Extending a pedestrian thoroughfare
Metropolitan Tower is a 67-story office and residential tower originally completed in 1986 by Schuman, Lichtenstein, Claman & Efron. The building features a sleek, faceted silhouette and dark glass facade that creates a timeless presence on the skyline. Situated in the heart of the Plaza District, Metropolitan Tower benefits from proximity to Central Park and Fifth Avenue, and is surrounded by premier dining, retail, and cultural landmarks including Rockefeller Center and Carnegie Hall.
In 2023, developer GDSNY acquired the 18-story office component of the tower and began a comprehensive repositioning to compete with the high-end office market that defines much of midtown Manhattan. As part of this redesign, SOM was tasked with revitalizing the lobby and amenity spaces.
The tower anchors the northern terminus of 6 ½ Avenue—a distinct midblock pedestrian thoroughfare designed to break down the Midtown grid through a series of Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS). Conceived as part of this public corridor, the redesigned lobby forms a continuous interior passage from West 56th Street to West 57th Street. A landscaped urban plaza, designed in collaboration with Field Operations, welcomes the public from the south.
