550 Madison Avenue
550 Madison Avenue, formerly known as the AT&T Building and later the Sony Tower, is a landmark skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan and one of the most iconic examples of Postmodern architecture in the world. Designed by renowned architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the building was completed in 1984 and quickly became a symbol of the Postmodern movement, which sought to challenge the stark minimalism of Modernism by reintroducing historical references, ornamentation, and a sense of playfulness into architectural design.
The most distinctive feature of 550 Madison Avenue is its chippendale-style pediment at the top, which resembles the broken pediment of an 18th-century highboy cabinet. This bold and unconventional crown, often likened to a "grandfather clock top," was a dramatic departure from the flat roofs of Modernist skyscrapers and immediately set the building apart as a visual and architectural statement. The façade is clad in pink granite, giving the tower a monolithic and monumental presence, while its symmetrical design and vertical divisions evoke classical proportions. At street level, the building features a massive arched entryway, which creates a sense of grandeur and invites public interaction, contrasting sharply with the austere, fortress-like plazas of earlier Modernist towers.
Inside, the building originally included a seven-story atrium with a glass ceiling, designed to serve as a public space filled with natural light. This atrium was a key element of Johnson and Burgee's vision to reconnect skyscrapers with the human scale and the surrounding urban environment. Over the years, the building has undergone changes, including a controversial renovation in the late 2010s that replaced much of the original atrium with office space, sparking debates about the preservation of Postmodern architecture. Despite these changes, 550 Madison Avenue remains a defining work of Postmodernism, celebrated for its bold design, historical references, and its role in reshaping the architectural landscape of the late 20th century.
Address: 550 Madison Avenue, New York City, USA.