520 Madison Ave

Height to roof: 175 meters
Date built: 1982
Use: Office
Location: 520 Madison Ave, NYC
Architecture: Swanke Hayden & Connell Architects
 

This is a solid metal souvenir replica of 520 Madison Avenue in New York City. The height measures 3.3". The base of this cool paperweight is 1.75" square. On the front, the base reads in raised lettering, "520". On the right side, "MADISON". On the back, "NYC". And left side, "175M"

This very impressive, polished red granite skyscraper greatly reinforced the renaissance of the northern end of Madison Avenue led by the former I.B.M. and the former A.T.&T. (now SONY) buildings a couple of blocks further north. Perhaps its best gesture of civility towards the avenue is its tiered roofline that steps down, in two slightly slanted steps, towards Madison Avenue, a very unusual and attractive top that unfortunately is not very visible from the street not only because the building is 43 stories high, but also because its facades are highly reflective and the top often seems to disappear into the sky.