Hubbry Logo
Axa Equitable CenterAxa Equitable CenterMain
Open search
Axa Equitable Center
Community hub
Axa Equitable Center
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Axa Equitable Center
Axa Equitable Center
Axa Equitable Center
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Axa Equitable Center (originally the Equitable Tower or Equitable Center West) is an office skyscraper at 787 Seventh Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1986 and designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, the building measures 752 feet (229 m) tall with 54 stories. Equitable Center West was developed by the Equitable Life Assurance Society (later renamed Equitable Holdings, part of Axa) adjacent to Equitable's existing skyscraper at 1285 Avenue of the Americas.

Key Information

The facade is clad in granite, applied in a two-tone pattern of white horizontal and red vertical bands. The building has three setbacks, as well as a penthouse at the top with arched windows. Equitable acquired an extensive collection of artwork to display in the building's public spaces. There is a public galleria from 51st to 52nd Street, which forms part of 6½ Avenue, as well as an arched entrance atrium from Seventh Avenue. The complex also includes an underground concourse, several restaurants, and a corporate auditorium.

The building was proposed in the early 1980s and, after the site was acquired, Equitable's board approved the plans for the tower in 1983. When the tower opened, the company's corporate offices occupied about a third of the space, and the ground story had commercial concerns such as the Le Bernardin restaurant and a branch of the Whitney Museum. Equitable only used the tower as its headquarters until the late 1990s, and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) acquired Axa Equitable Center in 2016.

Site

[edit]

787 Seventh (formerly known as the AXA Equitable Building) is at 787 Seventh Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.[1][2] The building's rectangular land lot occupies the western half of the city block bounded by Seventh Avenue to the west, 51st Street to the south, Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) to the east, and 52nd Street to the north.[1][3] The site covers 80,333 square feet (7,463.2 m2), with a frontage of 200 feet (61 m) on Seventh Avenue and 400 feet (120 m) along the side streets.[1]

Adjacent is 1285 Avenue of the Americas (1285 Sixth Avenue; Equitable Center East), designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and constructed from 1959 to 1961. The Sixth Avenue building occupies the eastern half of the city block.[4][5][6] The sidewalk in front of the building is made of pink granite, extending eastward in front of 1285 Sixth Avenue. The sidewalks adjacent to 1285 Sixth Avenue comprise Urban Plaza North and South, designed by Scott Burton.[6] Axa Equitable Center is also near 810 Seventh Avenue to the northwest, the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel and Flatotel New York City to the north, Credit Lyonnais Building to the northeast, 1271 Avenue of the Americas to the southeast, The Michelangelo to the south, and the Winter Garden Theatre to the southwest.[1][2] The site occupied by Axa Equitable Center had contained the Victoria and Abbey hotels just before the skyscraper's construction.[7][8][9]

Architecture

[edit]

Axa Equitable Center was designed in the postmodern style by Edward Larrabee Barnes[6][10][11][12] for the Equitable Life Assurance Society.[2][3] The building is 752 feet (229 m) tall[10][11] with 54 stories.[3][10][12][13][a] Severud Associates was the structural engineer and Turner Construction was the main contractor.[11] The structure uses 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of stone and 28,000 short tons (25,000 long tons; 25,000 t) of steel.[14] Rather than dictate the precise style for the building, Equitable CEO John B. Carter had requested only that Barnes create "a top-quality building".[15] Nonetheless, Carter had specific requests for several of the interior spaces.[15]

For Equitable Tower's construction, Equitable acquired $7 million[16] or $7.5 million worth of artwork to display in both public and private spaces.[17][18] The work includes large murals by Sol LeWitt and Roy Lichtenstein and sculptures by Scott Burton and Barry Flanagan.[12][13] In addition, works by Milton Avery, George Bellows, James E. Buttersworth, Marsden Hartley, and Alex Katz decorated the offices.[13] Some works, such as a mobile by Alexander Calder and the bronze sculpture Day by Paul Manship, were already in Equitable's art collection when Equitable Tower was built.[17] Equitable hired several experts, including art consultant Emily Braun, to assist in arranging the artwork.[19] Equitable publications referred to 787 Seventh Avenue, along with 1285 Sixth Avenue, as "one square block of art".[20]

Form and facade

[edit]
Facade detail

The entire building is set back 10 feet (3.0 m) from the street on each side.[6][7] A public galleria runs from north to south, dividing the lowest six floors of the building. The seventh and eighth stories span the north and south ends of the galleria. The north and south elevations rise with three setbacks, while the west and east elevations rise without setbacks.[7][10] The setbacks on the north and south elevations are placed at the 12th, 34th, and 50th stories, with each setback being 14 feet (4.3 m) deep. Barnes intended for the setbacks to recall those on 30 Rockefeller Plaza and the International Building, two of Rockefeller Center's tallest buildings.[6] One of the early plans for Axa Equitable Center, which was illustrated in a monograph of Barnes's work, was for the massing to instead contain setbacks on the west and east, with the north and south elevations rising as a slab-like wall from the street. In a subsequent iteration of the plans, Barnes had planned deep porches at the setbacks.[21]

The facade is made of limestone, granite, and glass.[12][22] The Indiana limestone and Brazilian granite on the facade[22] is applied in a two-tone pattern.[6][7][10] The vertical pilasters are clad with reddish-brown granite, which is also used for some horizontal bands just below each setback. The pilasters divide the facades into horizontal spandrel bands of buff-colored limestone, which alternate with glass windows on each floor.[6][7][13] Barnes had used these materials because they harmonized with the colors and materials used on the neighboring buildings.[6] Axa Equitable Center uses 5,800 panes of glass on its facade.[14]

The main entrance on Seventh Avenue is set within a semicircular-headed arch measuring 72 feet (22 m) tall.[23][24] There is a loading dock at the eastern end of the 52nd Street elevation.[25] There are double-height mechanical spaces at each setback. These double-height floors contain recessed windows to give the impression that the red pilasters are massive piers; the recessed windows were inspired by those in Art Deco buildings. The recessed windows on the double-height floors also wrap around to the west and east elevations.[26] The topmost penthouse is embellished with large triumphal-arched windows on its west and east elevations, which illuminate the Equitable boardrooms.[10][16] The boardroom windows measure 42 feet (13 m) in diameter[27] and 53 feet (16 m) tall.[12] While the original plan had been to use ocular windows, Barnes instead used triumphal arches because they allowed more light to enter the boardroom spaces.[16]

Galleria and concourse

[edit]

