To the east, the Smilow Research Center commands sweeping views of the East River and beyond, thanks in large part to its 12-foot-high floor-to-ceiling windows. From the northeast corner of the upper floors, the eye can take in a breathtaking 220-degree vista that embraces the northern edge of the campus, the FDR Drive, the 59th Street Bridge, the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn, and - along the way - the rolling river that is its constant companion. The Smilow Research Center is the largest and most dramatic addition to midtown Manhattan's eastern skyline in more than half a century. The last glass-skin building to be erected along this stretch was the United Nations building, which appears in the distance.

Photo: René Perez
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