Construction Tour: 550 Madison
East facade of 550 Madison on the Midtown skyline.
Construction is ongoing on the renovation to Philip Johnson’s landmarked 550 Madison office tower in Midtown by The Olayan Group, RXR Realty, Chelsfield, and CBRE. Built in 1984, the postmodern tower is getting a modern update led by Snohetta and Gensler with Rockwell Group overseeing the interiors. The renovation will keep much of the original facade while refreshing key portions of the interiors and ground floor public space. The Garden will almost double the previous public space adjacent to the lobby and feature full size trees, a water feature, and artisan food kiosks. A newly designed lobby from Gensler will incorporate terrazzo, leather, bronze mesh, and the large windows at the tower’s base that will fill the space with light. The rest of the office floors will feature column free floors with high ceilings and improvements to building systems to pursue LEED Platinum and WELL Gold ratings. Rockwell designed amenities for building tenants will include a wellness and fitness center, conference facilities and lounge areas, grab and go food options, coffee and juice bars, and bike storage. At the top penthouse floors directly below the “Chippendale” roof pediment, a tenant can inhabit the three to four story space with panoramic views.
East facade.
Southwest corner.
Views from the Roof
View west towards Midtown from the crown.
View west towards Central Park Tower, One57, and 111 West 57th Street from the crown.
View east towards 425 Park Avenue.
550 Madison’s crown reflected in the curtain wall of 425 Park Avenue.
432 Park Avenue framed by the crown of 550 Madison.
666 Fifth Avenue (foreground) and 30 Rockefeller Plaza (background).
30 Rockefeller Plaza.
View northwest towards Central Park and the Upper West Side from the crown.
Architect: Snohetta with Gensler; Interiors: Rockwell Group; Developer: The Olayan Group, RXR Realty, Chelsfield, CBRE; Construction: AECOM Tishman; Program: Office; Location: Midtown East, New York, NY; Completion: 2022.
