MetLife Building Revamp To Restore 'Original Grandeur': Developer

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — One of East Midtown's most prominent skyscrapers will undergo a "major re-imagination" of its lobby that will restore a tunnel that connected Grand Central Terminal with East 45th Street, developers announced.

Developer Tishman Speyer announced that it will helm a renovation of the two-level, 50,000-square-foot lobby of 200 Park Avenue — commonly referred to as the MetLife Building — in order to restore the building's "original grandeur" and make the lobby more intuitive for tenants.

"We are creating a grand space that will equal the building's stature and acclaim. The new modern design of the lobby will restore the vision of 200 Park's original stewards while meeting the needs and aspirations of a new generation. This reinvestment will ensure that this building continues to be one of the most sought-after office locations in Manhattan well into the future," Rob Speyer, President and CEO of Tishman Speyer, said in a statement.

In addition to overhauling the look of the lobby by installing fixtures such as travertine columns, terrazzo flooring, the renovation will also open the lobby up for commuters. Developers are planning to restore a tunnel connecting West 45th Street to Grand Central Terminal that was closed in the 1980s.

More than 250,000 people pass through the MetLife Building lobby each day, developers said in a statement. Tishman Speyer has owned the building since 2005 since partnering with California-based Irvine Company to buy it.

"Since its inception, the 200 Park Avenue lobby has undergone an assortment of generational renovations," MdeAS Architects said in a statement. "The new design, part restoration, part reinvigoration, is a nod to its past and a celebration of its future with a modern approach that upholds the integrity of the original architecture and inspires new ideas."

Rendering courtesy Tishman Speyer