550 Madison Avenue, Postmodern skyscraper on Madison Avenue, Manhattan, United States
550 Madison Avenue is a postmodern office tower in Manhattan featuring a distinctive pink granite facade with grand arched entrances. The structure spans the site between East 55th and 56th Streets, offering covered arcade passages on both sides that serve as public walkways.
Architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed this building in 1984 as the headquarters for AT&T. Construction required extensive blasting of bedrock to prepare the foundation for the tower.
The renovated lobby features the blue stone art installation 'Solid Sky' by Alicja Kwade, reflecting the building's commitment to contemporary art. This work shapes how visitors experience the public space and demonstrates the ongoing role of female artists in the building's cultural identity.
The building sits between East 55th and 56th Streets with easy public access through the arcade passages on both sides. Finding your way through the covered areas is straightforward thanks to the open layout and clear sightlines.
The structure combines steel tubes with concrete shear walls in an unconventional arrangement that avoids typical skyscraper setbacks. This engineering solution was necessary because of space constraints imposed by neighboring buildings.
Location: Manhattan
Inception: 1984
Architects: Philip Johnson, John Burgee
Architectural style: postmodern architecture
Height: 197 m
Website: https://550madison.com
GPS coordinates: 40.76139,-73.97333
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:00
Philip Johnson designed buildings that brought together modernism and classical references, shaping how architecture developed through the 20th century. His work includes glass pavilions, office towers, public spaces, and cultural institutions. His designs show an interest in clean lines, reflective surfaces, and the relationship between interior spaces and their surroundings. The collection features the Glass House in New Canaan, a transparent residence set within the landscape, the Seagram Building in New York, a bronze tower on Park Avenue, and the Puerta de Europa in Madrid, two leaning towers along Paseo de la Castellana. Other examples include the AT&T Building with its distinctive pediment, PPG Place in Pittsburgh with its glass towers inspired by Gothic forms, the IDS Center in Minneapolis, and Pennzoil Place in Houston. The collection also covers the Fort Worth Water Gardens, an urban park with pools and cascades, the Crystal Cathedral in California, a glass and steel worship space, along with the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth and the Kreeger Museum in Washington. These places show different sides of Johnson's practice and his ability to adapt buildings to urban and natural settings.
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