At the middle of the city block is the galleria from 51st to 52nd Street. It is one of six passageways that form 6½ Avenue, a set of full-block passageways from 51st to 57th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.[3][28] The passageway was built as a "through-block connection" under the Special Midtown District, created in 1982.[3] The space measures 45 feet (14 m) wide and 91 feet (28 m) tall underneath the north and south ends, where the seventh and eighth floors cross the galleria.[29] The center of the space, beneath the skylights, is 124 feet (38 m) tall.[17] Burton designed outdoor seating for the galleria.[18] On the galleria's eastern wall is a passageway to 1285 Sixth Avenue's lobby,[12][30] which originally connected with the Paine Webber Art Gallery in that building.[31][32] The lobbies of 1285 Sixth Avenue and Equitable Center measured a combined 800 feet (240 m) long.[32] An elevator lobby for the First National Bank of Chicago, just east of the galleria, contained Agnes Denes's artwork Hypersphere: The Earth in the Shape of the Universe, a set of 144 glass panels.[33][34]

LeWitt commissioned a set of six geometric artworks for the walls of the galleria entitled Wall Drawing: Bands of Lines in Four Colors and Four Directions, Separated by Gray Bands.[35][36] As the name indicates, LeWitt's artwork consists of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal bands in four colors,[35][37] created in acrylic paint on limestone.[35][38] These works, which are up to 106 feet (32 m) high, are illuminated by natural light coming through the rooftop skylights.[24] In addition, Flanagan designed two bronze sculptures at the galleria's north and south ends, each depicting animals in whimsical scenes.[24][33][39] The north end contains Young Elephant (1986),[33][40] while the south end contains Hare on Bell (1985).[33][41]

Two escalators lead from the galleria to Axa Center's public basement concourse.[22][39][42] The escalators are placed within a glass enclosure containing a gold-colored frame.[39] The basement concourse is connected to Rockefeller Center's underground concourse,[12] which in turn provides a connection to the New York City Subway's 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center station.[13][32][43] Axa Center's basement concourse also contains the Athletic & Swim Club,[44] which has a fitness center and a small swimming pool.[45][46] Valerie Jaudon had created a mural for the swimming pool's wall, measuring 72 by 12 feet (21.9 by 3.7 m).[47]

Interior

[edit]

Axa Center contains 1,740,000 square feet (162,000 m2) of interior space.[3] According to the New York City Department of City Planning, the building has a gross floor area of 1,633,544 square feet (151,761.2 m2).[1] Equitable was allowed to include an additional 49,161 square feet (4,567.2 m2) in exchange for providing privately owned public space.[48] The steel superstructure contains two-story outrigger trusses wrapping around the 11th and 36th stories, which transfer the structural loads and absorb the wind loads at each of the setbacks. Belt trusses connect the outrigger trusses to the building's structural core. The roof is surrounded by a hat truss, behind which is mechanical equipment.[22]

From the beginning, 787 Seventh Avenue contained several "smart" building systems, such as high-capacity fiber optic cables and conduits, as well as a computerized display to monitor energy use, security, and elevators. The "smart" systems cost $2 to $4 million, though that cost also included a retrofit of 1285 Sixth Avenue.[49] The building is internally connected to 1285 Sixth Avenue at the ground floor, concourse, and first eight stories. The 787 Seventh Avenue building was known as Equitable Center West or Equitable Tower, while the 1285 Sixth Avenue building was known as Equitable Center East. The two structures were initially known collectively as the "Equitable Center".[13]

Atrium and lobby

[edit]
Main entrance on Seventh Avenue

Leading from Seventh Avenue is a five-story atrium, which serves as the main lobby.[50][51] The atrium is an 80-foot (24 m) cube.[13][18] Its large size is in part due to a commercial holdout who did not leave the site until construction had already started.[13] At the center of the atrium, Burton designed Atrium Furnishment, which consists of a 40-foot-wide (12 m) marble semicircular banquette and a circular marble fountain with trees.[13][16][18][52] Though the atrium in general has a white marble floor, Atrium Furnishment is surrounded by red granite pavers, which were intended to provide a contrast between the circular artwork and the cubical atrium.[24][52][53] A bronze band surrounds the artwork as well.[53] On the eastern wall of the atrium, facing the main archway on Seventh Avenue,[24][54][55] is a Lichtenstein artwork, Mural with Blue Brushstroke, which measures 68 by 32 feet (20.7 by 9.8 m).[55][56][57] Lichtenstein had painted the mural on-site in 1986.[52][58]

A pair of parallel passageways leads east from the atrium to the galleria, each originally decorated with a separate artwork.[24][54] Thomas Hart Benton's America Today murals, commissioned in 1931, were originally installed in the northern passageway,[54][59] around the elevator core.[17][24] The Benton murals were originally installed in the New School for Social Research,[60] and Equitable had acquired the Benton murals in 1984 for a reported $3.1 million.[61][62] The murals were relocated to 1290 Sixth Avenue in the mid-1990s.[63] The southern passageway of the lobby[54] has a niche, which contains Paul Manship's sculpture Day.[24][64] Manship had crafted Day in 1938 as part of a set of four bronze works called The Moods of Time.[64]

Retail and restaurants

[edit]

A branch of the Whitney Museum of American Art occupied space in two storefront galleries from 1986[13][48] to 1992.[65][66] There was a north gallery for permanent works and a south gallery for temporary exhibitions.[17][67] The Equitable Tower location, the largest of the Whitney's four branches at the time, occupied 3,000 square feet (280 m2) in each gallery.[17][48] As part of the arrangement, Equitable gave money to the Whitney and paid the branch's operating expenses for six years.[68] After the Whitney branch closed, its space became the Equitable Gallery.[69] Another tenant was the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which operated two stores with souvenirs from the city's museums.[70] The Urbanspace food hall has also operated at ground level since 2020.[71]

From the building's opening in early 1986, Equitable officials wanted to operate what Newsday described as "nothing but the best of restaurants".[72] Initially, there was an Italian restaurant called Palio and a French restaurant called Le Bernardin.[13][73] Palio's ground-floor bar measured 30 by 30 feet (9.1 by 9.1 m), with a 24-foot-tall (7.3 m) ceiling,[30][73] and its second floor contained a dining room.[29] The former bar room's walls still contain a mural by Sandro Chia entitled Palio, which depicts the Palio di Siena horse race.[24][33][74][75] Le Bernardin, a Michelin-starred restaurant,[76] occupies a less architecturally elaborate space, originally decorated with velvet upholstery.[73][77] A third restaurant, the American grill Sam's Restaurant, opened in late 1987.[78] While Le Bernardin continued to operate in the building in the 2010s,[79] the old Palio space has operated as the Aldo Sohm Wine Bar since 2014.[80] Meanwhile, Sam's was replaced by Judson Grill and then Bar Americain.[81]

