text: Other critics described Citicorp Center in a largely positive light. The historian and writer John Tauranac described the tower as the "most dramatic new skyscraper" in New York City since the completion of 30 Rockefeller Plaza several decades prior. The architect and writer Robert A. M. Stern said Citicorp Center was the summation of the "unique architectural and urbanistic character that made Fifty-third Street at once an enclave within midtown and a microcosm of midtown itself". The urbanist and sociologist William H. Whyte spoke positively of the structure for its juxtaposition of design elements, such as the exterior plaza and sidewalk. The building was also praised by publications outside the New York City area. The Baltimore Sun described the building as being simultaneously sophisticated and simple-looking, while The Observer of London wrote that the building was a "unique contribution" to the skyline of Manhattan's East Side.
  Awards and use as icon
  Upon Citicorp Center's completion, it received several architectural awards. In 1978, the City Club of New York gave the building a Bard Award, which recognized "excellence in architecture and urban design". The same year, the American Institute of Steel Construction gave its Architectural Award of Excellence to Citicorp for the building's design. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) gave Citicorp an Honor Award in 1979, and Hugh Stubbins and Associates received the AIA's R.S. Reynolds Memorial Award in 1981 for using aluminum in Citicorp Center's design. The AIA's 2007 survey List of America's Favorite Architecture ranked the Citigroup Center among the top 150 buildings in the United States.
  The sloped roof of the building has been used for branding purposes. For instance, it is included on the label of Chock full o'Nuts coffee. In addition, the top left corner of the first "M" in Manhattan Mini Storage's logo was sloped to resemble the Citigroup Center's roof. The proposed King David Hotel in the Las Vegas Valley would have a similar sloped roof to Citigroup Center if it is built.