32 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY

Client: Rudin Management
Completion: 2002
Area: 1,100,000 sf

The former AT&T Long Distance Building, 32 Avenue of the Americas, has undergone extensive modernization to accommodate the needs of telecommunications tenants. Just south of Canal Street in Manhattan, the 28-story tower, completed in 1932, has reclaimed its status as a global communications crossroads. Massive electrical, mechanical, and communications infrastructures have been carefully integrated with the landmarked Art Deco architecture. In addition to ten new cooling units and fourteen emergency generators on the roof, the building bears a new crown, including two 120-foot tall communications masts that will signify the revitalization. Various elements of the building's original design were restored exactly, including the ground floor lobby with its expansive Art Deco murals. Approximately a quarter of the building's windows have been replaced with louvers, which emulate the pattern of the original sash windows.