270 Park Avenue’s Diagrid, Column Lights Continue Testing in Midtown East, Manhattan

270 Park Avenue. Rendering © DBOX for Foster + Partners

YIMBY captured photos of 270 Park Avenue’s exterior LED strips undergoing testing, offering a preview of how JPMorgan Chase’s 1,389-foot-tall Midtown East headquarters will eventually look illuminated at night. Designed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners and developed by Tishman Speyer, the 60-story supertall skyscraper will yield 2.5 million square feet of office space with a capacity of 15,000 employees, and will become the tallest structure in New York completely powered by hydroelectric energy. Adamson Associates is the architect of record for the project, which occupies a full city block bounded by East 48th Street to the north, East 47th Street to the south, Park Avenue to the east, and Madison Avenue to the west.

The following photos show the white LEDs illuminated along the perimeter columns and signature diagrid pattern on the tower’s third tier, where the amenity levels will be located. The final two tiers remain dark, but will eventually be covered in an assembly of color LEDs that will enable the display of moving visualizations, much like the crown fins of Foster + Partners’ 425 Park Avenue.

Overall, the façade will incorporate some 20,000 LED lights supplied by FSG in collaboration with Montreal-based lighting manufacturer GKV.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

The rendering in the main photo shows the final two tiers illuminated in solid white, while the below aerial rendering previews the colorful displays that will be made possible with the LEDs. While the entire diagrid pattern on the eastern and western faces will be lined with lights, the columns on the broad northern and southern faces will only be illuminated on the upper four tiers.

270 Park Avenue at nighttime.

270 Park Avenue at nighttime.

The project is expected to generate over 8,000 jobs by the end of construction, spanning 40 local unions and producing $2.6 billion of economic activity for New York City. JPMorgan Chase is also expected to contribute $29.8 billion annually to the city’s economy and stimulate an additional 40,000 jobs across local industries.

YIMBY estimates 270 Park Avenue will finish construction around the end of this summer.

Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail

Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews

.

23 Comments on "270 Park Avenue’s Diagrid, Column Lights Continue Testing in Midtown East, Manhattan"

  1. GardenViewNYC | May 14, 2025 at 10:21 am | Reply

    Impressive, but what ever happened to the lights atop Central Park Tower and 111 West 57th, both of which were tested years ago yet the buildings remain dark?

    • Agreed! Currently CPT has some random lights on and some off. It looks awful. And 111 never has even turned theirs on. That one would look the best with the set backs illuminated.

      • GardenViewNYC | May 15, 2025 at 10:07 am | Reply

        Hopefully all the lights will come on soon. One of my thoughts was that CPT is waiting to sell the penthouse before they illuminate the crown? If so, it’s going to be awhile… LOL

  2. Jamie Vasquez | May 14, 2025 at 10:35 am | Reply

    Can’t wait for the rest of the lights to turn on!

  3. Color temperature too high. Needs more 2700K, please.

  4. Uninspiring and unimaginative

  5. Liface,

    Agreed 100%

  6. David in Bushwick | May 14, 2025 at 11:15 am | Reply

    The color is more green and not nearly as bright as the photos, thankfully. But it’s still a bit too obvious and just too much.
    LEDs were meant to greatly reduce power usage, yet now I see designers are adding them everywhere at large numbers. So much for improved energy efficiency.

    • Yes it is that bright. I saw it being tested a couple of months ago from the same place in the first photo. See for yourself if you’re lucky enough to do so

    • David you should stand on 42nd street in front of Grand Central Terminal to see that the lights DO shine that brightly

  7. Which will get finished off first: the Chase edifice ..or the economy?

  8. Looks GREAT!-Light em up!

  9. I have a 40th floor penthouse on 56 th and first Avenue
    And I’ve been enjoying watching this building progress
    I can’t wait to see it lit up every night
    Very exciting
    It’ll be joining the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building that I see lit up every night

  10. Agree w/ Gardenview. Where are those lights?

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*