270 Park Avenue (1960–2021)
270 Park Avenue, also known as the JPMorgan Chase Tower and the Union Carbide Building, was a skyscraper in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1960 for chemical company Union Carbide, it was designed by the architects Gordon Bunshaft and Natalie de Blois of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The 52-story, 707 ft (215 m) skyscraper later became the global headquarters for JPMorgan Chase. When it was demolished in 2021, the Union Carbide Building was the tallest voluntarily demolished building in the world. A taller skyscraper with the same address, to be completed in 2025, is being constructed on the site.
| Union Carbide Building 270 Park Avenue | |
|---|---|
270 Park Avenue in 2007 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Architectural style | International |
| Location | 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017 |
| Coordinates | 40°45′21″N 73°58′32″W |
| Construction started | 1957 |
| Completed | 1960 |
| Closed | 2018 |
| Demolished | 2019–2021 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 707 ft (215 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 52 |
| Floor area | 1,500,000 sq ft (140,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) |
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The building occupied a full city block bounded by Madison Avenue, 48th Street, Park Avenue, and 47th Street. It was composed of two sections: a 52-story tower, facing Park Avenue to the east, and a 12-story annex, facing Madison Avenue to the west. About two-thirds of 270 Park Avenue was built atop two levels of underground railroad tracks, which feed directly into Grand Central Terminal to the south. This not only prevented a basement from being built under most of the site but also required that the lobby be one story above ground level. Union Carbide's offices were designed around a grid of 5 by 5 ft (1.5 by 1.5 m) modules. The offices contained flexible furnishings and partitions, as well as luminous ceilings. The Union Carbide Building received mixed reviews during its existence.
The site was occupied by the Hotel Marguery between 1917 and 1957. Union Carbide leased the land from New York Central Railroad (later Penn Central) and announced plans for the building in 1955. Union Carbide moved into its headquarters in 1960 and acquired the underlying land in 1976 after Penn Central went bankrupt. After three years of negotiations, Union Carbide agreed in 1978 to sell the building to Manufacturers Hanover Corporation. Manufacturers Hanover moved into 270 Park Avenue in 1980 and renovated the building. Through several mergers, Manufacturers Hanover became part of JPMorgan Chase. The bank announced plans to demolish the building in 2018. Despite preservationists' objections, the Union Carbide Building was demolished from 2019 to 2021.