YIMBY toured 425 Park Avenue, a completed 47-story commercial skyscraper in Midtown East and the first new full-block building constructed along Park Avenue’s Plaza District in nearly half a century. Designed by Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners and developed by L&L Holding Company, Tokyu Land Corporation, and co-managing partner BentallGreenOak, the 897-foot-tall tower yields 667,000 square feet of flexible Class A office space with panoramic views up and down Park Avenue and over Midtown, Manhattan. Adamson Associates Architects was the architect of record, WSP was the structural and MEP engineer, R&R Scaffolding provided the BMU, and Tishman Construction was the construction manager for the property, which is located between East 55th and East 56th Streets.
425 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
Our visit to the skyscraper was greeted with clear skies, facilitating fantastic 360-degree views of many famous New York landmarks. To the west is Billionaires’ Row starting with Rafael Viñoly‘s 1,396-foot-tall 432 Park Avenue, followed by SHoP Architects‘ 1,428-foot-tall 111 West 57th Street, Christian de Portzamparc’s 1,004-foot-tall One57, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill‘s 1,550-foot-tall Central Park Tower, and a sliver of Robert A. M. Stern Architect‘s 220 Central Park South.
Photo by Michael Young
Central Park Tower, One57, 220 Central Park South, and 111 West 57th Street. Photo by Michael Young
The side profile of Jean Nouvel‘s 1,050-foot-tall 53 West 53rd Street is clearly visible from 425 Park Avenue.
53 West 53rd Street. Photo by Michael Young
To the south are notable Art Deco landmarks like Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Chrysler Building, as well as the Citigroup Center, the MetLife Building, Lever House, and the Helmsley Building at 230 Park Avenue.
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
The Chrysler Building.Photo by Michael Young
885 Third Avenue, aka the Lipstick Building. Photo by Michael Young
Among these 20th century icons are new additions such as Kohn Pedersen Fox‘s 1,401-foot-tall One Vanderbilt and the rising 1,388-foot-tall steel-framed superstructure of JPMorgan Chase’s new headquarters at 270 Park Avenue, which Lord Norman Foster also designed for Tishman Speyer. It is expected to be finished by 2025. Construction will likely approach the halfway mark sometime this winter.
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
270 Park Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
To the east are the emerging skylines of downtown Long Island City, Hunters Point, and Greenpoint, as well as the Queensboro Bridge, SOM‘s 252 East 57th Street, and the recently completed 850-foot-tall Sutton Tower by Thomas Juul-Hansen at 430 East 58th Street.
Photo by Michael Young
Northern views show Central Park, the Upper East Side, and the rest of Park Avenue.
Photo by Michael Young
The Upper East Side. Photo by Michael Young
Central Park and the Upper West Side. Photo by Michael Young
Below are photographs taken from the 26th-floor outdoor terraces and the interior of the Diagrid Club. Outdoor spaces flank the northern and southern ends of the floor plate and are furnished with seating, tables, and landscaping.
The Diagrid Club. Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
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Many of these skyscrapers actually existed in this big city, which I have looked in addition to showing its height. Straight corners or curved corners must be explored, I was amazed at how diverse and beautiful they all were: Thanks to Michael Young.
Every time I look at 53 West 53rd, I lament the appropriately named Amanda Burden who chopped 200 feet off the height of the building for “aesthetic” reasons. This masterpiece of design should have been its full height, especially when considering all the nearby taller buildings. It was a terrible mistake that one person should have never been allowed to make.
I agree. Ideally, they should have gone back to the drawing board when MoMA acquired the American Folk Art Museum and made it even taller.
I agree with you. It’s a nice looking building as is. However, the building would have been incredible if the original plans were honored. I live in midtown east and I rarely notice it because it’s lost in a sea of tall buildings.
Completely agree. A great building that could have been spectacular.
Exactly! It’s so hidden in the Midtown skyline that it’s almost like a game of I Spy just to see it.
I HATE that the height was significantly chopped and that decision to do so is a disgrace to the design and to an extent Jean Nouvel’s vision for what he wanted to bring to New York. I hope Amanda sees how wrong that was now that there are plenty of buildings taller than 53W53 and realize her mistake
Exactly.
Beautiful views! These are the views to motivate the office workers.
Those views and photographs are gorgeous!!!
So how many years (months?) before it becomes housing since no one works in office buildings anymore? I believe New York’s office work force is half of what it was pre-pandemic.
New York is probably ahead of most cities with about 70% of people back in the office. New York continues its building boom to add more space.
The building is already like 80 percent leased or something and tenants have signed on for a good number of years. So no housing conversion expected…
What a perch for photos—totally jealous, Michael Young!
As for the hand-wringing over 53W53–it’s still a stunning building, and taller than most! NYC has a long history of buildings cut short—11 Madison (Metropolitan Life North) or 20 Exchange Place?
Very good write-up. I absolutely appreciate this website.
Stick with it!
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