The image of the Sixth Avenue or Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Area, at present, is the business office center. It is a very important spot. In the daytime, there are lots of the office people come out and have lunch in the plaza. People in suits walking fast to do their business. There are no tourists around here. It is not the place for hang out, it is more like a short rest place after working hours.

Eventhough there is some strength of consumers from This avenue. But according to the history of the center, there the architects were more focus on the people from the 5th Avenue Because of it's well-known as a hi-class shopping district. Therefore, Rockefeller at 6th Avenue side is became like a minor entrance or can be considered back side. There is only one feature in the center on Sixth Ave. that regularly attracts the public, the Radio City Music Hall. The Major Entrance of the music hall is located on Sixth Avenue

From the 6th Ave. there are 2 ways to access to the Sculpture of Prompetus. First, access via the side streets which are the 49th Street and the 50th Street; Second, access via "1250 Sixth Avenue"

Via 1250 Sixth Ave.

1250 is the building located in the same axis as the 30 Rockefeller Plaza which is the major Axis of the complex. 1250 and 30 Rockefeller Plaza were built connected together. The interior space was blended together. It is hard to find where the border is between the 2 buildings when walking inside the lobby.

This lobby of the building open to the public everyday but in some limited time. It was designed to be the public walk way because the people can access to the subway and cut through the building towards 5th ave. There are lots of interesting spots in the interior space such as the art works form the great artist, poster and the major board of NBC. The ceiling is very high. I learned from the Interior Architecture Subject that: The more higher the ceiling in the space is, the more people will use the space.

However, with the design of Black limestone finishing inside the building, it creates the feeling of unclear and unknown to the people who visit this place for the first time. People will never be able to sense what it is inside. Plus the golden finishing of the entrance door which makes it look luxurious will push the people away from their interest to get into the building. There are no signs, symbols or anything which will tell the people on the street that there is a public space inside the building.

Therefore, this access to the heart of the center was hardly used by the new comers or the tourists.

Start walking along the 6th Avenue and turn to each street. When walking towards the 5th Avenue, people will hear the sound of the water when they arrive at the middle of the block. They will find the private street which was built to serve as a major port-cochere for 30 Rockefeller Plaza which is now the GE building. Walking towards along this private street, the sound of the water becomes louder. Here is the heart of Rocker Feller Center.

Access to the heart of the center via using 49th and 50th Street is easy but will hardly experience any urban space design of the center. Besides, people may walk pass the private street if they are more concentrating on the window shopping.

Both access ways, even from side streets (49th and 50th) or 1250, Sixth Avenue, will bring the visitors to the private street in front of the 30th Rockefeller Plaza. At this spot, the visitors can observe the promenade that brought the people from the 5th avenue into the center. Beyond the promenade there is a facade of Saks Company, the famous boutique store of New York. There is no such icon or focal point for guiding the people to the next step. However, if the visitors walk closer to the sound of the fountain they will be able to observe the back of Prometheus. Then, they may have some hint that they should go to another side of the plaza to look at the "front" of Prometheus. They also should experience the promenade.

To get into the center from 6th Avenue seems to be a hard way and not so pleasant because there is no such a thing to directly welcome and guide the people to the appropriate spot. However, in my opinion, it is the way of the designer to draw the people back into the city when they realize that they do not come from the appropriate way and they miss the most beautiful spot of the center. They will walk across the plaza and may have a chance to focus on the retail shop in the center again instead of walking pass by towards 5th Avenue.

Sequences of Landscape Design that link the street level to Sunken Plaza

Urban design in the open space of Rockefeller Plaza is one of the master pieces that was taught and learned in the universities around the world. One of the theories that has been used really well and created the pleasant environment around the plaza was the sequences of the landscape design that link the street level down to the plaza. Focusing from the relation of 50th Street + 49th Street with the Sunken Plaza, we will see a lot of designing methods that landscape architect addressed. The transition started with the walk way which was attached to the street. There is an Elevator Room, a transparency one, that welcomes the people to visit the Concourse level.

Besides the elevator, there are series of green shrubs along the walk way. Beyond the green shrubs that are gradually coming down, there is a small water feature that presents the water flowing from the top to the bottom. The water feature was designed interlocked with the series of green shrubs and stone benches. These benches were placed against the second walkway that was about 6 feet lower than the street level. Walking along this walk way, visitors can feel the sound of water around them. It creates an atmosphere of comfort. It is the very appropriate spot for resting inside this very rushed city. Finally, looking from this Path you can look into the Sunken Plaza.

Compared to other sunken plazas around the city, only the Rockefeller use the transition of Landscape to link the 2 levels together slowly and splendidly.