National Historic Landmark

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

New York, New York County, New York
Listed
June 1, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78001874

About this property

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, New York, United States. 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 listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, made a National Historic Landmark in 1978, and designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1989. 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.

Location

1 Madison Ave.
New York, New York County, New York
40.74128, -73.98732

Categories

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Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Metropolitan Life Home Office Complex
Listed
0 mi
Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State
Industrial
0.1 mi
Building at 304 Park Avenue South
Industrial
0.1 mi
Flatiron Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Sidewalk Clock at 200 5th Avenue, Manhattan
Modern
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Kip's Bay
1776Revolutionary War
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Metropolitan Life Insurance Company listed on the National Register?

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Metropolitan Life Insurance Company?

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Metropolitan Life Insurance Company a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company?

The period of significance for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Metropolitan Life Insurance Company?

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