In 1982, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Lever House as an official landmark.
By that time, however, much of the Lever House's original brilliance had been dimmed by time.
The building's blue-green glass facade deteriorated due to harsh weather conditions and the limitations of the original fabrication and materials.
Water seeped behind the stainless steel mullions causing the carbon steel within (and around) the glazing pockets to rust and expand.
This corrosion bowed the horizontal mullions and broke most of the spandrel glass panels.
By the mid-1990s, only one percent of the original glass remained leaving the once glimmering curtain wall a patchwork of mismatched greenish glass.

In 1985, the land under the Lever House (fee position) was acquired by Sarah Korein from the Goelet estate.
Unilever, the parent company of Lever Brothers, continued to lease the building.

In September 1997, Unilever announced it was moving its Lever Brothers division to Greenwich, Connecticut.
Following the announcement, Lever Brothers slowly began vacating the building, eventually leaving Unilever on only the top four floors.
In 1982, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Lever House as an official landmark. By that time, however, much of the Lever House's original brilliance had been dimmed by time. The building's blue-green glass facade deteriorated due to harsh weather conditions and the limitations of the original fabrication and materials. Water seeped behind the stainless steel mullions causing the carbon steel within (and around) the glazing pockets to rust and expand. This corrosion bowed the horizontal mullions and broke most of the spandrel glass panels. By the mid-1990s, only one percent of the original glass remained leaving the once glimmering curtain wall a patchwork of mismatched greenish glass.
In 1985, the land under the Lever House (fee position) was acquired by Sarah Korein from the Goelet estate. Unilever, the parent company of Lever Brothers, continued to lease the building.
In September 1997, Unilever announced it was moving its Lever Brothers division to Greenwich, Connecticut. Following the announcement, Lever Brothers slowly began vacating the building, eventually leaving Unilever on only the top four floors.
Lever House