AN INNER-CITY OASIS
17 Sep 2025
The first new green space in New York's Midtown in decades has opened on Madison Avenue. Snøhetta has transformed a formerly enclosed mid-block passageway into an inner-city oasis, providing a verdant respite with thousands of plants and sunlight streaming through the surrounding towers.
Text description provided by the architects. The opening of the Garden, the first new green space in Midtown in decades, comes as Olayan completes the repositioning of the iconic 550 Madison Avenue office tower, New York City's youngest landmark. Snøhetta served as design architect for the repositioning of the tower as well as landscape architect for the new Garden.
Designed by Snøhetta, the Garden is located adjacent to 550 Madison in the location of a formerly enclosed mid-block passageway. The garden is substantially larger than other local public spaces, and welcomes area workers, residents and visitors with abundant seating, 48 trees, 200 shrubs, 6,300 bulb plants, 10,000 herbaceous understory plants, gender inclusive public restrooms and three kiosks with food and beverage offerings.
Michelle Delk, Partner and Landscape Architect at Snøhetta said, "Snøhetta's design for the new garden transforms the streets surrounding the iconic 550 Madison building into an accessible, lavishly vegetated and highly visible public space. A new lobby window and redesigned storefronts honor Philip Johnson's original design. We are honored to help return this important part of Midtown to its visitors while contributing to the celebrated vibrancy of New York City."
Built around a tranquil water feature and five sections centered on different focal structures, the 21,300-square-foot garden is nearly twice the size of a previous public space in the same location. The garden's bloom calendar is carefully timed for plant species to offer a wide range of colorful hues, from pink to purple, blue and yellow, at different blooming dates from February to October each year.
Distinct "upland," "lowland," and "sheltered" garden sections feature tree-filled backdrops and shrub skirts, drawing inspiration from Northeastern mountain vegetation ranging from fine-textured and airy to thick, luxuriant foliage. Mountain Rosebay, Smooth Hydrangea, and Bottlebrush Buckeye fill the garden's shrub skirt, with a tree assortment including Yellowwood, Sweetbay Magnolia, and River Birch. Planters host a diversity of regional native species, from Solomon's Seal, Goatsbeard, and Black Cohosh to Coral Bell and Sword Fern. Working alongside Snøhetta on the garden was a team of leading landscape and horticulture companies, including Phyto, The Dirt Company, SiteWorks, Arup, and Adamson Associates Architects.
The 41-story, 850,000-square-foot 550 Madison began as a single-tenant headquarters for AT&T when it opened in 1984. The building's new garden is part of a six-year effort by Olayan to reimagine the high-rise – New York City's youngest historic landmark – with wellness initiatives, sustainability programs, and more than 30,000 square feet of luxury amenities. In addition to the garden, building improvements include a Rockwell Group-designed club-level amenity space that promotes collaboration and creativity, including a concierge overseeing the Grand Hall, the Library, the Hearth Room, the Screening Room, and the Pool Room. The club level also includes multiple dining offerings and kitchens for events.
