Commercial office design was forever changed with the completion of Lever House in 1952 as the first International Style building in the United States. Since then, we have continued to care for the landmark for more than 70 years. After restoring the facade in 2001, we returned again in 2023 to recapture the midcentury icon’s original splendor in a restoration effort that won the Docomomo US Modernism in America Award of Excellence. This year the program honored 16 monumental preservation efforts around the world, with Lever House leading the Commercial Design category and representing the only project in New York. 

Reflecting on Lever House, Jury Member James Russell writes, “The project team brought a beautiful approach to the materials after intense research. Seeing the before and after was very impressive. Everything came to life in an unexpected way.”