[edit]

The building has 31 passenger elevators, as well as three freight elevators and two vehicular elevators.[82] Twenty-six of the passenger elevators lead from the lobby to the upper floors. Four of these elevators run from the lobby to floors 2 through 9; eight elevators serve floors 9 through 23; six elevators serve floors 23 through 33; and eight elevators serve floors 34 through 50. There are also two elevators in the annex, serving the lobby through floor 8; another elevator connecting the lobby to the subcellar; and two elevators connecting the Axa Equitable auditorium to the lobby.[25]

A broadcast studio and auditorium were also designed for the building.[83] The Equitable auditorium has 487,[45] 495,[16] or 500 seats,[22] accessed from a staircase from the atrium.[16] The auditorium has been used for several major corporate events, including the announcement of a merger between IBM and Lotus Software, as well as the merger announcement of Kimberly-Clark and Scott Paper Company.[83] It has also been used for musical performances, such as a jazz performance by Roy Nathanson in 1990.[84]

Equitable officials had their own private bathrooms as well as Chippendale furniture.[85] The 49th and 50th floors comprised Equitable's executive suite and were connected by a stair.[29] The 49th floor was designed with 14 dining rooms, each with works from a different artists.[38][86] The dining rooms range from a small accommodation, with one table and four chairs, to a dining hall with a baby grand piano, sofas, and a fireplace.[24] There were two executive rooms at the 50th story: one facing east and the other facing west.[27][42] The rooms had classical-inspired moldings, large woodwork, and custom furnishings designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Conway.[6][20][29] The western room, which served as Equitable's main boardroom, was originally designed with a green carpet with a large circular table. The eastern room had Equitable's main dining room and contained Triptych, a trio of landscapes by Brad Davis.[20]

History

[edit]

Equitable Holdings (originally the Equitable Life Assurance Society) had constructed several structures in New York City since the late 19th century,[87] as well as several across the United States.[83] The first New York City office was the Equitable Life Building on 120 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, completed in 1870.[88][89][90] The Equitable Life Building was destroyed by a fire in 1912[91] and replaced by the current Equitable Building at 120 Broadway.[92][90] Equitable Life moved to 393 Seventh Avenue (now 11 Penn Plaza) in 1924,[93] and it moved to 1281 Sixth Avenue in 1961.[94] Equitable had occupied all 1.8 million square feet (170,000 m2) in its Sixth Avenue building for over twenty years. However, by the 1980s, it was looking to move decentralize its New York City office.[83][95] The company split into four major divisions, of which only one, Equitable Capital, remained in the Sixth Avenue building.[83] At the time, office space in Midtown Manhattan was in high demand and Equitable felt it could lease its Sixth Avenue building at a great profit.[95]

Development

[edit]
Interior of midblock galleria

After considering relocating elsewhere in the United States,[51] Equitable planned to expand its Sixth Avenue headquarters by 1980.[96] Over the next year, it acquired an adjacent L-shaped site extending to Seventh Avenue, measuring 67,000 square feet (6,200 m2). Except for a small plot on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 52nd Street, Equitable had control of the entire city block.[97] Equitable first announced its intention, in March 1981, to construct a tower on the newly acquired Seventh Avenue site.[97] Demolition of existing buildings, such as the Victoria and Abbey hotels, began soon after.[8] General contractor Turner Construction performed the demolitions manually, even though it had the city government's permission to use dynamite, since it wished to minimize disruption to neighboring structures. During one demolition in 1982, a steel beam fell through the roof of a nearby deli.[14]

Equitable's board officially approved plans in February 1983 to move its headquarters to a Seventh Avenue building.[50][51][43] Edward Larrabee Barnes was hired as the architect.[98][42] Equitable's new tower was one of several high-rise developments planned for the area at the time,[99][100] in spite of a slight decline in New York City's office market.[101] Equitable planned to sell its Sixth Avenue headquarters to get a tax deduction on the new building.[50] The old Sixth Avenue structure would be partially occupied by Paine Webber.[102] Equitable officials were not worried about the fact that Seventh Avenue was not a prestigious executive address. This was a contrast to two decades earlier, when officials had thought Sixth Avenue was "more like Speakeasy Row than Corporate Corridor".[83]

While much of the building was to be completed by 1985, the section at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 52nd Street was occupied by an eight-story building and would be delayed.[51] Construction of Equitable Tower had to be closely coordinated to avoid delays or disruptions, since even a one-month delay in completion would cost Equitable $6 million in rent and $3 million in construction loans. Work was complicated by the fact that traffic on the neighboring streets could not be disrupted during construction. On two sides of the construction site, there was only 10 to 12 feet (3.0 to 3.7 m) of space within which builders could work, and there was no space for materials to be stored on site.[14] Equitable president John B. Carter announced in May 1985 that a series of artworks would be commissioned for the building.[38][86] During construction that July, a construction hoist fell from Equitable Tower and killed two workers.[103][104]

Opening and early years

[edit]
Northwest corner of the building, seen from 52nd Street and Seventh Avenue

By early 1986, Equitable had finished the atrium, galleria, plazas, and lobby, as well as a branch of the Whitney Museum. The company had taken the top third of the building and expected to rent out the remaining stories at a rate of $40 to $50 per square foot ($430 to $540/m2), a higher rate than at nearby office buildings. At the time, there were few tenants for the west tower's vacant space, and Equitable was marketing both the west and east towers as part of the same complex.[13] The building ultimately cost $200 million to construct.[105] A public preview of the new tower's boardrooms took place on February 1, 1986, as part of a benefit event for the Center for Arts Information.[106] The Whitney branch opened on February 11, 1986.[48] Douglas McGill of The New York Times called the Whitney branch the "latest and largest addition to an extensive collaboration between a major art museum and the corporate world."[105]

The building was technically owned by Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, which leased space to Equitable for its own corporate offices.[95] Within a year of Equitable Tower's opening, eighty percent of the space had been leased.[19] Among the tenants were arts organizations American Council for the Arts, Center for Arts Information, and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, which were offered below-market-rate rents.[107] In addition, accounting firm Ernst & Whinney (later Ernst & Young) took space in the tower.[108] By October 1987, when Black Monday occurred, Equitable Tower was fully leased despite charging higher rents per square foot than other buildings in the area.[83] The American grill Sam's Restaurant opened at ground level at the end of that year.[78]

1990s and 2000s

[edit]

