The area where the Rockefeller Center is located was originally planned as the new location for the Metropolitan Opera. The original area, between 48th and 51st streets, Fifth and Sixth avenue, was a red-light district owned by Columbia University. John D. Rockefeller Jr. leased the area on behalf of the Metropolitan Opera. The design of the complex was done by the architect Benjamin Wistar Morris. When the Met abandoned the project after the 1929 stock market crash, Rockefeller came up with a plan for a corporate complex to house the new radio and television corporations. Radio City was born.

One of the first buildings completed was the RCA building, which served as the headquarters of the Radio Corporation of America. The tower, clad in Indiana limestone, is at 70 stories and 256 meters the tallest of the complex. Its design by Raymond Hood - also known from the McGraw-Hill building in New York and the Tribune Tower in Chicago - was the basis for all future buildings at the Rockefeller. To lure tenants during the Depression, all efforts were made to ensure efficient use of the available floor space. Thanks to the setbacks each office was assured of natural light. Other assets were fast elevators, air-conditioning and excellent underground connections to the subway. Until the end of the 80s, the RCA building had a public observation deck, but it was closed when it was obstructed by an expansion of the famous Rainbow Room. This room on the 65th floor is known for its Art Deco interior; the revolving floor and its magnificent view. The RCA building is now also known as 30 Rockefeller Plaza or GE Building.

By 1940 the Radio City, which became known as the Rockefeller Center consisted of 14 buildings, located around a central sunken plaza, the Lower Plaza. The plaza, best known for its very popular skating rink, is connected to Fifth Avenue via a pedestrian street decorated with statues and flowers. It is known as the Channel Gardens, as it is flanked by the British Empire Building and La Maison Française. From the Channel Gardens you have a nice view on the sculpture of Prometheus and the GE building. Another important building in the Rockefeller Center is the Radio City Music Hall. When built, it was the largest indoor theater in the world with a seating capacity of around 6000. Guided tours give you the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the spectacular Art Deco interior.

The Rockefeller Center, known as the 'city in the city' is an exceptional example of civic planning. All buildings share a common design style, Art Deco, and are connected to each other via an underground concourse, the Catacombs. The complex is nevertheless well integrated in the City, especially along Fifth Avenue. In 1959 and the early seventies, the Rockefeller Center was extended with 5 additional buildings along sixth Avenue.