The MetLife Tower at 1 Madison Avenue is one of New York City's earliest skyscrapers and one of the most recognizable landmarks along the Madison Square Park skyline. Completed in 1909 and designed by Napoleon Le Brun and Sons, the tower was modeled loosely on the Campanile di San Marco in Venice and served as the world's tallest building for a brief period after its completion. It stands as a testament to the early twentieth century ambition that transformed lower and midtown Manhattan's skyline.
Graciano Corporation performed historic facade restoration at the MetLife Tower. The project was recognized with the Lucy G. Moses Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy, one of the organization's highest honors for excellence in preservation and restoration of New York City's landmark structures.
The Building
The tower's exterior is clad in white marble and limestone with ornamental detailing at its upper stories and the distinctive clock tower that has defined the building's silhouette for more than a century. The four-story annex constructed in 1932 along the Madison Avenue frontage extended the building's footprint while maintaining a compatible aesthetic.
Like all marble-clad structures, the MetLife Tower is subject to the gradual effects of acid rain, atmospheric soiling, and mortar joint deterioration. Marble is a particularly demanding material for restoration because it is soft relative to other stone types, sensitive to cleaning chemistry, and prone to sugaring or surface disaggregation when it weathers. Restoration at a building of this class requires both technical knowledge of the material and a thorough understanding of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for historic treatment.
Scope of Work
Services Performed
- Historic facade restoration at the tower and annex
- Exterior stone cleaning using methods appropriate to marble
- Repointing of masonry joints throughout the facade
- Stone repair and replacement at deteriorated locations
- Ornamental detail restoration
- Caulking and joint sealant work at window and transition joints
The Lucy G. Moses Award
The New York Landmarks Conservancy presents the Lucy G. Moses Award annually to individuals and projects that have made outstanding contributions to the preservation of New York City's architectural heritage. The award at the MetLife Tower placed Graciano alongside the most significant restoration programs in the city's history. Graciano has received the Lucy G. Moses Award on multiple occasions, including for work at Belvedere Castle in Central Park, recognizing consistent performance at the highest level of historic preservation practice.
Restoration at Active Commercial Landmarks
The MetLife Tower is an occupied commercial office building at the heart of one of the city's most active neighborhoods, adjacent to Madison Square Park and in close proximity to the Flatiron District and the Gramercy neighborhood. Executing facade restoration at such a location requires careful scaffolding design, access management, and scheduling to protect pedestrians and building tenants while the work proceeds. Graciano's experience managing complex, active-site programs in dense urban environments is a central part of what distinguishes our approach to landmark restoration.
About Graciano Corporation
Founded in 1916, Graciano Corporation is one of the oldest and most experienced masonry and concrete restoration firms in the United States. With offices in Pittsburgh, PA, New York, NY, and Florida, and approximately 90% of all labor self-performed by our own craftsmen, Graciano brings the depth and geographic reach to manage landmark-scale programs from initial assessment through final restoration. Graciano is a WBENC-certified Woman Business Enterprise.