From its construction, the plaza was intended not only as an urban green space but also a point of interest. Architectural critic Lewis Mumford said of the plaza: "In a few steps one is lifted out of the street so completely that one has almost the illusion of having climbed a long flight of stairs". The plaza's design, in its simplicity, was a marked contrast to the Channel Gardens in front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which according to architectural writer Robert A. M. Stern was known for its festiveness.