"Construction of the Rockefeller Center — America's largest privately owned business and amusement complex of the pre-war period — began in 1931. In total, ten different units were constructed on the twelve-acre site, the last of which (the National Cash Register Company's offices) was completed in 1940. Situated on a block that lies between New York's busy 5th and 6th Avenues and 48th and 51st Streets, the development represents the culmination of pre-war skyscraper design and comprehensive planning. Public and private activities are brought together in the scheme and the whole design creates an atmosphere that is a direct and positive contribution to urban life. The great RKO motion picture theatre was the first building completed (designed by the main architects with Corbett, Harrison) and MacMurray, Hood and Fouilhoux) and opened in 1932. It seats over 3,500 patrons and has a full stage."

— Dennis Sharp. Twentieth Century Architecture: a Visual History. p257.

Details

The sunken plaza was originally a failure, unable to retain the intended retail tenants, and it remained a problem until the skating rink, a great novelty made possible by new refrigeration technology, was added as a somewhat desparate experiment. The skating rink is now a renowned and beloved focus of the complex.

— Kevin Matthews, based on National Public Radio news report, April 1994.

American Institute of Architects 25 Year Award, 1969