Gensler redesigns 149 Madison for Columbia Property Trust

Manhattan, NY Columbia Property Trust previewed its ongoing transformation of 149 Madison Ave. into an ideal office environment for forward-looking tenants in the NoMad neighborhood of Midtown South.

The extensive modernization and repositioning program, which is currently underway and expected to be completed by year-end, will give the 12-story office building a high-end design, thoughtful amenities, and upgraded systems that prioritize tenant health and wellness.

Columbia has partnered with Newmark to lead both the office and retail leasing efforts for 149 Madison. The property, which includes 114,000 s/f of office space, offers a unique “building-within-a-building” opportunity that incorporates a private ground floor entrance and company branding. Columbia is also constructing prebuilt office suites on the fifth floor of the building.

Working with architecture and design firm Gensler, Columbia is undertaking a series of renovations to modernize both the exterior and interior of the building. Columbia is upgrading 149 Madison’s street-level elevation with new retail storefronts and double-height glass windows, which will allow natural light to flood the redesigned lobbies on both Madison Ave. and 32^nd St. The lobbies will feature white ceilings and floors, accented by a metallic feature wall.

Columbia is also introducing new amenity offerings at 149 Madison. A multi-purpose lounge area connected to a new café offering will feature a variety of convenient and comfortable settings outside of the traditional office space for tenants and their guests to collaborate. A large ground-floor boardroom can be used for external meetings or team discussions. In addition, Columbia is constructing a fitness and wellness space, and providing bike storage at the building complete with executive locker room facilities.

“Our comprehensive repositioning of 149 Madison combines its distinctive architecture with contemporary design elements and state-of-the-art systems to deliver the style and functionality that companies value today,” said David Cheikin, senior vice president, asset management and leasing for Columbia. “The reimagined 149 Madison is well-suited for firms seeking an environment to support and reward the ingenuity and creativity of their teams.”

In addition to the aesthetic improvements, Columbia is incorporating a series of infrastructure upgrades to provide a healthy experience for tenants and visitors. These efforts include installing bipolar ionization technology throughout the building and elevator cabs to ensure indoor air quality, as well as operable windows on every floor to allow access to fresh air and floor-by-floor tenant-controlled HVAC. A new destination dispatch elevator system will also offer full-floor security features.

Originally built in 1916, 149 Madison today features efficient floor plates with original hardwood floors and 13-ft. concrete ceilings on most floors, as well as operable windows. The loft-style building’s top floor offers an additional eight inches of ceiling height (13.75 ft. total) and skylights. Located on the corner of East 32^nd St., the building is within walking distance to Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal, and multiple subway, commuter, and bus lines. Nearby CitiBike stations and parking garages offer additional flexibility in the daily commute.