Metropolitan Life North Building
Encyclopedia
The Metropolitan Life North Building, currently known as Eleven Madison, is a 30-story art deco
skyscraper
on Madison Square Park in Manhattan
, New York City
, at 11-25 Madison Avenue. The building is bordered by East 24th Street, Madison Avenue, East 25th Street and Park Avenue South, and is connected by an elevated walkway to the Met Life Tower
just south of it. The building replaced the Madison Square Presbyterian Church
, which was designed by Stanford White
of McKim, Mead and White, and had been completed only thirteen years before.
As part of the Metropolitan Life Home Office Complex, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on January 19, 1996.
and D. Everett Waid as a 100-story skyscraper that would have been the tallest building in the world. However, due to the Stock Market Crash of 1929
and onset of the Depression
, the construction was halted at floor 29 in 1933. There is some speculation as to whether Metropolitan Life really intended to finish the 100-story tower, but the existing building was obviously constructed to be strong enough to support it. Currently, however, there are no known plans to "finish" the building. The original plans were to include a New York City Subway
station. The station is now located one block south on 23rd Street
with an entrance through the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
at One Madison Avenue.
The building as it exists today, which has 2200000 square feet (204,386.7 m²) of space, was constructed in three stages, and was finally completed in 1950. It is finished on the outside with Alabama
limestone
and marble
detailing, and marble in the lobbies. The building features four vaulted corner entrances, and its bulk is mitigated by numerous setbacks and its polygonal shape. The building contains 30 elevator
s, enough to serve the originally-planned 100 floors.
From 1994-1997, the building, which has served time as Met Life's records warehouse, had its interior redesigned by Haines Lundberg Waehler and the exterior renovated, all at the cost of $300 million. It is currently owned by The Sapir Organization and primarily occupied by Credit Suisse
, with the Danny Meyer
restaurant Eleven Madison Park
occupying street-level retail space on Madison Avenue.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
on Madison Square Park in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, at 11-25 Madison Avenue. The building is bordered by East 24th Street, Madison Avenue, East 25th Street and Park Avenue South, and is connected by an elevated walkway to the Met Life Tower
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, also known as the Metropolitan Life Tower or Met Life Tower, is a landmark skyscraper located on East 23rd Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, off of Madison Square Park. in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
just south of it. The building replaced the Madison Square Presbyterian Church
Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York City (1906)
Madison Square Presbyterian Church was a Presbyterian church in Manhattan, New York City, located on Madison Square Park at the northeast corner of East 24th Street and Madison Avenue. It was designed by Stanford White in a High Renaissance architectural style, with a prominent central dome over a...
, which was designed by Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
of McKim, Mead and White, and had been completed only thirteen years before.
As part of the Metropolitan Life Home Office Complex, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 19, 1996.
History
The North Building was designed in the 1920s by Harvey Wiley CorbettHarvey Wiley Corbett
Harvey Wiley Corbett was an American architect primarily known for skyscraper and office building designs in New York and London, and his advocacy of tall buildings and modernism in architecture.-Early life and career:...
and D. Everett Waid as a 100-story skyscraper that would have been the tallest building in the world. However, due to the Stock Market Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
and onset of the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the construction was halted at floor 29 in 1933. There is some speculation as to whether Metropolitan Life really intended to finish the 100-story tower, but the existing building was obviously constructed to be strong enough to support it. Currently, however, there are no known plans to "finish" the building. The original plans were to include a New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
station. The station is now located one block south on 23rd Street
23rd Street (Manhattan)
23rd Street is a broad thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is one of few two-way streets in the gridiron of the borough. As with Manhattan's other "crosstown" streets, it is divided at Fifth Avenue, in this case at Madison Square Park, into its east and west sections. Since...
with an entrance through the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, also known as the Metropolitan Life Tower or Met Life Tower, is a landmark skyscraper located on East 23rd Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, off of Madison Square Park. in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
at One Madison Avenue.
The building as it exists today, which has 2200000 square feet (204,386.7 m²) of space, was constructed in three stages, and was finally completed in 1950. It is finished on the outside with Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
detailing, and marble in the lobbies. The building features four vaulted corner entrances, and its bulk is mitigated by numerous setbacks and its polygonal shape. The building contains 30 elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s, enough to serve the originally-planned 100 floors.
From 1994-1997, the building, which has served time as Met Life's records warehouse, had its interior redesigned by Haines Lundberg Waehler and the exterior renovated, all at the cost of $300 million. It is currently owned by The Sapir Organization and primarily occupied by Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse
The Credit Suisse Group AG is a Swiss multinational financial services company headquartered in Zurich, with more than 250 branches in Switzerland and operations in more than 50 countries.-History:...
, with the Danny Meyer
Danny Meyer
Daniel "Danny" Meyer is a New York City restaurateur and the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group .-Personal life:...
restaurant Eleven Madison Park
Eleven Madison Park
Eleven Madison Park is a restaurant in New York City ranked #24 in the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2011. Its head chef is Daniel Humm, from Switzerland...
occupying street-level retail space on Madison Avenue.
In popular culture
- In the 2011 film The Adjustment BureauThe Adjustment BureauThe Adjustment Bureau is a 2011 American fantasy romantic thriller film loosely based on the Philip K. Dick short story, "Adjustment Team". The film was written and directed by George Nolfi and stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The cast also includes Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly,...
, the building's lobby is used as a setting for some scenes.
See also
- Metropolitan Life Insurance CompanyMetropolitan Life Insurance CompanyMetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, or MetLife, for short, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, with 90 million customers in over 60 countries...
- Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York City