712 Fifth Avenue Building vs 550 Madison Avenue

712 Fifth Avenue Building
550 Madison Avenue

Comparing the 712 Fifth Avenue Building and the 550 Madison Avenue is interesting because they both rise in New York, NY, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Johnson/Burgee Architects, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 6 years apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of New York across time.

Let's take a closer look!

Height
198m
Floors
52

Height & Size

Height
197m
Floors
37

The 712 Fifth Avenue Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 650ft (198m) with 52 floors above ground, while the 550 Madison Avenue reaches 646ft (197m) with 37 floors above ground.

Despite being taller and having more floors, 712 Fifth Avenue Building has less total built-up area than 550 Madison Avenue.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Style
Postmodernism

Architectural Style

Style
Postmodernism

Both the 712 Fifth Avenue Building and the 550 Madison Avenue were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Johnson/Burgee Architects followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Commercial

Both the 712 Fifth Avenue Building and the 550 Madison Avenue were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The 550 Madison Avenue also provides 20 parking spaces.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Modular

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame system.

A frame structure uses a grid of columns and beams to carry the building's loads. This frees the walls from structural duties, allowing for flexible floor plans and larger windows.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The 712 Fifth Avenue Building uses a Masonry facade, while the 550 Madison Avenue uses a Modular facade.

A Masonry facade like the one seen in the 712 Fifth Avenue Building features a heavy masonry skin that gives it a more clasical look, while a modular facade like the one seen in the 550 Madison Avenue employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.

712 Fifth Avenue Building 550 Madison Avenue
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates Architect Johnson/Burgee Architects
1988 Construction Started 1981
1990 Year Completed 1984
Postmodernism Architectural Style Postmodernism
Commercial Current Use Commercial
52 Floors Above Ground 37
198 m Height (m) 197 m
50466 Built-up Area (m²) 76180
43,900 m² Usable Area (m²) 63,650 m²
10 Number of Elevators 25
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
Concrete And Steel Horizontal Structure Material Concrete And Steel
Yes Facade Structural? Yes
Marble, Limestone Granite, Aluminium Main Facade Material Granite, Glass
Solomon Equities, And A. Alfred Taubman Developer American Telephone & Telegraph
Jaros Baum & Bolles MEP Engineer Cosentini Associates
Severud Associates Consulting Engineers Structural Engineer Leslie E. Robertson Associates
Thierry Bruet, And Amy Rassinforf Collaborating Artist Evelyn Beatrice Longman, And Dorothea Rockburne
NY State NY
New York City New York
712 Fifth Avenue Address 550 Madison Avenue