By 1990, Equitable was in the process of being acquired by the French company Axa.[85] Within two years, Equitable had gone public and downsized most of its employees, leaving only 2,200 working at 787 Seventh Avenue.[83] The company was considering leaving for the suburbs, given the high costs of occupying office space in midtown, but ultimately decided against it.[109][110] The Whitney branch in Equitable Tower closed in 1992, when its original agreement expired,[111] and it was replaced by an art gallery called the Equitable Gallery.[63][69] Sam's Restaurant closed the next year,[112] being replaced by another American grill, Judson Grill, in early 1994.[113][114]

Equitable only occupied ten percent of 787 Seventh Avenue by early 1995, when it placed 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of space for lease.[115] That year, Equitable announced it would be moving one block east to 1290 Sixth Avenue,[115][116][117] with only the highest-ranking executives remaining at 787 Seventh Avenue.[118] Much of Equitable's space at 787 Seventh Avenue was taken by law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher,[119] and the floor just below the penthouse was occupied by Paramount Capital.[120] With Equitable's relocation, the America Today murals were moved to 1290 Sixth Avenue.[63][121] In the late 1990s, David Emil planned to open a restaurant called Night Sky on the 50th floor,[122] but it was canceled after Equitable wished to lease that floor as offices.[123] The 1997 chess match of Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov, in which IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov, took place at Equitable Center as well.[124][125]

By 2000, the building's tenants included Bank One, BNP Paribas, Hicks Muse, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. About a third of the total space, 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2), was set to become available for lease in 2002 when Ernst & Young's lease expired.[126] Much of Ernst & Young's space was taken in 2001 by law firm Sidley Austin,[127] which had to renovate 11 floors within two months after its old World Trade Center offices were destroyed in the September 11 attacks.[128] Another lessee that had been displaced from the World Trade Center was investment banking firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, which borrowed space from BNP Paribas and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz before leasing its own fourth-floor space.[129] The Palio restaurant closed in 2002,[74] and Judson Grill closed two years later;[130] the latter was replaced by Bar Americain.[131] Citigroup leased a major block of space, covering 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2), in late 2005,[132] including the 50th-floor penthouse.[133] Other tenants in the 2000s included investment manager New Mountain Capital[134] as well as IT company SAS Institute.[133]

2010s to present

[edit]
Upper stories as viewed from street level

Palio's space became part of Piano Due, which closed in 2011[135] and was replaced by the Aldo Sohm Wine Bar in 2014.[136][137] Axa Equitable placed 787 Seventh Avenue and 1285 Sixth Avenue for sale in August 2015.[138][139] At the time, 787 Seventh Avenue was almost completely occupied, with only 1.6 percent of the space vacant.[139] By the end of the year, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) had shown interest in acquiring 787 Seventh Avenue for $1.9 billion. This would make Axa Equitable Center one of the most expensive single buildings to ever be sold in New York City.[140] In February 2016, CalPERS announced it had purchased the building.[141][142] The purchase was financed with a $780 million mortgage from Deutsche Bank.[143][144]

Bar Americain, at the building's ground floor, closed in 2018.[145] A helicopter crashed on Axa Equitable Center's roof on June 10, 2019, killing the pilot and sparking a fire that prompted the building's evacuation.[146][147] No one else was hurt in the crash, and the helicopter's wreckage was removed.[148] The Urbanspace food hall opened at the ground level of Axa Equitable Center in early 2020.[71][149] In 2022, following the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, BNP Paribas renovated its offices at 787 Seventh Avenue to encourage workers to return to the firm's physical offices. In addition, a sign with the name "BNP Paribas" was installed above the Seventh Avenue entrance, replacing Equitable's name.[150] Although 787 Seventh Avenue had an occupancy rate of 96 percent by early 2024, its value had declined by $123 million since the pandemic; at the time, the building was estimated to be worth $917 million. The reduced valuation reflected the fact that BNP Paribas had downsized its space at the building from 450,000 to 300,000 square feet (42,000 to 28,000 m2), while the lease of another major tenant, UBS, was scheduled to expire in 2026.[151][152]

Tenants

[edit]

As of 2024, several financial and law firms occupy the space, including:

Impact

[edit]

Reception

[edit]

The design of Equitable Tower was largely criticized upon its completion. Paul Goldberger called the building "54 stories of ambivalence", saying it "adds almost no grace to the skyline".[21][23] Progressive Architecture was similarly critical of the "undistinguished quality" of the facade, saying: "Barnes's tower can't seem to make up its mind whether it's a Modern skyscraper or a Post-Modern one",[18] Roger Kimball of The New Criterion wrote: "Mr. Barnes seems to have abandoned any attempt at a cogent architectural design. Instead, he has contrived to produce one of the most pretentious and ungainly new buildings in New York."[20][29] The New Criterion cited Equitable Tower's "large clunky base", its "replaceable"-looking granite and limestone facade, and its massive arches that "seem more like movie-set novelties" as flaws in the design.[20] Suzanne Stephens said the criticism showed that Barnes was "more adept at chipping, chamfering and chiseling buildings with rotated geometries".[157][158] By contrast, architectural writer Donald M. Reynolds said the building was "one of the largest and most comprehensive collaborations of architecture, urban planning, and public art since Rockefeller Center".[9]

The artwork was received more positively by architectural and art critics.[29] The New York Times reported that the artwork was a "statement of [Equitable's] belief not only in the commercial and promotional value of art, but also in the role art can play in the quality of corporate and communal life".[159] Progressive Architecture characterized the collection as "one of the more successful corporate art programs to come along in some time", as opposed to the "resolutely ho-hum" character of much of Equitable Tower.[18] Phaidon Press wrote of the art collection: "AXA Equitable Life Insurance wished to project a positive image of itself to New Yorkers—as progressive, leading edge and civic-minded, as demonstrated by this indisputable gift to the city."[160] Conversely, The New Criterion wrote that the collection was "not art but money", in that it was a showcase of Equitable's wealth rather than a display of art for its own sake.[20] Goldberger thought that, even with the art and public spaces, the building "lacks a kind of freshness, as if everyone involved in this project were doing it by rote".[161]

Influence on other developments

[edit]

Equitable was the first major company to erect a headquarters on Seventh Avenue in Midtown.[9] At the time of its completion, the building was the only major office structure on Seventh Avenue.[50][98] This led Architectural Record to say: "Equitable Life Assurance Society has heeded Horace Greeley's dictum, 'Go West', though not, to be sure, very far west."[98] According to Reynolds, the building's construction encouraged office development to move west from Sixth to Seventh Avenue, just as the construction of Rockefeller Center had encouraged a similar westward movement from Fifth to Sixth Avenue.[32]

