Proposed alteration . Image Courtesy of DBOX
Work on the Snøhetta-designed renovation of 550 Madison Avenue, better known as the AT&T Headquarters, has ground to a halt in New York City. The controversial postmodernist icon, designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgree, has become the youngest building in New York to receive “Individual Landmark” status by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), striking a blow to controversial efforts to renovate the building.
Under major renovation plans designed by Snøhetta, the scheme was set to be transformed at street level with a more transparent base, with the existing stone façade removed. Meanwhile, the signature ground floor element, an enormous arched entry, would be rendered a shadowy profile of its former self behind a fritted glass curtain wall. The plans attracted wide criticism, such as an intervention on film by Robert A M Stern.
Comparison between the existing scheme and proposed renovations. Image Courtesy of DBOX
Described by the LPC as “one of the most important postmodernist buildings in the world,” the AT&T Headquarters on 550 Madison Avenue has been a dramatic, iconic, controversial part of the Manhattan skyline since its opening in 1984. With powerful forms drawn from classic references and a pinkish-grey granite facade, it signified a departure from modern architecture and ushered in a new era of postmodernism.
Proposed alteration . Image Courtesy of DBOX
I am thrilled the Commission has recognized the importance of the AT&T Corporate Headquarters Building. This is the building that established postmodernism as a legitimate architectural movement. It deserves to be preserved for future generations.
-Frederick Bland, Vice Chair, Landmarks Preservation Commission
The AT&T Headquarters on Madison Avenue. Image © David Shankbone
The process of preserving the building through a landmark designation has been in the works for some time, with an application to schedule a hearing granted in November 2017. Although work on the demolition of the building’s lobby began in January 2018, the LPC’s ruling is a significant victory for those advocating for the building’s preservation.
You can learn more about the proposed renovation plans here.
News via: New York Landmarks Preservation Commission