The first site to be declared a landmark in 2017 was a postmodern icon designed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo & Associates. When the owners of the One UN New York Hotel decided to change up the glitzy interiors of the hotel’s lobby and the Ambassador Grill, preservationists called on the Landmarks Preservation Commission to protect the space, and so they did on January 17. The disco-era interiors became New York’s 118th interior landmark.

The neoclassical building at 181 Montague Street is currently home to a Citibank branch, but it was originally built at the turn of the century for the People’s Trust Company. The LPC declared it an individual landmark on January 24, completing the recognition given to a set of financial institutions in this part of Brooklyn Heights that speak to the neighborhood’s commercial history.

The LPC also landmarked an Art Deco skyscraper at 185 Montague Street on January 24. Built around 1929, the building was designed by Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray, one of the architecture firms involved in the creation of the Rockefeller Center. LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan described the two buildings together as “striking examples of the optimistic architecture of their times—one looking to the past to convey stability and reliability, and one looking to future growth and success.”

When the Waldorf Astoria was purchased by the Anbang for a partial condo conversion, preservationists feared that the building’s iconic Art Deco interiors would be lost. Thankfully, the developer agreed to work with the LPC last year, which ultimately culminated in the interiors’ designation in March, just a week after it shuttered for a three-year renovation. The protected spaces include the West Lounge, formerly known as Peacock Alley, which is located on the first floor; the Grand Ballroom and balconies on the third floor; the Park Avenue lobby, with its 13 murals and a floor mosaic designed by French artist Louis Rigal; and the foyer that connects the Jade Gallery and the Astor Gallery.

The designation of the New York Public Library’s Rose Main Reading Room and Bill Blass Catalog Room was long overdue, but the LPC finally gave the two grand rooms landmark status in August. The designation followed a major, two-year restoration process that ended in October 2016. Both rooms are located at the NYPL’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, and Srinivasan hailed the landmarking effort as an “outstanding public benefit to all New Yorkers.”

The oldest remaining Church of England mission church in New York City was designated a landmark in September. The 282-year-old church in Elmhurst, Queens, also happens to be the second-oldest religious building in the city, and was built between 1735-1736. While the church that now owns the building supported designation, they also raised concerns about the increased expenditure from such a designation. The church plans to offset these costs by building a new structure behind the existing one, and adding gardens for the public.

Architect Ulrich Huberty designed this house for his parents, Peter and Rosa Huberty, in 1900, but the Colonial Revival-style home has remained unchanged in the last 117 years. That, and other factors prompted the LPC to designate this lovely house in October. The designation was seen not just as a nod to the architectural beauty of the townhouse, but also as recognition of Huberty’s legacy in Brooklyn. Along with his firm, he designed many iconic Brooklyn structures like Hotel Bossert, the Williamsburgh Trust Company Building, and the Prospect Park Boathouse.

This was an unusual designation for the LPC as it was more of a nod to the building’s cultural significance than its architectural merits. These buildings near Union Square were the former home and studio of artists Willem and Elaine de Kooning, and several notable artists subsequently. The proposal to landmark the site was spearheaded by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, just as the structures were in danger of being demolished to make way for a 14-story office tower; ultimately preservationists prevailed.

The Stafford House on Bronx’s City Island is typical of a Sears “mail order” house, and was built in 1930. It was an “Osborne” model, which was featured in the company’s catalogues between 1919 and 1929. The LPC designated this unassuming house, along with another on the Island in November. This particular house was built for captain John H. Stafford, and his family lived there until 1991.

As East New York underwent rezoning, preservationists feared that the neighborhood would lose some of its historic, industrial buildings as a result. At least in the case of the Empire State Dairy buildings, the LPC did not let that happen. A group of four buildings along Atlantic Avenue and Schenck Avenue was landmarked earlier this month. They were all built in the early part of the 20th century and were used for processing milk and making ice cream for several decades until they shuttered in the 1950s. “These are the most significant industrial buildings in East New York,” said Srinivasan.

The 113-year-old Beaux Arts building had been on the LPC’s radar for quite some time now. It was part of the backlog initiative, and earlier this month the LPC voted unanimously to landmark it. Designed by Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White, the full-block structure on the West Side was built in 1904 to power the city’s Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway. At that time, it was capable of producing 100,000 horsepower, and was able to hold more than 30 million pounds of coal. Con Edison purchased it in 1959, and continues to operate it as an active powerhouse today.