Back Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower Afrikaans برج ميت لايف Arabic برج ميت لايف ARZ Metropolitan Life Tower Azerbaijani Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower Byelorussian Мет Лайф Тауър Bulgarian মেট্রোপলিটন লাইফ ইনসুরেন্স কোম্পানি টাওয়ার Bengali/Bangla Metropolitan Life Tower Catalan Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower Czech Metropolitan Life Tower German
| Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower | |
|---|---|
 Seen in 2024 | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Met Life Tower Metropolitan Life Tower |
| Record height | |
| Tallest in the world from 1909 to 1913[I] | |
| Preceded by | Singer Building |
| Surpassed by | Woolworth Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel Commercial offices |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival architecture |
| Location | 1 Madison Avenue[1] Manhattan, New York City |
| Construction started | 1890 (original east wing) 1905 (tower) 1955 (current east wing) |
| Completed | 1893–1905 (original east wing) 1909 (tower) 1957–1960 (current east wing) |
| Renovated | 1953–1957 2015 (tower conversion to hotel) 2020–2024 (east wing) |
| Demolished | 1953–1955 (original east wing) |
| Owner | Abu Dhabi Investment Authority |
| Height | |
| Roof | 700 ft (210 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 49 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Napoleon LeBrun & Sons (original east wing and tower) Morgan & Meroni (current east wing) |
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower | |
New York City Landmark No. 1530
| |
| Coordinates | 40°44′28″N 73°59′15″W / 40.74111°N 73.98750°W |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance Revival |
| Part of | Metropolitan Life Home Office Complex (ID95001544) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001874 |
| NYSRHP No. | 06101.007655 |
| NYCL No. | 1530 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 29, 1972 |
| Designated NHL | June 2, 1978 |
| Designated CP | January 19, 1996 |
| Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980[7] |
| Designated NYCL | June 13, 1989 |
| References | |
| [2][3][4][5][6] | |
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower (colloquially known as the Met Life Tower and also as the South Building) is a skyscraper occupying a full block in the Flatiron District of Manhattan in New York City. The building is composed of two sections: a 700-foot-tall (210 m) tower at the northwest corner of the block, at Madison Avenue and 24th Street, and a shorter east wing occupying the remainder of the block bounded by Madison Avenue, Park Avenue South, 23rd Street, and 24th Street. The South Building, along with the North Building directly across 24th Street, comprises the Metropolitan Home Office Complex, which originally served as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (now publicly known as MetLife).
The South Building's tower was designed by the architectural firm of Napoleon LeBrun & Sons and erected between 1905 and 1909. Inspired by St Mark's Campanile, the tower features four clock faces, four bells, and lighted beacons at its top, and was the tallest building in the world until 1913. The tower originally included Metropolitan Life's offices, and since 2015, it has contained a 273-room luxury hotel known as the New York Edition Hotel. The tower was designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1989, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It was also made a National Historic Landmark in 1978.
The east wing was designed by Lloyd Morgan and Eugene Meroni and constructed in two stages between 1953 and 1960. The east wing is also referred to as One Madison Avenue. It replaced another building on the site, which was built in phases from 1893 to 1905, and which was also designed by LeBrun's firm. When the current east wing was built, the 700-foot tower was extensively renovated as well. In 2020, work started on an addition to the east wing, which was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and completed in 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NYCityMapwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Emporis building ID 115458". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015.
- ^ "Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower". SkyscraperPage.
- ^ Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower at Structurae
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
nhlsumwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
nriswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2023.