Light and Aerie

Where to Head When You’ve Got a Cupola Minutes to Spare

The cupola at the top of the landmarked David N. Dinkins Municipal Building (intersection of Centre and Chambers Streets) opened to the public on June 11. Although owned by the taxpayers, this amenity has never before in its century-plus history been accessible to anyone other than a handful of insiders, or those who attended occasional tours.

Now free to the public, the tiny circular space can accommodate only five individuals at a time. With its historic carved stone columns, tile ceiling, and newly installed railings and protective glass, the portico invites a reverie about how public purpose can sometimes be executed with elegant grace.

A 360-degree panorama of New York City greets cupola visitors who have ascended more than 500 feet in the air. Yume Kitasei, commissioner of the City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which handled the historic preservation work and preparation of what her agency calls the “Centre 360” experience, is hoping the cupola will be the site of marriage proposals. “Then they can just go right down to City Hall,” she said with a smile.

The David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, a Beaux Arts landmark designed by McKim, Mead and White, opened in 1914. Its cupola is the only one of its kind in the city, and is directly below a striking 25-foot-tall gilded copper statue called Civic Fame. In 2015, the building was named for New York City’s first Black mayor on his 88th birthday.

Public access to the cupola is “something that a lot of people wanted for a long time,” said Ms. Kitasei. “When Mayor Mamdani came in and heard the idea, he got excited—and approved it.” She is proud to point out that the $6 million restoration project took only five months to complete.

Reservations are fully booked for June, but reopen on July 1 and on the first of each month after that. Get details at https://a856-centre360.nyc.gov/.