2 Columbus Circle is a 12-story, building located on a small, trapezoidal lot on the south side of
Columbus Circle on the
Upper West Side of
Manhattan,
New York City. Bordered by
58th Street,
59th Street,
Broadway, and
Eighth Avenue, it stands on the site of the seven-story Grand Circle Hotel designed by William H. Cauvet. Opened in 1964 after
A&P heir
Huntington Hartford hired architect
Edward Durell Stone to build a museum for him at the site, the building came under controversy after the
Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) was designated as the building's developer. MAD subsequently significantly altered its design, including modifying its facade; since 1996, ideas had been put forward for the building to be landmarked, so its proposed landmark status was brought into question with this renovation.