One Madison

One Madison is a graceful 50-story, 155,000 SF residential tower located in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. Architectural challenges included creating a modern form that respected the context of the surrounding neighborhood and Madison Square Park while creating a visual dialogue with the adjacent historical high rise buildings that occupy the edges of the park. Taking cues from the Metabolist movement of the late ‘60’s and early 70s, One Madison employs a modular, plug-in design concept articulated through “pods” cantilevered to the north and east of the main tower shaft, providing residents with 360 views of New York City and beyond. Facing Madison Square Park, at the intersection of two major thoroughfares, 23rd Street and Madison Avenue, One Madison is uniquely situated on the Manhattan grid. Like Grand Central Station, The Time Warner Center, and the Arch at Washington Square Park, One Madison’s axial position on Madison Avenue makes it visible from great distances at the street level and bestows the building with an unusual prominence and stature. The desire to create a context sensitive design played a large role in developing the form, materials and features of the building. Contextual materials of masonry and limestone used throughout the neighborhood correlate to the main tower shaft which is composed of earth-toned bronze glass. Seven white volumetric pods punctuate the tower shaft, adding detail and articulation, while deconstructing the building’s mass and offering a sense of lightness. Cantilevered from the main shaft, the pods lend functionality beyond their aesthetic appeal, extending the tower’s 2,700 SF floor plate to 3,300 SF and modulating the building form. Similar in proportion, One Madison and the neighboring MetLife tower rise above the neighborhood to create a dialogue between traditional classism and contemporary architecture. Together they are visual and physical gateposts to Madison Park, anchoring the southern and eastern ends of the square. In designing the apartment layouts, lateral bracing was placed in the center instead of around the perimeter, resulting in a cruciform of shear walls, and minimizing impact to room layouts. This integration of efficient space planning and engineering provided each room an open, loft-like feel with an outward radiating energy. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls draw the eye outwards, creating a dramatic and picturesque backdrop that changes with the seasons. Designed to extend the visual connection of each home to the city outside, each apartment offers multiple places where southern and northern views can be seen simultaneously. Due to the building’s high slenderness ratio, the lateral wind and seismic force resisting system was a major engineering challenge. The structure’s lateral dynamic movement is mitigated by the design and incorporation of a Tuned Liquid Damping comprised of three cast-in-place reinforced concrete tanks filled with water and incorporated into the building structure at roof level. One Madison’s simple, yet striking form conveys an understated elegance and represents the successful integration of a tall building at the edge of green space and within a historic neighborhood, enlivening the skyline and creating a harmonious dialogue between old and new.