Demolition is escalating at 343 Madison Avenue, the site of a 1,050-foot commercial supertall in Midtown East and number seven on our year-end countdown. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by Boston Properties, the 55-story structure will rise from a 25,000-square-foot rectangular site between East 44th and 45th Street which is currently occupied by a 15-story building that once housed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority headquarters. The new tower will produce 832,613 square feet of office space, 5,357 square feet of retail space and 5,357 square feet of underground traffic lanes to Grand Central Terminal and the upcoming East Side Access project. The rezoning plans for 343 Madison Avenue were approved by City Council in mid-November.
343 Madison Avenue Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox
Few changes are visible from the outside since our last update in September. The whole building remains covered with black nets and metal scaffolding. We should really start to see the momentum pick up next year as the old structure is dismantled level by level.
343 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
343 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
343 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
The current renderings of 343 Madison Avenue give us a street-level perspective overlooking Madison Avenue with the double-height lobby space and a corner entrance leading to the Long Island Railroad.
343 Madison Avenue. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox
343 Madison Avenue. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox
The most important architectural feature of the design is the series of large multi-story trusses covering the setbacks of the building mass. These sections are highlighted with bronze-colored walls and lined with landscaped decks overlooking the Midtown skyline. The structure ends with a rectangular glass volume housing a green wall nestled under a flat roof parapet.
343 Madison Avenue Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox
The following renderings below give us an idea of the scale and presence of 343 Madison Avenue in the Midtown skyline. One of the main highlights that sets the design apart from the surrounding towers is its series of large-scale diagonal trusses in front of bronze-colored walls. Above these sections appear to be several outdoor terraces populated with tall trees and amenity spaces extending to the upper level. The building is capped by a multi-storey space with high ceilings and a green wall surrounded by glass on all sides. Spotlights will illuminate the vegetation and serve as the crown focal point of 343 Madison Avenue.
343 Madison Avenue. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox
343 Madison Avenue. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox
343 Madison Avenue. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox
The render below faces north at the top of the east and south elevations, where the elevator core extends above the roof parapet. This rectilinear part of the superstructure would be surrounded by metal panels interspersed with thin vertical strips of glass that expose parts of the exit stairs.
343 Madison Avenue Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox
YIMBY last reported that excavation at 343 Madison Avenue is scheduled to begin next year and construction is expected to be completed by 2026.
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