Norman Foster’s 425 Park Avenue Issued Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, in Midtown East, Manhattan

Exterior View of Construction at 425 Park Avenue - Photo by Alan SchindlerExterior View of Construction at 425 Park Avenue - Photo by Alan Schindler

The Department of Buildings has awarded Norman Foster’s 425 Park Avenue a temporary certificate of occupancy, or TCO, signaling imminent completion of the commercial skyscraper in Midtown East. From developers L&L Holding Company, Tokyu Land Corporation, and co-managing partner BentallGreenOak, the 47-story office tower comprises around 667,000 square feet.

At 897 feet tall, the building is one of the largest completed structures on this stretch of Park Avenue.

“425 Park Avenue will set new standards for workplace design and provide an enduring landmark that is both of its time and timeless,” said Norman Foster, founder and executive chairman of Foster + Partners. “It has been a pleasure collaborating with [L&L’s David Levinson and Robert Lapidus], who share our desire to positively impact the health, wellness, and productivity of 425 Park’s future occupants, in addition to addressing environmental concerns.”

Located between East 55th and East 56th Streets, the skyscraper features a 45-foot-tall lobby with stone flooring, interior glass walls, and state-of-the-art elevator systems. The building’s distinctive triple-height diagrid floors, its ornamental fins at the pinnacle of the structure, and the entire glass and steel façade are now fully enclosed, and the exterior tower crane dismantled.

Interior work has also begun on a triple-height amenity floor near the top of the tower which will eventually feature more than 3,000 square feet of outdoor area, an installation by Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama, meditation facilities, dining area, and more.

“From the moment we first proposed the idea of replacing a non-descript and antiquated office tower with what would be Park Avenue’s first 21st century office tower, we viewed it as our obligation to create a best-in-class environment in every respect,” said L&L chairman and CEO David W. Levinson. “We invited the world’s greatest living architects to present their visions, a process that resulted in our partnership with Norman Foster and his team at Foster + Partners. Understanding that 425 Park needed to be about more than just its physical structure, we teamed with visionaries from the worlds of art, cuisine, and human wellness to curate an extraordinary experience for 425 Park’s future occupants.”

425 Park Avenue Lobby Nearly Completed - Photo by Connie Zhou

425 Park Avenue Lobby Nearly Completed – Photo by Connie Zhou

Interior Construction at 425 Park Avenue - Photo by Connie Zhou

Interior Construction at 425 Park Avenue – Photo by Connie Zhou

Interior Construction at 425 Park Avenue - Photo by Connie Zhou

Interior Construction at 425 Park Avenue – Photo by Connie Zhou

Anchor tenant Citadel Enterprises, one of the world’s largest asset management firms, will eventually occupy 16 full floors including the signature three-story diagrid floor and corresponding mezzanine, and the penthouse office floor. At 331,800 square feet, Citadel’s fit-out is also nearly half of the property’s total commercial footprint.

Chef Daniel Humm, proprietor of the Three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, will also house his latest restaurant on the lobby level.

“We are eternally grateful to our project partners Tokyu Land Corporation and BentallGreenOak, as well as our anchor tenant, Citadel, for sharing our vision for 425 Park,” said L&L president and CIO Robert Lapidus. “Their efforts alongside our incredible team at L&L have helped us achieve this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create an indelible and lasting mark along the world’s most important commercial boulevard.”

When complete, the tower is expected to achieve LEED-Gold certification and debut as the city’s first WELL-certified building.

425 Park Avenue. Rendering by Dbox, courtesy of Foster + Partners

425 Park Avenue. Rendering by Dbox, courtesy of Foster + Partners

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