New Manhattan Supertall’s Exterior Prioritizes Floor-to-Ceiling Views

Ample clear glass provides views of Midtown East at 343 Madison Avenue. Image credit: Kohn Pedersen Fox.

07 May 2021 | New York City, United States

The majority of 343 Madison Avenue, a proposed 320-meter-tall (1,050-foot-tall) office supertall in Midtown East, will be clad in floor-to-ceiling glass with strips of indented spandrels covering the edges of each floor plate, according to recently released renderings. A double-height lobby space and a corner entrance to the Long Island Railroad are also to be enclosed behind clear tall glass panels.

The building would contain 69, 549 square meters (748,618 square feet) of office space, 198 square meters (2,130 square feet) of retail space, and 220 square meters (2,372 square feet) that will connect below grade to the future East Side Access project with subterranean circulation paths toward Grand Central Terminal. The building is planned to rise in place of the former Metropolitan Transportation Authority headquarters on half of the block between Madison and Vanderbilt Avenues and East 44th and 45th Streets.

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343 Madison Avenue

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The massing features interspersed setbacks that are highlighted by a series of large multi-story trusses. The setbacks are clearly visible with a background of bronze-colored walls, outdoor terraces and seating above, and a lighting scheme that divides the tower into three large chunks of office floors at nighttime. The building will be capped by what looks to be an encased green space with trees.

Demolition work is underway at the site, with excavation expected to begin in 2022. Project completion is anticipated by 2026.

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