New York City will welcome a new public green oasis this fall in the heart of Midtown -- complete with a selection of artisan foods, a central waterfall, and a circular hearth for visitors to gather around during the winter.
The Midtown East space, designed by Snøhetta, will be located at 550 Madison Ave. between 56th and 55th Streets with a glass canopy that gives an indoor-outdoor feel.
Over five years in the making, the project started in October 2016 as an idea to reposition an existing single-tenant office tower into a contemporary multi-tenant commercial property.
With the redesign in mind, a formerly closed mid-block passageway is soon to transform into a free verdant landscape for working New Yorkers and tourists.
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"When designing the 550 Madison Garden, we were inspired by the regional context of the river gorges of the Catskills and by the vibrant and canyon-like quality of Midtown Manhattan," Michelle Delk, Partner & Discipline Director of Landscape at Snøhetta, told NBC New York.
Situated between two skyscrapers, this urban garden will include dozens of trees, 200 shrubs, 2,000 bulbs and 10,000 perennials. The garden will be comprised of five outdoor sections, each with a different focal structure.
Construction began in 2019, and on Monday, hit a completion milestone with The Dirt Company delivering the soil for the first tree plantings.
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"A central cascading fountain aligns with the view from the interior lobby, seasonal plantings create interest and variety, food and retail kiosks, public restrooms, a circular hearth offering warmth during the winter, and a variety of fixed and moveable seating are distributed throughout," said Delk.
Once officially open in the fall, the park will be available seven days a week from 7:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M.