Architectural Record described the building as having been proposed "amidst a swirl of controversy over what some see as an over-concentration of new skyscraper construction in Manhattan's crowded midtown".[98] Nonetheless, the development of Equitable Tower directly improved the character of the surrounding area, particularly the Midtown portion of Seventh Avenue, in the mid-1980s.[162][163] Following the tower's construction, William Zeckendorf developed the nearby One Worldwide Plaza to improve the character of Eighth Avenue.[164] Though developers praised the development boom that followed Equitable Tower's construction, civic organizations worried that theaters north of Times Square would be quickly replaced by offices.[165]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Axa Equitable Center

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The AXA Equitable Center is a prominent postmodern complex in , , centered around a 51-story at 787 Seventh Avenue, between West 51st and 52nd Streets. Completed in 1985 and designed by architect , the main tower rises 752 feet (229 meters) tall with an all-steel structure clad in two-tone granite, featuring setbacks and a glass atrium entrance. Originally developed as the headquarters for with a focus on integrating and upscale amenities, the complex includes two buildings—the primary tower and an adjacent structure from 1960—spanning about 1.8 million square feet of space. The center's design emphasizes accessibility and cultural enhancement, with a through-block galleria connecting 51st and 52nd Streets as part of 6½ Avenue, outdoor plazas featuring granite furniture by artist Scott Burton, and an arched atrium showcasing major artworks. Notable installations include Roy Lichtenstein's massive Mural with Blue Brushstroke (1986) in the atrium, Sol LeWitt's wall drawings, Barry Flanagan's Young Elephant sculpture in the plaza, and Thomas Hart Benton's 1930s series America Today, acquired by Equitable for $3.5 million in the 1980s. These elements were part of a $200 million building project that included significant investments in and , positioning the center as a corporate blending functionality with high-profile public commissions during New York City's 1980s building boom. As of 2024, the property is owned by the , which acquired it for $1.9 billion in 2016, and houses major tenants such as AXA Financial (its namesake), , , and , alongside ground-floor retail like restaurant. An underground passageway links it to , enhancing connectivity, while a 2019 helicopter crash on the roof highlighted its urban prominence, though no injuries occurred beyond the pilot. In recent years, despite high occupancy of 96%, the property's value has declined to approximately $917 million as of 2024. The complex remains a symbol of postmodern architecture, known for its balanced , material contrasts of brown and white with limestone accents, and role in fostering public-private initiatives.

Location and Site

Site Characteristics

The Axa Equitable Center occupies a site at 787 Seventh Avenue in , , spanning the block between West 51st and 52nd Streets. The lot measures 80,333 square feet, with dimensions of approximately 200.83 feet along Seventh Avenue and 400 feet along the side streets. The site falls under New York City's C6-6.5 and C6-6 zoning districts, which are commercial designations in the area that permit high-density office and retail development with provisions for elevated ratios to support large-scale urban structures. Prior to construction, the site included the Abbey Victoria Hotel, a combined property that had operated for over 55 years before its demolition in 1982 to clear space for the Equitable Life Assurance Society's new headquarters. The building is adjacent to 1285 Avenue of the Americas (also known as Equitable Center East), a 42-story modernist tower completed in 1960, with which it connects via an 800-foot corridor and galleria at ground level. At ground level, the site features multiple public entrances along Seventh Avenue and the cross streets, facilitating access to an interior that serves as a through-block passageway linking to the concourse and broader Midtown networks.

Urban Context

The AXA Equitable Center occupies a prominent position in the West Midtown office district of , located at 787 Seventh Avenue between West 51st and 52nd Streets. This area forms part of the broader commercial landscape that includes high-density office towers and cultural hubs. The building stands in close proximity to iconic landmarks, situated just a few blocks north of and approximately 0.5 miles north of , integrating it into one of the city's most vibrant and accessible urban zones. Completed in , the center contributed significantly to the westward extension of office development along Seventh Avenue, moving beyond the established commercial corridors of Fifth and Sixth Avenues. This expansion in the helped elevate Midtown West from a secondary area to a competitive office market, drawing major corporate tenants and fostering subsequent high-rise constructions in the vicinity. By aiming for premium rental rates comparable to those on , the project signaled confidence in the neighborhood's potential as a prime location. The building enhances connectivity to New York City's public transit network through its basement concourse, which links directly to the 47th–50th Streets– subway station—a major hub served by the B, D, F, and M lines. This underground connection, roughly a three-minute walk from the main entrance, supports efficient commuter access amid the area's intense traffic and pedestrian volumes. Furthermore, the center's public passageway integrates into 6½ Avenue, a designated mid-block route spanning from West 51st to 57th Streets between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. By providing a through-block connection at the 51st–52nd Street level, it improves north-south circulation, alleviating congestion on adjacent avenues and promoting safer, more direct pathways in this bustling commercial district.

Design and Architecture

Structural Form and Exterior

The Axa Equitable Center stands as a prominent example of , designed by and completed in 1986. Rising to a height of 752 feet (229 meters), the comprises 54 stories and provides approximately 1.74 million square feet of office space, making it a significant component of Midtown Manhattan's skyline. The building's exterior is characterized by a distinctive Postmodern form, featuring a two-tone cladding in reddish-brown and white tones that creates a patterned facade with vertical and horizontal banding. This cladding, combined with 5,800 glass panes forming the window system, emphasizes horizontal ribbon windows and integrates accents for textural contrast. The overall shape incorporates three setbacks on the north and south elevations, which serve to reduce wind loads and taper the tower's profile upward. Structurally, the center employs a system supported by a core for lateral stability, with the exterior pillars contributing to load-bearing capacity. These engineering elements, including the wind-resistant setbacks, ensure resilience in a high-wind urban environment. At the base, the design aligns precisely with the surrounding street grid along Seventh Avenue, facilitating seamless integration into the city fabric while accommodating pedestrian flow.

Public Concourse and Galleria

The Public Concourse and Galleria at the Axa Equitable Center serves as a vital ground-level passageway, integrated into the building's base to facilitate connectivity across . This 45-foot-wide (14 m), 91-foot-tall (28 m) glass-enclosed galleria forms an essential segment of 6½ Avenue, a designated north-south corridor spanning from West 51st to West 57th Streets between and Seventh Avenues, providing a direct link from Seventh Avenue to the Avenue of the Americas (). Designed with expansive skylights to allow natural light to flood the space, emphasizes transparency and openness, enhancing pedestrian throughput while seamlessly blending with the surrounding urban fabric. Its incorporation into the Equitable Center's structure not only supports efficient movement but also connects briefly to the building's interior lobby, further aiding navigation for visitors and workers. This design aligns with New York City's zoning incentives introduced in , which encouraged developers to provide high-quality public spaces—such as through-block arcades—in exchange for bonuses, particularly within the Special Midtown District to promote lively and accessible open areas. The plays a crucial role in alleviating pedestrian congestion near by offering an alternative route that bypasses crowded sidewalks and intersections, handling significant daily foot traffic estimated in the thousands during peak periods. In Midtown's high-density environment, such passageways reduce conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians, contributing to safer and more fluid urban mobility.

