Best Residential/Hospitality: Design Team Converts Landmarked Building into Boutique Hotel

The Marriott International NY EDITION Hotel

The Marriott International NY EDITION Hotel project converted the landmark Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. office building, also known as the One Madison Avenue Clock Tower, into a boutique hotel through an extensive interior and exterior renovation. Located in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood, the building was originally built in 1909 as the Met Life Insurance headquarters.

Contractor Structure Tone worked with the New York City Landmarks Commission to preserve the historic structure of the 250,000-s-ft, 41-story building. Redeveloping the space into a boutique hotel was broken down into three separate phases: a core renovation, which included adding three new elevators, two new staircases and shaft space throughout the building; completely new mechanical and electrical infrastructure; and high-end interior construction. Building information modeling (BIM) software was used to monitor quality control, helping to ensure that the project ran smoothly.

Structure Tone worked closely with structural firm DeSimone Consulting Engineers and MEP firm ADS Engineers, enabling the phases to overlap; the strong communication between the design teams ultimately allowed construction time to be reduced by four months.

The hotel features 273 rooms and suites, designed with oak floors and dark oak wood-paneled foyers. Large windows allow guests to look out onto Madison Square Park, the Empire State Building and the New York skyline.

Other amenities include a restaurant with banquette seating that provides a view of the second floor millwork and a lobby space designed with a mix of classic and contemporary art. The hotel is seeking LEED certification.