550 Madison Avenue

Manhattan, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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Completed in 1984, 550 Madison Avenue is a 197-meter postmodern skyscraper on Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee with associate architect Simmons Architects. Clad in pink granite, the 37-story tower is distinguished by a large entrance arch at its base facing Madison Avenue, flanked by smaller arcades, and crowned by a broken pediment with a circular opening. The building's innovative design incorporated a pedestrian atrium running through the center of the block, a provision that allowed it to rise without setbacks under New York City's zoning codes. Originally built as AT&T's headquarters to replace the company's Lower Manhattan location, the building housed a ground-level retail arcade and public spaces beneath a sky lobby serving the office floors. Following Sony's lease in 1991 and acquisition in 2002, the base underwent substantial renovation. The building subsequently changed hands several times before the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated its exterior as a landmark. Its design has provoked mixed critical responses since its announcement in 1978.