The modernization of this prime building in Midtown Manhattan features a state-of-the-art façade designed to maximize occupant comfort while reducing energy consumption.

660 Fifth Avenue’s existing aluminum cladding was replaced with a custom glass curtain wall that provides mullion-free, floor-to-ceiling windows from column to column, nearly tripling the window area provided to the office space and maximizing daylight and views. The wall also fulfills ambitious sustainable design criteria, drastically improving the building’s envelope and optimizing performance of its high-efficiency heating and air systems. Energy efficiency improvements result in a building that performs 28% better than required by New York City code and cuts annual operating carbon emissions by 54%.

Inside, a reconstructed lobby with modernized elevators includes an active retail amenity. Numerous columns have been eliminated from the office floors to maximize interior space, while double-height spaces connect floors, taking advantage of the building’s wide range of floorplate sizes.

In addition to the façade and interiors work, the design team found opportunities in 660 Fifth Avenue’s existing massing – a podium and tower interspersed with multiple setbacks – to create exterior terraces at multiple levels on three sides, including an east-facing feature terrace along Fifth Avenue.