The Candler Building is a skyscraper at the southern end of Times Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. Located at 220 West 42nd Street, the 24-story building was designed by the firm of Willauer, Shape and Bready in the Spanish Renaissance style. It was constructed between 1912 and 1913 for Coca-Cola Company owner Asa Griggs Candler. The Candler Building was one of the last skyscrapers built in New York City before the 1916 Zoning Resolution, which required setbacks. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

The building consists of two sections: a 24-story rectangular tower to the north, facing 42nd Street, and a shorter 17-story rear wing to the south, facing 41st Street. The tower section was originally flanked by five-story wings and was designed with a marble and terracotta facade; the terracotta has since been replaced with cast stone. The rear wing contains a brick facade. On 42nd Street, the facade is divided vertically into five bays; a loggia spans the three central bays. The building contains an emergency-exit staircase to the south, which is structurally separate from the rest of the building. The rear wing originally contained the Candler Theatre (later Sam H. Harris Theatre). The remainder of the building contained showrooms and offices.

The site of the Candler Building was cleared beginning in February 1912 and the building opened the next year. For several decades, the Candler Building largely housed entertainment firms. The Candler family owned the building until 1947, when it began to go through a series of sales. Charles F. Noyes acquired the building in 1965 and renovated it, then marketed the rear wing to garment firms. The building's upper floors were sealed in the 1970s due to a lack of tenants. Former New York City government official Michael J. Lazar acquired the Candler Building at a foreclosure proceeding in 1980 and leased the space to city agencies, prompting a corruption investigation. The building was renovated again in the late 1990s following a second foreclosure, and its space was leased to SFX Entertainment and McDonald's until 2020. During the 2020s, the building's commercial space was briefly used as a shelter for asylum seekers before becoming a store; the structure's owner proposed converting the upper stories into a hotel, then apartments.

Site The Candler Building is on 220 West 42nd Street, between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue, near the southern end of Times Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. The land lot is irregularly shaped and covers , extending between its two frontages on 41st and 42nd Streets. The main frontage on 42nd Street measures wide, while the 41st Street frontage measures wide. In the mid-20th century, the lot was rectangular and measured on both streets, with a total area of . The larger area accommodated the Sam H. Harris Theatre on 41st Street, as well as a pair of five-story wings on 42nd Street.

The city block includes 5 Times Square and the New Amsterdam Theatre to the east, as well as Madame Tussauds New York, Empire Theatre, and Eleven Times Square to the west. The Todd Haimes Theatre, Times Square Theater, Lyric Theatre, New Victory Theater, and 3 Times Square are across 42nd Street to the north. Entrances to the New York City Subway's and stations, served by the , are on the same block to the west and east. The surrounding area is part of Manhattan's Theater District and contains many Broadway theaters. Prior to the Candler Building's construction, the site had contained the Central Baptist Church. The site immediately to the west, at 230 West 42nd Street, was occupied by the former Percival Apartments (later Murray's Roman Gardens) until approximately 1996, when it was replaced by the Madame Tussauds museum.

Architecture The Candler Building was developed for Coca-Cola Company owner Asa Griggs Candler. It was designed by the firm of Willauer, Shape and Bready, which was composed of Arthur E. Willauer, George Lee Bready, and Robert Shape. The building is designed in the Spanish Renaissance style. According to architectural historian Christopher Gray, the Candler Building may have been the first high-rise building in New York City with a fireproof emergency staircase. The Candler Building was one of the last high-rises in New York City to be built before the passage of the 1916 Zoning Resolution, which influenced the development of "stepped-tower" skyscrapers with setbacks.

Form The building consists of two sections: a 24-story rectangular tower to the north, facing 42nd Street, and a shorter 17-story wing to the south, facing 41st Street. The tower on 42nd Street was designed as a standalone structure measuring . It was originally flanked by five-story wings, which architectural writer Eric Nash likened to a "finned 1950s rocket ship". According to Emporis, the highest habitable floor is the 23rd story of the tower, which is above the street.

The tower had a copper cross-hip roof, which formerly also contained skylights. Varying measurements are given for the building's height. According to Christopher Gray, the building measured tall to the top of the hip roof, above which rose a flagpole. Emporis cites the bottom of the hip roof as being high, increasing to at its peak. According to Emporis, the building measured high if the flagpole was included. A 1928 New York Times article also cited the Candler Building as being tall. Another publication cited the hip roof as ranging from high.

The American Architect wrote in 1913 that the cross-hipped roof of the Candler Building's tower seemed to befit "the entire building though it covers a smaller area than the stories below." The Craftsman magazine wrote that the Candler Building "is of note among skyscrapers not only for its simplicity of design, its upright lines and beautiful top placed as if crowning a monument, but because of its placid appearance as it stretches skyward above a locality of seething, intense life."

