Foundation work has begun at 625 Madison Avenue, the site of a 34-story commercial skyscraper in the Plaza District of Midtown, Manhattan. Designed by Foster + Partners and Gensler and developed in a partnership between Related Companies and Andrew Mathias, the 684-foot-tall structure will yield 858,500 square feet of carbon-neutral office space. Both of these figures are a substantial departure from previous plans, which called for a 1,264-foot residential supertall. The property is located between East 58th and 59th Streets, between the Plaza District office core and Billionaires’ Row residential corridor.
A substantial amount of excavation has unfolded since our last update in December, when the site sat blanketed in masonry rubble following the demolition of the midcentury office building that formerly occupied the lot. A team of excavators and piling machines is now working across the partially unearthed property, and crews have begun forming sections of the foundation walls around the southeastern lot line. YIMBY expects below-grade work to continue throughout the rest of the year.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
625 Madison Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.
The above main rendering was also revealed since our last update. The image focuses on the skyscraper’s upper floors, previewing a design closely resembling the form of the stalled Penn 15 supertall, also by Foster + Partners. The massing will consist of a series of stacked boxes clad in floor-to-ceiling glass with a gray metal framework. This configuration will create space for multiple landscaped terraces alongside the interstitial levels. The structure will culminate in bulkhead enclosed with light gray metal paneling.
Below is an additional view from The Pond at Central Park, as well as an interior rendering showcasing one of the double-height atrium spaces looking north toward Central Park with early morning light.
Rendering of 625 Madison, courtesy of Related Companies.
Interior rendering of 625 Madison, courtesy of Related Companies.
Financial services organization General Atlantic is currently engaged in negations to occupy the skyscraper as its anchor tenant. The Polo Bar restaurant is also planning to relocate from its current location at 1 East 55th Street to a larger space on 625 Madison Avenue’s ground floor. This move is part of a deal with the developer that would allow the restaurant to operate rent free for at least two years, according to The Post.
Related Companies purchased the property from SL Green for $632.5 million. The nearest subways from the development include the N, R, and W trains at the 5th Avenue–59th Street station to the west and the 4, 5, and 6 trains at the Lexington Avenue/59th Street station to the east.
625 Madison Avenue’s anticipated completion is slated for summer 2029.
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So is office space needed in the future or not?
I bet executives just need overpriced commercial space for no real reason. Buffet must be laughing his ass off .
Class A office space is in high demand and printing money for developers at the moment, yes. Financial and Law firms are the only two tenants that can afford these rents and they are in the office.
Design looks ridiculous from the park. The proportions of the stacked volumes is terrible looks like a radar tower or something really dont like it