This monument commemorates those who perished in the U.S.S. Maine in 1898, killing three-quarters of the men on board. She exploded and sank off the coast of Havana, for reasons still unknown. The inscription reads: To The Valient Seamen Who Perished In The Maine By Fate Unwarned In Death Unafraid.

The 70' tall monument topped with a statue of Columbus was a gift from the Italian Community to the City. It stands at the center of Columbus Circle and because of its central location, it is the point in New York City to which all distances from NY are measured. The Monument has several Inscriptions: [top, English inscription] To Christopher Columbus The Italians Resident In America, Scoffed At Before, During The Voyage, Menaced, After It, Chained, As Generous As Oppressed, To The World He Gave A World. [bottom, English inscription] JOY AND GLORY NEVER UTTERED A MORE THRILLING CALL THAT THAT WHICH RESOUNDED FROM THE CONQUERED OCEAN IN SIGHT OF THE FIRST AMERICAN ISLAND LAND! LAND! ON THE XII OF OCTOBER MDCCCXCII THE FOURTH CENTENARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA IN IMPERISHABLE REMEMBRANCE.

The Museum of Arts and Design is an institution dedicated to the study, exhibition and advancement of contemporary craft and applied design works. In 2008, the museum completed its adaptation of the former Gallery of Modern Art on Columbus Circle at the southwest corner of Central Park. From 1964 to 2005 the site contained a 12 story modernist structure designed by Edward Durell Stone for Huntington Hartford, heir to the founder of A&P Supermarkets, to display his art collection. As Stone designed it, the building was marble-clad with Venetian motifs and a curved façade. It had filigree-like portholes and windows that ran along an upper loggia at its top stories. Allied Works’ design for the freestanding, 54,000 sf museum opens the existing building to natural light and views. A new lobby and museum store engage the surrounding streets; above are eight levels of galleries, educational and artist-in residence studios, administrative offices, curatorial workspace and restaurant. Below street level, a restored auditorium provides space for lectures, performances and presentations. The design employs a series of three structural cuts through the building’s existing concrete shell, each one a continuous line that unites the façade, walls, floors and ceilings, and transforms the building from a dark, load-bearing shell to a light-filled, cantilevered structure. Inset with transparent and fritted glass, these cuts weave across the new terracotta-tiled façade. The 22,000 tiles, fabricated by a centuries-old Dutch company, are finished in a custom, iridescent glaze that changes with the time of day and point of view.

When Donald Trump bought the Old Headquarters for Gulf and Western, he wanted to transform the original 45 story office building into a hotel and apartment building. This required his architects, Philip Johnson and Costysis Kandilis to add an additional 7 floors (for a total of 52) and reclad the original beige stone and glass building with black glass. At the base Trump placed a stainless steel globe which was purported to be inspired by the Unisphere at the former world's fair in Queens.

A monumental and vibrant porcelain tile wall drawing by Sol LeWitt has been installed at 59th Street-Columbus Circle. The artist created the proposal in 2004 and, working with Dattner Architects, selected the site in an expansive wall facing a double-wide stairway and landing that leads from the mezzanine to the platforms of the A, C, B, D and 1 trains. Titled Whirls and twirls (MTA), the artwork is 53 feet wide and by 11 feet high and consists of 250 porcelain tiles in six colors, each cut to meet the artist's specifications. The artist created the drawing/maquette for the project, reviewed and selected materials, and approved color samples prior to his death in 2007. The artist is known for his sculptures and his wall drawings, in which detailed directions are provided for the execution of the artwork in paint or pencil. The site-specific piece - unique because it is a permanent public installation of a wall drawing - is a bravura work of precision, with swooping curves and vertical and horizontal bars in vibrant color that completely fills the space. The tile was cut to the exact dimensions of the drawing to ensure that the scale of the work and the color sequences are as the artist intended. Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) is a celebrated artist who has had hundreds of solo exhibitions in museums and galleries worldwide since 1965. His work includes more than 1,100 wall drawings, photographs, hundreds of works on paper, and geometry-based sculptures. An exhibition at Mass MOCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, features 105 wall drawings in a specially designed museum space and will be on view through 2033.

The Columbus Circle Station project organizes, rehabilitates and restores this sprawling station complex at the intersection of the original Broadway Line and the more recent IND subway, underneath the newly renovated Columbus monument and fountain. Circular and oval elements at key entrances mark important station nodes, provide a sense of place, and facilitate way-finding for passengers. A retail galleria is planned for the subway passage between West 57th and West 58th Streets. Landmark elements of the IRT Station are preserved and restored. A major art installation by artist Sol LeWitt will grace the rehabilitated station. A new entrance at West 60th Street and Broadway makes entry to the complex more convenient and eases passenger flow, while new elevators provide handicapped accessibility to all platforms.

The 'Grand Circle' fronting Central Park at the 59th St entry, was originally envisioned by Olmsted and Vaux as a wide open vista for visitors entering the park. Crossing the circle became a pedestrian nightmare. In 2005, after a 2 year makeover, Columbus Circle was renovated into a more pedestrian friendly environment anchored by the Columbus Statue. Olin Partnership was the landscape architect; WET design designed the fountain.