400 Madison Avenue

400 Madison Avenue is a 23 story office building located between 47^th and 48^th Street.  Constructed in 1929 in the neo-Gothic style, the light colored terra cotta clad building sets back at the 15^th, 17^th and 20^th floors, with ornamental spandrel panels, tracery,  and crockets on the intricate pierced crown at the top of the building displaying the influence of the art deco style. The building is listed as an individual NYC Landmark and is also eligible for inclusion in the National Historic Register.

Our work consisted of matching the existing terra cotta with new custom fabricated and glazed terra cotta units  where areas of the building exhibited indications of interior structural steel deterioration.  This including the rebuilding of the 15^th floor parapet and repairs to the three foot deep steel spandrel beam and structural slab, as well as rebuilding corners of the building.  Other areas of parapets were rebuilt, including the reconstruction of the buildings crown, integrating new terra cotta while much of the original material was salvaged and reset. While the building was fully occupied, the project was phased such to minimize tenant impact.

Near the end of the façade work, a re-roofing project was performed to ensure the integrity of the building envelope and take advantage of the scaffolding and mobilization already in place.  While the building owner had kept the building maintained and the conditions stable, this comprehensive façade restoration project enabled HLZAE to file the required Façade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) report as safe for the first time in over 20 years.