Although this behemoth incurred the wrath of many Upper East Siders for its great height, it is one of the city's finest post-War II high-rise apartment towers.
While its soaring height looms over Madison Avenue, the tower itself is setback both from the avenue and the sidestreets. The surrounding plazas, all paved in large bricks similar to those on the tower, permitted the tower to rise as tall as it did under the then applicable zoning.
The tower's main redeeming feature is, in fact, its brickwork, a very large, reddish brown "iron-spot" brick whose warm color harmonizes well with its surroundings. The design, by Thomas Lehrecke of Oppenheimer, Brady & Lehrecke, is distinguished by its full-walled balconies and the modulation of its facades. This is the finest project of the developer, Rose Associates.

The tower's plazas, which have pyramidal planters, often suffer from windy gusts as a result of the tower's exposed height.

This sentinel, which has a large driveway on Madison Avenue, was an important pioneer in new development north of 86th Street at the time and was important in upgrading its Carnegie Hill neighborhood.