The current installation, by Richard Woods, is entitled Port Sunlight, and is just plain awesome. The pillars and benches inside and surrounding the lobby (and the floor of the lobby itself) have been printed with mosaic motifs, from feathers to black and white patterns with graphic punch.

Walking through the atrium makes me feel warm and cozy, like I'm strolling through a Caribbean plaza immersed in equatorial sun. If you're in New York - either as a resident or a tourist - I highly recommend a visit to 53rd and Park to check it out.

Photos courtesy of Richard Woods and This Week In New York.