PROJECT / COMMERCIAL
757 Third Avenue
To overcome the distance from the street to the core, MdeAS was tasked to design a promenade for the lobby at 757 Third Avenue that features patterned glass and an overhead lighted volume. Nearly a decade later, MdeAS was brought back and retransformed the 65-unit Class A office building by connecting the upper lobby with the lower-level amenity space by way of an unfolding feature stair. The new tenant amenity offerings on the lower level include a lounge, pantry, wellness club, and event and conference spaces that were envisioned by Fogarty Finger Architecture.
Address 757 Third Avenue
City New York, NY
Year 2012, 2021
Size 3,033 sq ft (lobby) + 4,875 sq ft (cellar amenity) + 5,034 sq ft (cellar)
Client RFR Realty (2012), BGO (2021)
Awards
ARCHITIZER | A+ Awards, Architecture +Stairs, Finalist, 2022
A Beautiful Unravel
The stair at 757 Third Avenue was inspired by the humble design of a roll of cardboard. This simple construction acted as the parti for an unfolding spiral stair. The metal guardrail enclosing the stair would appear as if it had been seamlessly unwrapped from a cylindrical form, just as you would unwrap the band that forms a cardboard tube.
The new stair design was innovative and elegant: two unfolding steel stringers acted as structure, hugging the treads in a tight curvature that allowed for no intermediate supports between the two floors.
Ultimately, this grand and elegant staircase achieved a design sophistication beyond expectation through intricate detailing and collaboration. The honest “unwrapping” of its form expresses the structural clarity of its simple modern aesthetic, while the careful material selection bridges the transition from public main entry to private and secluded amenity.
