Construction on the building began in 2001, three years after the vacant Alexander's department store was demolished.
The building was developed by Vornado Realty Trust, as a fee developer, with César Pelli & Associates as architect.

The building comprises a full city block between Lexington and Third Avenues and 58th and 59th Streets.
The complex features two towers constructed above a steel office and retail section, separated by a seven-story atrium.
The design of the courtyard at One Beacon Court, which connects 58th and 59th Streets, was inspired by other historic New York enclosures such as Grand Central Terminal, the reading room of the New York Public Library Main Branch, and the skating rink at Rockefeller Center; glass walls curve around the perimeter of the courtyard, tilting slightly inward as they rise.
Construction on the building began in 2001, three years after the vacant Alexander's department store was demolished. The building was developed by Vornado Realty Trust, as a fee developer, with César Pelli & Associates as architect. 
The building comprises a full city block between Lexington and Third Avenues and 58th and 59th Streets. The complex features two towers constructed above a steel office and retail section, separated by a seven-story atrium. The design of the courtyard at One Beacon Court, which connects 58th and 59th Streets, was inspired by other historic New York enclosures such as Grand Central Terminal, the reading room of the New York Public Library Main Branch, and the skating rink at Rockefeller Center; glass walls curve around the perimeter of the courtyard, tilting slightly inward as they rise.
731 Lexington Avenue