Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower stands beside Madison Square Park and reaches a height of 213 meters across 50 floors. The structure presents itself in white limestone with a large clock face on each side.

The tower was completed in 1909 and held the record as the tallest building in the world until 1913. The design took inspiration from the campanile of San Marco in Venice.

The building exemplifies early 20th-century corporate architecture with its marble facade, clock mechanism, and Renaissance Revival design elements.

The building now houses the New York Edition Hotel in the Flatiron District. Its location beside Madison Square Park makes orientation in the neighborhood straightforward.

The four clock faces each measure 8 meters (26.5 feet) in diameter and are visible from all sides of the tower. The bells were positioned at the highest elevation achieved in New York at the time of opening.

Location: Manhattan

Inception: 1909

Architects: Napoleon LeBrun

Architectural style: Renaissance Revival architecture

Floors above the ground: 50

Height: 213 m

Address: 1 Madison Avenue, New York City, NY, United States

GPS coordinates: 40.74111,-73.98750

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:00