Interior Layout and Features

The interior of the Axa Equitable Center is organized around a central core that houses vertical circulation and mechanical systems, supporting efficient open-plan office layouts on the majority of its 54 floors. The building includes double-height mechanical spaces at key setbacks to accommodate equipment, ensuring unobtrusive integration with the office areas. A prominent feature is the five-story cubic atrium at the Seventh Avenue entrance, which provides a light-filled vertical space with semicircular seating, a circular fountain, and surrounding trees, accessible via the adjacent . The center houses a significant corporate art collection valued at $7.5 million, acquired during construction to enhance public and private spaces. Key works include Roy Lichtenstein's Mural with Blue Brushstroke (1986), a 68-by-32-foot acrylic and oil mural installed in the atrium as the artist's largest commission, featuring his signature brushstroke motif against a vibrant background. Complementing this are large-scale wall drawings by in the public areas and Scott Burton's Atrium Furnishment sculptures, which consist of a semicircular green settee, a circular table with planters, and tropical integrated into the atrium's seating arrangement. Other notable pieces include Thomas Hart Benton's America Today mural series (1930–1932), a set of ten panels acquired by Equitable for $3.5 million in the 1980s and installed in a dedicated space. Vertical transportation is provided by 31 passenger elevators, three freight elevators, and two vehicular elevators, with 26 passenger cars serving from the lobby to the upper floors for efficient occupant flow. The (HVAC) system is integrated into the building's core, supporting energy-efficient operations across the office spaces. From 1986 to 1992, the lower levels hosted a branch of the of American Art, featuring two 3,000-square-foot galleries that presented exhibitions from the museum's permanent collection, such as Early/Later: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection (1990–1991).

Construction and History

Planning and Development

In February 1983, of the announced its proposal to construct a new 54-story headquarters tower at 787 Seventh Avenue in , replacing aging structures on the site including the former and Victoria Hotels. The plan aimed to consolidate the company's operations and create a modern office complex with integrated public amenities, reflecting Equitable's strategy to invest in high-profile amid the early 1980s commercial boom. Edward Larrabee Barnes was selected as the lead architect for the project, known for his modernist designs such as the IBM headquarters in New York. Zoning negotiations with New York City authorities allowed for increased height and floor area through bonuses granted for the provision of public open spaces, including a prominent through-block galleria connecting to adjacent properties. Demolition of the existing hotels and preparatory site work began in 1982 and continued into 1983, adhering to standard New York City planning protocols that encompassed environmental quality reviews to assess potential impacts on air quality, traffic, and historic resources. The development was budgeted at approximately $200 million, fully financed by Equitable's internal resources as part of its broader $7.8 billion portfolio. This self-funded approach underscored the company's confidence in the project's viability, positioning the tower as a landmark that would enhance urban connectivity while serving corporate needs.

Construction and Opening

Construction of the Axa Equitable Center began in September 1983, shortly after of the announced plans for the 54-story at 787 Seventh Avenue in . Intended as the company's new headquarters for approximately 6,000 employees, the project represented a significant relocation from Equitable's previous building at 1285 Avenue of the Americas. The development was estimated to cost $175 million at the time of announcement. Turner Construction Company served as the main contractor for the build, overseeing the erection of the 752-foot tower using innovative techniques for the era. A key feature of the construction involved prefabricated panels of Brazilian brown granite to clad the seven exposed structural pillars on the facade, contributing to the building's distinctive postmodern aesthetic. These panels allowed for efficient assembly while achieving the desired visual impact of solid . The structure reached completion in , marking the official opening of the tower as Equitable Life's . Initial occupancy was led by Equitable Life, which moved its operations into the building upon finish, solidifying its role as the . The rapid leasing reflected strong demand for space in the new development, though specific occupancy rates in the first year are not detailed in contemporary reports.

Ownership and Operational Changes

Following its completion in 1986, the Equitable Center served as the primary headquarters for , housing the majority of its corporate operations in . However, after the company's in 1992 and subsequent acquisition by the French insurer in 1991, Equitable underwent significant downsizing in the 1990s, reducing its New York workforce from over 4,000 employees in the late to approximately 2,200 by the end of 1992 as it shifted toward a more streamlined, publicly traded structure. The building was renamed the Equitable Center in the early 2000s to reflect the full integration of the merged entities under the AXA Equitable Company branding. In January 2016, the acquired the 1.7 million-square-foot property from for $1.93 billion, marking one of the largest single-asset transactions in U.S. history at the time. entrusted day-to-day management to its external partner, CommonWealth Partners, a Los Angeles-based firm specializing in institutional , with CBRE handling leasing operations. Under this ownership, the building has pursued various operational enhancements, including the opening of the at 152 West 52nd Street in January 2020, which features 15 vendor stalls offering diverse cuisines from New York-based operators like Roberta's Pizza and Seamore's seafood. In 2022, major tenant completed a multi-year of its regional occupying approximately 470,000 square feet across multiple floors, incorporating modernized trading floors with curved monitors, sit-stand workstations, enhanced lighting, and higher ceilings to encourage post-pandemic return-to-office adoption. As part of this overhaul, BNP Paribas added prominent signage displaying its name above the main Seventh Avenue entrance and across the building's exterior, replacing prior Equitable and markings and signaling the bank's long-term commitment following a 20-year lease renewal in 2021. Ongoing initiatives under Partners' management have included a full LED lighting upgrade throughout common areas and the installation of multiple charging stations in the parking garage, contributing to the property's Gold certification for energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction. By 2024, amid challenging market conditions including rising interest rates and hybrid work trends, the building's appraised value had declined to $917 million according to Kroll Bond Rating Agency, a drop from $1.04 billion pre-pandemic levels, reflecting broader pressures on Midtown office assets despite high occupancy near 96%.

