building had either 23, 25, or 26 above-ground stories. In addition, the hotel had two basement levels, although the site extended five stories underground. According to plans filed by Warren and Wetmore, the hotel building was tall. About of structural steel were used in the hotel's construction, as were 5,000 barrels of Portland cement. The Biltmore occupied the entire city block bounded by Madison Avenue to the west, 44th Street to the north, Vanderbilt Avenue to the east, and 43rd Street to the south, measuring . The hotel replaced a four-story post office and ticket office operated by the New York Central Railroad, which was demolished at the beginning of 1912. Form and facade The hotel had a facade of granite, limestone, brick, and terracotta. Although the hotel's main entrance was on 43rd Street, it also had two entrances on Vanderbilt Avenue, which led to different corridors for men and women. The hotel's lowest four stories occupied the entire site. Above the fourth story, the hotel was shaped like a "U", with a light court on Madison Avenue surrounded by hotel rooms to the north, east, and south. The base was primarily clad in granite. The stories above the base were primarily clad in brick and limestone. The stories directly above the base contained a limestone facade, while the main shaft of the building contained a brick facade. The facade used approximately four million pieces of common brick and two million pieces of gray brick. The building contained of gray architectural terracotta, which one contemporary trade journal described as being one of the largest such terracotta contracts at the time. Above the 21st story, the crown was clad entirely with terracotta and was designed in the Federal style. On all four primary elevations of the facade, there were pilasters and fluted columns extending from the 21st to 23rd stories. Above these columns and pilasters was an arched frieze with ornate spandrel panels. Public spaces The hotel was built above twelve of Grand Central Terminal's railroad tracks. The first story was raised slightly above the ground. The public dining rooms were all at ground level; the southern side of the hotel contained retail space, while the northern half was devoted to more upscale eateries. There were additional ballrooms and meeting spaces on the upper stories. Basement The Biltmore Hotel had its own reception room in the basement, which originally served as