390 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Project type: Curtain wall replacement
Architect: KPF Architects, New York, New York
Owner: Clarion Partners with L&L Holding Co.

An existing, vacant high-rise building currently described as “rather gloomy” in Midtown Manhattan in New York City is being transformed into a vibrant, new, up-to-date office building. Located at 390 Madison Avenue, the existing building enjoys proximity to notable New York landmarks such as Grand Central Terminal and plenty of high-end hotels, stores, and restaurants. However, this area is mostly characterized by post WWII office buildings that average 70 years old. The 390 Madison Avenue building is part of this legacy, having been originally constructed in the 1950s using brown brick cladding. During the 1980s, then owner and British developer Howard Ronson recognized a need for some updating and over-clad the brick with a new dark blue glass skin. However, the interior of the building was not upgraded at the time, leading to continued obsolescence in this very dynamic section of New York.

The new owners and developers recognized this building as a real opportunity. They saw tenants moving to other areas of New York City in search of new or renovated buildings that were energy efficient, bright, and better suited to their spatial needs. This indicated the disparity between the demand for space that addresses the needs of modern corporate culture and the supply of up-to-date buildings in midtown. They quickly recognized the pent up need for better space in this older section of the city and engaged KPF Architects to explore ways to update and renovate the building. Tearing down the existing building and starting over was taken off the table at the outset since zoning laws set in place after the building was constructed would no longer allow as many square feet if built new. Zoning does allow re-working the space while keeping the overall total square footage, however, and that approach was soon determined to be the best strategy for moving forward.

The building redesign calls for re-working the space within the structure by removing or reducing some of the lower floors of the building and relocating that space to the top of the building. This approach gives the building a taller and more slender shape that will essentially “re-mass” the building from a 291-foot-tall, 24-story structure into a 373-foot-tall, 32-story building that ends up with the same overall square footage of about 900,000 square feet. The new higher portion will be set back and narrower than the current structure, affording better views. The re-massing will also allow for a prominent design feature of large outdoor terraces on setback floors as well as high-ceilinged interior spaces that can assist with deeper daylighting of interior spaces. The upper floors will boast a 13.5-foot slab-to-slab height while removal of the lower slabs will open up the volume to allow for 14.5-foot floor-to-ceiling heights in certain areas. Some 15,000 square feet of retail will include 25-foot ceiling heights. All of this meets the design objectives of the owners to create a 21st century building that maximizes light, creates more collaborative building spaces, and gives the building a decidedly contemporary appeal. All of this rework of the entire existing building will still ingeniously and economically maintain over 80% of the original structural system.

A key part of the transformation of the building is the use of new curtain walls with high-performance glazing. The new design calls for a complete replacement of the façade which is simplified since the building is vacant and unoccupied. The existing 1980s glass skin and the original 1950s brick are all being removed along with perimeter heating and cooling equipment, leaving a clean structure to work with. The new curtain wall includes transparent, floor-to-ceiling windows using highly reflective, transparent glass with spandrel glass covering the floor edges. The project is being designed to achieve LEED Gold certification and is expected to be fully constructed by 2017.