Notable Incidents

On June 10, 2019, an Agusta A109E helicopter piloted by Timothy McCormack crashed onto the rooftop helipad of the Axa Equitable Center during a sightseeing flight, resulting in the pilot's death and a fire on the roof that prompted the evacuation of the building and surrounding area. The incident occurred amid rainy and foggy conditions with low visibility, and the helicopter was destroyed upon impact, but the building sustained no structural damage. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction over the crash site to secure the area during emergency operations. The (NTSB) investigation determined that the probable cause was the pilot's inadvertent flight into without an , leading to and loss of control. McCormack, a 58-year-old commercial pilot with over 2,800 flight hours but no , had departed from a airport earlier that day and reported feeling lost shortly before the crash while flying erratically in deteriorating weather. The findings contributed to heightened scrutiny of urban helicopter operations in , prompting legislative efforts such as the Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2019, which sought to restrict nonessential flights and enhance safety protocols for low-altitude operations. No major incidents have affected the Axa Equitable Center since 2019 as of November 2025.

Tenants and Operations

Major Corporate Tenants

The AXA Equitable Center, located at 787 Seventh Avenue in , hosts a roster of prominent financial and legal firms as its primary office tenants as of 2025. , a major global bank, occupies approximately 300,000 square feet following a downsizing from 450,000 square feet as part of a lease renewal in 2020 that aligned with post-pandemic office adjustments. This renewal supported a comprehensive redesign and reopening of its spaces in 2022, emphasizing modern trading floors and collaborative areas to encourage return-to-office policies. Law firm serves as another cornerstone tenant, securing a 20-year renewal in July 2024 for about 315,000 square feet, which includes plans for a full-scale to incorporate innovative design elements tailored to hybrid work models. This commitment extends the firm's long-term presence in the building, where it has been headquartered for decades. , an investment bank, maintains a significant footprint of around 120,000 square feet, with its extended beyond 2025. Additional key occupants include , a leading leasing over 350,000 square feet across multiple floors following a 2017 lease extension through 2032, and , an firm that renewed nearly 215,000 square feet in 2023 for an extended term. occupies a partial block of space, contributing to the building's diverse financial tenant mix. Overall, these tenants helped drive the property's occupancy rate to 96% as of early 2024, reflecting strong demand despite market challenges. Historically, the building's namesake anchor, (formerly ), significantly reduced its presence in the 1990s, dropping to just 10% of the tower's space by 1995 as part of a corporate and relocation to adjacent properties. This shift allowed for broader leasing to third-party firms, transforming the property from a company headquarters into a multi-tenant commercial hub.

Amenities and Retail Spaces

The AXA Equitable Center features a diverse array of dining options catering to tenants and visitors, prominently including the Michelin three-starred seafood restaurant , which has occupied a ground-floor space since its opening in 1986. Complementing this establishment is the Urbanspace , which debuted in January 2020 with 15 vendors offering a range of casual eateries from global to local specialties. Additional quick-service outlets such as and provide convenient grab-and-go options within the building's retail podium. The center supports tenant wellness and productivity through dedicated fitness and conference facilities. The on-site Athletic and Swim Club includes a state-of-the-art fitness center equipped with cardio and strength-training equipment, alongside a junior Olympic-sized , saunas, and steam rooms for relaxation and exercise. For professional gatherings, the building offers the AXA Equitable Auditorium, a 487-seat venue suitable for presentations and events, as well as the Atrium space capable of accommodating up to 500 guests for corporate functions and press conferences. A secure bicycle room with showers and locker facilities further promotes sustainable commuting, enhancing the overall amenities for daily users. Retail spaces on the lower levels encompass a mix of convenience and essential services, including the Gateway Newsstand for everyday essentials like snacks and newspapers, alongside a former branch that provided on-site banking access until at least 2014. These outlets connect seamlessly to the adjacent public , extending shopping and service options for the broader Midtown area. Integrated lobby operations emphasize convenience and safety, with 24/7 services handling reservations, deliveries, and tenant requests, complemented by round-the-clock measures to ensure a secure environment for all occupants.

Cultural and Economic Impact

Architectural Reception

The architectural reception of the AXA Equitable Center upon its completion was notably mixed, reflecting the transitional nature of postmodern design in skyscrapers. Architecture critic , writing for , characterized the 54-story tower by as embodying "54 stories of ambivalence," blending modern restraint with postmodern ornamentation in its orange granite and beige limestone facade, arched base, and expansive public atrium. While Goldberger praised the building's inviting public amenities—such as the 80-foot-high atrium, arcade, and integrated artworks—as making it "the best place to work in since ," he critiqued its overall impact as "one of the duller buildings to come along in many a year," adding "almost no grace to the skyline." Other critics were more pointedly negative toward the structure's aesthetics and functionality. In The New Criterion, the building was dismissed as "one of the most pretentious and ungainly new buildings in New York," with its proportions deemed "stodgy and enervated" and the facade appearing "cheap and temporary" despite premium materials; the atrium, in particular, was likened to an "abandoned railway station" for its lack of vitality and appeal to pedestrians. These views highlighted broader debates on postmodernism's ability to infuse corporate towers with urban energy without descending into blandness or excess. In contrast, the building's extensive art program garnered significant acclaim for elevating corporate spaces into cultural venues and exemplifying patronage by insurers and businesses. The centerpiece, Roy Lichtenstein's Mural with Blue Brushstroke—a 68-by-32-foot unveiled in the atrium— was celebrated as the artist's largest work to date, drawing 1,500 to 2,000 guests to a black-tie ceremony and symbolizing the integration of into everyday . The broader collection, which included commissions from artists like Thomas Hart Benton, , Scott Burton, and Sandro Chia, was positioned as a "striking example" of public-accessible , with Equitable investing $7.5 million to foster usable, site-specific pieces that encouraged lingering and interaction. This initiative underscored the center's role in advancing corporate sponsorship of , transforming lobbies into de facto galleries. Over the decades, public and critical perception has stabilized, positioning the AXA Equitable Center as a enduring postmodern fixture in 's skyline, valued for its functional amenities amid evolving urban needs.

