780 Third Avenue

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1984, 780 Third Avenue is distinct for its materiality and façade design. Located in Midtown Manhattan near Grand Central Terminal, the building is setback from Third Avenue leaving ample space for a plaza. MPFP was commissioned to design and implement a new plaza as well as the interior landscaping at various locations within the building. Having been previously minimal, MPFP responded with a design intended to bolster 780 Third Avenue’s street frontage value. Borrowing loosely from the building’s iconic façade, trapezoidal and triangular planters rise from ground level to seat-wall height; custom concrete benches are set within the planter. Populated with organic medleys of hostas, vinca minor, and big blue liriope, the planters boast a generous total of 22 Redbud trees. In successfully “greening” the once dry POPS plaza, MPFP has contemporized an historical architectural space. MPFP also conducted a series of studies to select a collection of plant species that would bring life to the building’s interior, creating visual interest as well as year-round green elements.

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