Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
Encyclopedia
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
. Designed by the architectural firm of Napoleon LeBrun
& Sons and built by the Hedden Construction Company
, the tower is modeled after the Campanile
in Venice
, Italy
. It was constructed in 1909 and served as world headquarters of the company until 2005. It was the world's tallest building for three years, until 1913, when it was surpassed by the Woolworth Building
. Currently, the clock tower portion of the building has the address 5 Madison Avenue, while the remainder of the building, occupied primarily by Credit Suisse
, is referred to as 1 Madison Avenue.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1978, and a New York City landmark in 1989.
At the corner of East 23rd Street and Park Avenue South, which was originally known as Fourth Avenue, the building has an entrance to the 23rd Street New York City Subway
station of the number 6 line.
The tower is a later addition to the original 11-story, full-block office building (the "East Wing") that was completed in 1893. Plans for the tower were first announced in 1905.
There are four clock faces, one on each side of the tower, located from the 25th to 27th floor. Each clock face is 26.5 feet (8 m) in diameter with each number being four feet (1.2 m) tall. The minute hands each weigh half a ton. The original tower was sheathed in Tuckahoe marble
, but during the 1964 renovation plain limestone
was used to cover the tower and the East Wing, replacing the old Renaissance
revival details with a streamlined, modern look. Much of the building's original ornamentation was removed.
; the colors change to denote particular holidays or important events. The gilded cupola at the very top of the building serves as an "eternal light" which stays illuminated even after the rest of the lighting system has been turned off for the night. The building figured prominently in the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's advertising for many years, illustrated with a light beaming from the top of its spire and the slogan, "The Light That Never Fails".
were subsequently sold for $200 million to Africa Israel Investments, which then sold it to Marriott Hotels in October 2011 for $165 million. It is thought that Marriott is targeting the site for its Edition Hotel boutique line. Prior to Marriot's purchase, Tommy Hilfiger
and a partner had signed a contract to buy the building for $170 million, with the plan to transform the building into Hilfiger's first hotel, with luxury condos, but Hilfiger backed off the project in September 2011.
Ecole des Beaux Arts-educated architect Harvey Wiley Corbett
left his position on the Rockefeller Center
design team in order to take up this project in 1928. The final design for the new building was proposed as a 100-story, telescoping tower. However, the onset of the Great Depression
in 1929 caused the company to scrap plans for a giant skyscraper and instead built only a portion of the proposed tower. What stands of the North Building today, completed in 1950, is what was to be the 32-story base for the 100-story tower, built with the structural strength and number of elevator shafts (30) needed for a later completion.
The primary tenant of the Metropolitan Life North Building today is the investment banking arm of Credit Suisse
. Credit Suisse refers to the building as Eleven Madison Ave, or EMA.
The Metropolitan Life Home Office Complex, was added to the National Register on January 19, 1996.
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...
located on East 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...
between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, off of Madison Square Park. in the borough of 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...
in 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...
. Designed by the architectural firm of Napoleon LeBrun
Napoleon LeBrun
Napoleon Eugene Charles Henry LeBrun was an American architect. LeBrun is best known as the architect of several notable Philadelphia churches, including St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Twentieth Street ; the Seventh Presbyterian Church , the Scots Presbyterian Church , the Church of St...
& Sons and built by the Hedden Construction Company
Hedden Construction Company
Some of the finest buildings in New Jersey, New York, and other large eastern cities were built by the Hedden Construction Company, one of the largest construction companies operating in Newark in the very early 1900s. Among the most notable is the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower located...
, the tower is modeled after the Campanile
St Mark's Campanile
St Mark's Campanile is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, located in the Piazza San Marco. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city....
in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was constructed in 1909 and served as world headquarters of the company until 2005. It was the world's tallest building for three years, until 1913, when it was surpassed by the Woolworth Building
Woolworth Building
The Woolworth Building is one of the oldest skyscrapers in New York City. More than a century after the start of its construction, it remains, at 57 stories, one of the fifty tallest buildings in the United States as well as one of the twenty tallest buildings in New York City...
. Currently, the clock tower portion of the building has the address 5 Madison Avenue, while the remainder of the building, occupied primarily 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:...
, is referred to as 1 Madison Avenue.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1978, and a New York City landmark in 1989.
At the corner of East 23rd Street and Park Avenue South, which was originally known as Fourth Avenue, the building has an entrance to the 23rd Street 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 of the number 6 line.
Architecture
There are four clock faces, one on each side of the tower, located from the 25th to 27th floor. Each clock face is 26.5 feet (8 m) in diameter with each number being four feet (1.2 m) tall. The minute hands each weigh half a ton. The original tower was sheathed in Tuckahoe 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...
, but during the 1964 renovation plain 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....
was used to cover the tower and the East Wing, replacing the old Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
revival details with a streamlined, modern look. Much of the building's original ornamentation was removed.
Restoration
A three-year exterior restoration project, which saw much of the building covered in scaffolding, ended in 2002 and added a new, computerized, multicolored nighttime lighting system, much like that of the Empire State BuildingEmpire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
; the colors change to denote particular holidays or important events. The gilded cupola at the very top of the building serves as an "eternal light" which stays illuminated even after the rest of the lighting system has been turned off for the night. The building figured prominently in the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's advertising for many years, illustrated with a light beaming from the top of its spire and the slogan, "The Light That Never Fails".
Current status
In March 2005, SL Green Realty Corp. bought the tower in anticipation of converting it into apartments. In May 2007, the tower and adjacent air rightsAir rights
Air rights are a type of development right in real estate, referring to the empty space above a property. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building gives one the right to use and develop the air rights....
were subsequently sold for $200 million to Africa Israel Investments, which then sold it to Marriott Hotels in October 2011 for $165 million. It is thought that Marriott is targeting the site for its Edition Hotel boutique line. Prior to Marriot's purchase, Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob "Tommy" Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and founder of the premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger.-Early life:...
and a partner had signed a contract to buy the building for $170 million, with the plan to transform the building into Hilfiger's first hotel, with luxury condos, but Hilfiger backed off the project in September 2011.
Metropolitan Life North Building
By the late 1920s, the 1909 Met Life Tower and the 1919 North Annex were becoming too small to house the continuously growing activities of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Looking to expand, the company considered building on a full block site between East 24th and East 25th Streets.Ecole des Beaux Arts-educated architect Harvey Wiley Corbett
Harvey 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:...
left his position on the Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
design team in order to take up this project in 1928. The final design for the new building was proposed as a 100-story, telescoping tower. However, the onset of the Great 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...
in 1929 caused the company to scrap plans for a giant skyscraper and instead built only a portion of the proposed tower. What stands of the North Building today, completed in 1950, is what was to be the 32-story base for the 100-story tower, built with the structural strength and number of elevator shafts (30) needed for a later completion.
The primary tenant of the Metropolitan Life North Building today is the investment banking arm of 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:...
. Credit Suisse refers to the building as Eleven Madison Ave, or EMA.
The Metropolitan Life Home Office Complex, was added to the National Register on January 19, 1996.
In popular culture
- In the animated TV series FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
, the tower is seen in the future as wider and its face replaced with a digital clock.
External links
- Statement of Significance as a National Historic Landmark
- Google Maps – Satellite Photo