Facade

Main tower The tower originally had a marble and terracotta facade on all four of its elevations; the terracotta was replaced in the 1990s with cast stone. The 42nd Street (northern) elevation of the tower section's facade is divided vertically into five bays (excluding the wings). The base spans the first through third stories, with storefronts on the first story. These storefronts are the only parts of the building that have been significantly altered. The center three bays initially contained a pair of engaged marble columns, measuring wide and tall. On the second and third stories, the outermost bays are flanked by pilasters, which rise to the 16th story. The center three bays form a double-height arcade. There are roundels in the spandrels diagonally above each arch. Additionally, a plain cornice runs above the entire arcade; at the center is a panel with the name "Candler".

The 4th through 17th stories comprise the building's midsection. On all of the tower's elevations, the outermost bays contain one rectangular window on each story. On the northern elevation, the center three bays are separated vertically by piers that rise from the 4th to the 16th stories. Each of the central bays contains two windows per story. The spandrel panels above the fourth-story windows contain lunettes with roundels inside. On the remaining stories, the spandrel panels above each window are made of metal. Each story contains full-height windows with glass-and-plaster sills. The windows are nearly flush with the rest of the facade, maximizing natural light exposure. At the 17th story, each of the central bays on 42nd Street contains a round-arched window, while the outer bays are wider than on the lower stories. The 17th story is topped by a cornice with putti and friezes, which wraps around all four elevations.

The western and eastern elevations contain a higher proportion of masonry to windows. On the 4th through 17th stories of either elevation are two central bays, each with two windows per floor. The southern elevation is more plainly designed and contains an emergency-exit tower near its west end. The emergency stair is within a shaft enclosed by brick walls on all sides. The shaft is structurally separate from the rest of the building, connected only to the balconies outside each floor.

The uppermost portion of the building is split into the 18th to 20th stories, the 21st to 23rd stories, and the roof. On the 18th to 20th stories, the northern elevation is divided into five bays, similar to those on the lower stories. In the center bays, the 18th-story windows are surrounded by ornamental frames, while the 19th- and 20th-story windows are recessed. A cornice runs above the 20th story on all four elevations. Above that cornice, the tower contains setbacks at each of its four corners, surrounded by ornate balustrades. There are triple-height round-arched bays at the center of the facade on all sides. The hip roof, above the 23rd story, is surrounded by a balustrade containing pointed finials and paired dragons. The roof was originally composed of green clay tiles, which were replaced with metal replicas in the late 1990s.

Rear wing The rear wing on 41st Street has a simple brick design and is three bays wide. Along the 41st Street elevation of the rear wing, The first story contains a modern-style entrance, while the second- and third-story windows were surrounded by a limestone frame. Originally, this wing contained loading docks. There are also limestone cornices, which project from the facade above the 3rd, 14th, and 15th stories. Each story contains several double hung windows; those at the top story are topped by keystones. The western and eastern elevations of this wing are made of plain brick with numerous horizontal string courses made of terracotta.

Features Ceiling heights were generally high; the first floor alone was tall. The remaining stories had ceiling heights ranging from , though the majority of the office stories had ceiling heights of .

Ground level

The rear wing originally contained the Candler Theatre (later Harris Theatre), which was demolished in 1997. The auditorium was on 41st Street, but it was entered through the Candler Building's western five-story wing on 42nd Street. The entrance contained a marble vestibule with a gold-stenciled ceiling, which led to a foyer. There was a "tapestry hall" with six murals by Albert Herter, depicting scenes from Shakespeare's comedies. The auditorium was decorated in the Italian Renaissance style and had two levels: an orchestra and a balcony. The orchestra level had 625 seats while the balcony had 500 seats, including four boxes. At the rear of the orchestra level was an oil mural by Herter, which measured and depicted a fête champêtre. There was ornate plasterwork around the proscenium arch, as well as an elaborate saucer dome on the ceiling surrounded by twelve metal lighting fixtures.

From 2002 to 2020, the first three stories of the Candler Building operated as a McDonald's fast food restaurant. The restaurant contained 300 seats and covered about . There was a marquee in front of the McDonald's, with 7,500 light bulbs. The restaurant's design was intended to evoke the backstage area of a Broadway theater. The front of the McDonald's had a bare-brick wall and blue glass-tile columns. A section of the second story was removed to create a staircase hall. When the McDonald's restaurant was in operation, promotional launches and special events were frequently hosted there. By 2025, this space housed the Tm:rw retail space, spanning across three stories.

Upper stories