MdeAS revitalizing McGraw-Hill building in Manhattan

Manhattan, NY MdeAS (em-dee-a-s), a New York based architecture firm, is working on the revitalization of the historic McGraw-Hill building at 330 West 42^nd St. The firm worked extensively to ensure that the landmarked building’s upgrades met the proper guidelines while adding elements that would reestablish the property as a destination office location for decades to come. MdeAS is part of a team assembled by Resolution Real Estate Partners, a New York-based asset management firm specializing in local office re-positionings.

Built in 1931 and designed by Raymond Hood, 330 West 42^nd St. once served as the home to McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. and Marvel Comics. The 700,000 s/f, 35-story Art Deco-style tower between 8^th and 9^th Aves. was one of the most progressive properties of its time and has long been an iconic part of the city’s skyline. At the time it was built, 330 West 42^nd St. was one of the most groundbreaking office buildings in Manhattan, the first in the international style. Its original features – outdoor areas, high floor-to-floor ratios, varying floorplate sizes, large windows, views of the city and Hudson River – are still features attractive to tenants.

“MdeAS has a deep connection with the McGraw-Hill building, which has an incredible heritage and unique, beautiful design,” said Dan Shannon, principal at MdeAS. “We are proud to draw on our experience in bringing capital buildings back to life to create a bespoke environment suited for today’s work, weaved with an important layer of architecture and history.”

The building’s façade, composed of blue-green terracotta panels with windows framed in green metal, has undergone repairs to restore Raymond Hood’s original vision and design. Joining the project when the window replacement program was underway, MdeAS modified several of the window types to restore the glass clerestory on multiple floors, opening the façade and increase the natural light available to tenants. Through interior mechanical optimization, MdeAS consolidated the location of the mechanical louvers, bringing back windows throughout the façade. Additionally, visitors to the building will have a new experience at both on 42^nd and 41^st with new storefront and entryways, bringing back the historic vibrancy to the base of the building.

MdeAS worked with ownership to create a lobby that serves employees and visitors. The lobby features a reception center and areas to sit or grab a coffee or snack before heading up to the office. The lobby integrates terrazzo floors, metal panel and patterned glass walls with stainless steel and bronze accents throughout. A 35-foot-high atrium also affords lobby patrons a panoramic view of the amenity floors.

Just off the lobby past the elevator banks, MdeAS took the building’s former loading docks and created a double-height garden space for tenants to enjoy. The space provides an opportunity for several hundred people to gather for an event. The building’s bones provided this opportunity to enliven that space as an anchor, giving tenants and visitors a respite during the day. Future Green designed the landscape.

Heading up to the office levels, MdeAS rebuilt three main cores to improve the circulation of the office floors. The team converted three former freight elevators to serve as expanded capacity passenger cabs for the lower levels, refreshed the existing passenger elevators with one additional car to serve the mid- and high-rise floors, and added a new service car to service the full building. These upgrades increased the vertical circulation at the property to class A standards.

The office space itself retains much of the building’s sturdy industrial quality, with broad exposed steel beams throughout. The space features 12’-8” ceiling heights and individual floor plates which span from 20,000 s/f to over 30,000 s/f. All office floors feature new, fully operable 7- to 12-foot-high windows.

All the mechanical systems at 330 West 42^nd St. have been focused on health and efficiency. The entire HVAC system has been replaced, improving indoor air quality and thermal control. The building’s systems provide maximum amounts of fresh air, operable windows, and touchless technology. Nine outdoor terraces were made accessible by MdeAS. Previously used for mechanical purposes, the terraces will be available to the tenants occupying the adjoining floor. One-of-a-kind washrooms on each level offer central, freestanding sinks with ample space between users, as well as touchless doors, faucets, and toilets.

The C-suite just underneath the iconic McGraw-Hill signage at the top of the tower has been turned into a duplex office space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a large terrace.

A standout feature of the building is its full suite of unique amenities across three consecutive floors.

An event/conferencing area on the second floor can hold between 115-200 people depending on the event’s layout, ideal for tenants in the building to rent out for conferences, offsites, or celebrations. The floor includes a pre-function room, seminar room, and small conference rooms.

The fitness floor on the lower level features a gym, spaces for yoga and Pilates, locker rooms, a wellness center, and mothering rooms. Also on this level is a health center, a place for employees to come to when not feeling well, equivalent to a school nurse’s office. It will be run by Eden Health.

The amenity levels also include a quiet room for heads down work, as well as a broadcast room for podcasting, media interviews, and various other AV needs.