Himmel + Meringoff has kicked-off the renovation and repositioning of 729 Seventh Avenue, the boutique 17-story office building located on the southeast corner of West 49th Street. The centerpiece of the project is a complete renovation of the building’s entrance and lobby.
MdeAS Architects led by Dan Shannon is transforming the lobby’s traditional art-deco design into a modern, sleek and bright space. The renovated lobby will feature Italian Carrara marble and glass finishes and will be highlighted by a 20’ foot ceiling and all glass entrance. While a complete transformation, the new lobby will subtly retain artistic elements as a nod to the building’s heritage. During the course of its 100-year history, 729 Seventh was home to a multitude of tenants involved in America’s burgeoning cinema industry, notably once the headquarters of United Artists.
“We’ve commissioned the graphic design group Doyle Partners to create a ‘black box’ at the reception desk made of celluloid, housing an original projector,” said Dan Shannon, who added that there will also be an original piece of wall art composed of vintage celluloid film and glass, visible to patrons as they enter the newly-designed distinctive space.
This is the second teaming of MdeAS and Himmel + Meringoff, who are underway with a complete renovation of 1460 Broadway, the future home of Footlocker and WeWork.
“We are very excited to work with MdeAs again,” said Leslie Himmel who added that the firm is known for its modern and innovative designs and has been terrific partner. Among the A-list of landlords MdeAS has worked for are Vornado Realty Trust, Brookfield Office Properties, Equity Office Properties and Tishman Speyer.
“729 Seventh’s strategic Midtown-West location, a block from Rockefeller Center, as well as its close proximity to virtually every subway line, drive demand for space in the building. We feel confident that the new modern lobby design, coupled with our comprehensive interior renovation, will attract tenants coming from a wide variety of industries, among them media, advertising, finance, technology and publishing, as more and more businesses migrate to the West side of Manhattan.”
The 163,400-square foot property has been owned by Himmel + Meringoff since 1996. Among its current tenants are Broadway.com, Columbia University, The Actors Fund of America, The Dermot Company and the Broadway League.
Rendering courtesy of Himmel + Meringoff