MetLife Building

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• What began in 1954 as the plans for the reconstruction of the Grand Central Terminal became the Pan Am Building upon its completion in 1963; we know this building today as the MetLife Building.
• The original contract for this project called for 65 elevators and 21 escalators from Westinghouse Electric Corporation. At the time this was the largest elevator contract in history.
• In 1981 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company purchased the building from Grand Central Buildings, Inc. and immediately invested in upgrading the space and adding valuable tenant amenities. Today it is managed by Shorenstein Company, LP.
• The building has direct access to the adjacent Grand Central Terminal, the most important rail hub in New York City.
• The MetLife Building is the focal point for Park Avenue, stretching from East Forty-Third to East Forty-Fifth Street.
• The MetLife logo on top supports the nest for a pair of peregrine falcons which were introduced to manage the pigeon population.
• The building has a unique sculptural presence, with an elongated octagonal footprint.
• MetLife bought the building in 1981 for $400 million as an investment but didn't replace Pan Am's logo until 1993.
• The roof served as a heliport for several years until an accident in 1977 closed it for good.
• The 1977 helicopter crash killed five people.
• The MetLife Building won the 2004/2005 BOMA Operating Building of the Year Award in the over 500,000 square feet category.