The Rockefeller Center
In the early 1930s, partially in response to the Great Depression, the Rockefellers set out to build a new commercial and cultural center. Under the guidance of architect Raymond Hood, they set out to on one of the largest private sector jobs programs that would benefit the people of New York City.
![30 Rockefeller Plaza](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/b0580114-3e79-4871-8f85-75b5ac6f1e76/30+Rock.png)
![Lawrie inspecting the Atlas. Photo credit to the Rockefeller Center Archives.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/c89fc9eb-6e26-480b-8d42-58704a8e7007/Lawrie+inspects+Atlas.png)
![Draft for wisdom with different language.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/65f29b07-e856-4aca-b629-865e51be521f/Wisdom.png)
![The Atlas, by Lee Lawrie and Rene Chambellan](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/f8d6a68c-b155-418d-81af-ccdf3ef6b26d/Right-Sized+Atlas+Pano.png)
![Wisdom Creating the Universe. "Knowledge and Wisdom Shall Be the Stability of thy Times.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/ef4df3b7-390b-4c50-b7c3-99ed6ec22504/Wiisdom+Pano.png)
![Another view of the glass blocks. Lawrie designed every block differently.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/5b6c287d-bac0-43f3-a52b-25b94f24f65d/The+Compas+IMG_7408.png)
![Sound a voice from the clouds. 30 Rock was originally the home of RCA, (the Radio Corporation of America. Sound represented radio and phonograph records.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/0d0ff98b-f2ae-4b4c-9571-eff228fdfb60/Sound+a+voice+from+the+clouds+IMG_7407.png)
![Light represents motion pictures and television which was still in its infancy when the Center was built.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/1a3b3f42-c9e9-44d3-aef5-d52a6fa9689a/Light+from+the+Clouds+IMG_7405.png)
![Lions on the British Building](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/7fed75ad-cf3f-40d6-b936-69d96c2391fa/Lions+IMG_7384.png)
![t. Francis of Assisi on the Italian Building](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/52075363-1a91-4b4e-8aa5-05f36819a327/Asissi+IMG_7388.png)
![Female Sower. Lawrie often used the Sower in his designs for other projects. It was also used for the seal of Scripps College in California.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/9eca44f3-6e5f-48b4-9788-2968d66b4849/Female+Sower+IMG_7392.png)
![Mercury (a.k.a Hermes) the Messenger of the Gods](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/037e86e1-75c6-4b94-a186-95ff83f0c500/Mercury+IMG_7397.png)
![Lawrie titled this work, "the Spirit of America"](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/1eb78261-04c1-400d-8758-f943478ef273/Spirit+of+America+IMG_7466.png)
![An article about the International Building](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/653834ee354ada3bc4dad94a/43063847-b929-4cae-af31-a3c246651da2/4+races+of+man+%2B+Lawrie+inspecting.png)