Influence on Urban Development

The Axa Equitable Center pioneered the westward expansion of office towers along Seventh Avenue in during the , serving as a catalyst for broader development in the Midtown West submarket. Completed in 1986, the 54-story tower at 787 Seventh Avenue marked a shift from the traditional focus on avenues like Sixth and Park, drawing major corporate tenants and encouraging subsequent projects in the area, such as developments near and . This expansion helped transform Seventh Avenue into a viable corridor for high-end office space, with the building's positioning just north of positioning it as an extension of premier districts like . The building's galleria, a through-block public passageway connecting the west tower to its east counterpart at 1285 Avenue of the Americas, exemplified the era's incentive zoning mechanisms for enhancing pedestrian circulation. Under New York City's 1982 Midtown Zoning amendments, such gallerias qualified for (FAR) bonuses up to 1.0, provided they met standards like a minimum 15-foot clear path and at least 50% skylight coverage, thereby promoting private mid-block paths as public amenities. This model influenced 1980s policies by demonstrating how developers could leverage provisions to increase buildable area while improving urban connectivity in dense commercial zones. Economically, the Axa Equitable Center contributed to the 1980s Midtown office boom by injecting over $200 million in investment and attracting blue-chip tenants, which elevated rental rates along Seventh Avenue to Park Avenue levels of $40–$50 per square foot. By 2024, amid post-pandemic challenges, the property maintained 96% occupancy and demonstrated resilience with a valuation of $917 million, despite a $123 million decline from its pre-2020 peak of $1.04 billion, underscoring its enduring role in stabilizing the submarket. In terms of sustainability, the center's certification highlights its legacy in retrofits aligning with New York City's decarbonization objectives, such as the 80x50 plan targeting an 80% reduction by 2050 through building efficiency upgrades. These efforts, including energy-efficient features integrated into the postmodern structure, position the building as a model for adapting 1980s-era towers to modern environmental standards amid broader municipal goals for electrifying and retrofitting commercial properties.

References

  1. https://thetowerinfo.com/buildings-list/787-seventh-avenue/
  2. https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/787-seventh-avenue/1118
  3. https://newcriterion.com/article/art-architecture-at-the-equitable-center/
  4. https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/scott-burton-the-equitable-center/
  5. https://www.crainsnewyork.com/real-estate/axa-equitable-center-midtown-faces-growing-financial-challenges
  6. https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/15376/787-7-Ave-New-York-NY-10019/
  7. https://www.compass.com/building/787-7th-ave-manhattan-ny-10019/293534881676331493/
  8. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/27/realestate/postings-after-55-years-rip-abbey.html
  9. https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/18/nyregion/equitable-life-to-build-7th-ave-tower.html
  10. https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/1285-avenue-of-the-americas/3091
  11. https://www.metro-manhattan.com/buildings/787-seventh-avenue-axa-equitable-center/
  12. https://thegreatestgrid.mcny.org/greatest-grid/mid-block-arcades/311
  13. https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/09/realestate/equitable-seeks-park-ave-rents-on-seventh-ave.html
  14. https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-Axa_Equitable_Center-NYCNJ-site_14395433-121
  15. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/midtown-manhattan-pedestrian-corridor_n_1395572
  16. https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/pomo-watchlist-nyc-endangered-postmodern-architecture/
  17. https://www.commercialsearch.com/news/calpers-pays-big-bucks-for-axa-equitable-center-in-manhattan/
  18. https://www.optimalspaces.com/rent-office-787-seventh-avenue/
  19. https://buildingsdb.com/NY/new-york/axa-equitable-center/
  20. https://apops.mas.org/pops/m050037/
  21. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263327690_The_evolution_of_privately_owned_public_spaces_in_New_York_City
  22. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394221721_NYC_Walks_A_City-wide_Foot-traffic_Model_to_Guide_Pedestrian-Oriented_Planning_and_Design
  23. https://skyscrapers.fandom.com/wiki/AXA_Equitable_Center
  24. https://www.lichtensteincatalogue.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=1167
  25. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Axa_Equitable_Center
  26. https://choateco.com/project/axa-us/
  27. https://whitney.org/research/archives/institutional-archives
  28. https://www.nytimes.com/library/realestate/commercial/cp960211.html
  29. https://www.axa.com/en/timeline/axa-adventure
  30. https://equitable.com/about-equitable
  31. https://www.costar.com/article/144704/axa-financial-trades-787-seventh-tower-to-calpers-for-19-billion
  32. https://ny.eater.com/2020/1/8/21052007/urbanspace-food-hall-midtown-west-nyc-open
  33. https://commercialobserver.com/2020/07/bnp-paribas-shrinks-columbus-circle-offices-and-renews-in-jersey-city/
  34. https://usa.bnpparibas/en/bnp-paribas-unveils-redesigned-regional-headquarters-in-nyc/
  35. https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2022/06/15/bnp-paribas-office-building-nyc-real-estate-news.html
  36. https://www.commonwealth-partners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2020_CommonWealth-Partners_ESG_Report-1.pdf
  37. https://787seventhave.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/787-vertical-SLF-2024.pdf
  38. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/helicopter-crash-atop-foggy-manhattan-skyscraper-kills-pilot-idUSKCN1TB29Q/
  39. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/10/helicopter-crashes-into-building-in-midtown-manhattan.html
  40. https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateFactualReport/99586/pdf
  41. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/helicopter-crashes-building-midtown-manhattan-n1015831
  42. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2019-06-27/ntsb-non-ifr-rated-nyc-helicopter-crash-pilot-was-lost
  43. https://www.businessinsider.com/helicopter-pilot-killed-in-june-10-crash-flew-erratically-ntsb-2019-6
  44. https://nadler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394124
  45. https://commercialobserver.com/2024/07/willkie-farr-gallagher-renew-315k-sf-at-787-seventh-avenue/
  46. https://www.willkie.com/news/2024/07/willkie-signs-20-year-315000-sq-foot-lease-for-firm-headquarters
  47. https://www.ubs.com/locations/united-states/new-york/787-seventh-avenue/ubs-ag-1555.html
  48. https://www.colliers.com/en/news/sidley-austin-llp
  49. https://dbrs.morningstar.com/research/394789/dbrs-morningstar-confirms-ratings-of-comm-2016-787s-mortgage-trust
  50. https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2023/01/05/manhattan-office-market-grinds-to-halt-in-brutal-fourth-quarter/
  51. https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/26/business/real-estate-the-equitable-is-expected-to-leave-its-building-for-a.html
  52. https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/new-york-state/new-york/restaurant/le-bernardin
  53. https://nypost.com/2013/04/23/le-bernardin-sets-historic-expansion/
  54. https://patch.com/new-york/midtown-nyc/urbanspaces-new-midtown-food-hall-opens-15-vendors
  55. https://athleticandswimclub.com/
  56. https://elegantaffairscaterers.com/locations/atrium-at-equitable-center/
  57. https://www.timessquarenyc.org/retail/gateway-newsstand
  58. https://abc7ny.com/post/midtown-nyc-chase-bank-robbed/376394/
  59. https://marketplace.vts.com/building/787-seventh-avenue-annex-new-york-ny
  60. https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/20/nyregion/an-appraisal-equitable-s-new-tower-a-curious-ambivalence.html
  61. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/02/10/Art-goes-public-Huge-Lichtenstein-mural-dominates-public-area-of-new-building/5955508395600/
  62. https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/about/city-planning-history/midtown_zoning.pdf
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.