The American Stock Exchange Building, formerly known as the New York Curb Exchange Building and also known as 86 Trinity Place or 123 Greenwich Street, is the former headquarters of the American Stock Exchange. Designed in two sections by Starrett & van Vleck, it is located between Greenwich Street and Trinity Place in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City, with its main entrance at Trinity Place. The building represents a link to the historical practices of stock trading outside the strictures of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which took place outdoors 'on the curb' prior to the construction of the structure.
The building was originally erected in 1921, thus improving the stature of the New York Curb Exchange, which had been a curbside exchange. The structure was enlarged between 1929 and 1931 following an increase in trading volume. The New York Curb Exchange was renamed the American Stock Exchange in 1953, and the American Stock Exchange moved out after merging with the NYSE in 2008. The structure was subsequently purchased by developers who planned to convert the building into a hotel.
The original structure, facing Greenwich Street to the west, is designed in the Renaissance Revival style, with a set of large arched windows providing light to the former trading floor. The eastern expansion, on Trinity Place to the east, is designed in the Art Deco style as a 14-story building. The expanded structure contained offices and conference rooms, as well as an elaborately decorated facade with a central entrance and reliefs signifying the building's use. The American Stock Exchange Building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978 and was designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2012. It is also a contributing property to the Wall Street Historic District, a NRHP district created in 2007.
References:The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.