Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
A landmark New York skyscraper that served as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's headquarters and now incorporates the New York EDITION hotel.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, commonly called the Met Life Tower and also known as the South Building, is a historic skyscraper in Manhattan's Flatiron District. It occupies the western portion of a full city block bounded by Madison Avenue, Park Avenue South, 23rd Street, and 24th Street, beside Madison Square Park. The complex is associated with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, now publicly known as MetLife, but the building itself is an architectural and historic property rather than an insurance product brand. The tower was designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons and built between 1905 and 1909. Its form was inspired by St Mark's Campanile in Venice, with a tall, narrow shaft, a pyramidal roof, a cupola, a lantern, four large clock faces, four bells, and a rooftop beacon. Rising approximately 700 feet, it became the world's tallest building when completed and retained that distinction until 1913. Its monumental Renaissance Revival design and highly visible clock made it one of the defining elements of New York's early twentieth-century skyline. The tower formed part of Metropolitan Life's home-office complex. The original full-block office building began construction in the 1890s, with additional work continuing through the early twentieth century. A replacement east wing, now known as One Madison Avenue, was designed by Lloyd Morgan and Eugene Meroni and constructed in stages during the 1950s. The tower was substantially renovated in the 1960s, when much of its original exterior marble and ornament was replaced or covered with limestone and the interior was modernized with air conditioning, automatic elevators, and contemporary office finishes. The property has received several layers of historic recognition. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978, and made a New York City landmark in 1989. These designations reflect its architectural importance, its role in the development of the early skyscraper, and its connection with the history of large American insurance companies and corporate headquarters. Since 2015, the tower has housed the 273-room New York EDITION Hotel. The adaptive reuse introduced a luxury hospitality function while retaining the building's recognizable exterior and some historic interior elements. The property also contains The Clocktower restaurant, a high-end dining venue associated with chef Jason Atherton. The clock mechanisms and uppermost architectural features remain important parts of the building's identity, although access to some areas is restricted. The adjoining east wing underwent another major transformation beginning in 2020. An addition designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox was completed in 2024, extending the One Madison Avenue portion and updating the block for contemporary commercial use. The combined property therefore represents several generations of New York architecture: the original insurance-company headquarters, the early skyscraper tower, the postwar office wing, the 1960s modernization, and twenty-first-century hotel and commercial redevelopment.
History
The site occupied by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower became associated with Metropolitan Life's expanding New York home office during the late nineteenth century. Napoleon LeBrun & Sons designed an original office building on the block, with the first section of the east wing completed in 1893 and further phases continuing through 1905. The complex reflected the growth of large mutual and commercial insurance companies, which required substantial centralized offices for administrative, actuarial, sales, and customer-service operations. Metropolitan Life subsequently commissioned a monumental tower at the northwest corner of the block. Designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons and constructed from 1905 to 1909, the tower rose approximately 700 feet and was modeled after St Mark's Campanile in Venice. Its clock faces, bells, illuminated beacon, and carefully proportioned facade made it both a functioning corporate headquarters and a highly visible civic monument. Upon completion it was the world's tallest building, a status it held until 1913. The building's public visibility was increased by its rooftop observation platform, which attracted visitors during the years after opening. The tower used a steel structural frame encased in reinforced concrete and was originally faced largely in Tuckahoe marble. Its architectural composition followed the classical idea of a column, with a base, shaft, and capital. Four clock faces were placed high on the tower, and four bells sounded at quarter-hour intervals. A master clock controlled the tower clocks and many other clocks in the surrounding home-office complex. The rooftop lantern and beacon were designed as conspicuous elements of the nighttime skyline. The east wing that stood beside the tower was eventually replaced. Lloyd Morgan and Eugene Meroni designed a new office building, constructed in two principal stages between 1953 and 1960. Known today as One Madison Avenue, the wing was integrated with an extensive modernization of the tower. During the 1960s work, portions of the original marble and Renaissance Revival detailing were replaced with limestone, while the interiors were updated with air conditioning, acoustic ceilings, and automatic elevators. The renovation gave the tower a more restrained appearance and visually linked it to the newer postwar office architecture. Metropolitan Life's former home-office complex is among the remaining major New York insurance-company headquarters complexes from the period when insurers commonly maintained monumental headquarters buildings. The tower's significance was formally recognized when it entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1978 and received New York City landmark designation in 1989. The tower later moved away from its original office role. Beginning in the 2010s, the building was adapted for hospitality use, and in 2015 it opened as the New York EDITION Hotel with 273 rooms. The conversion retained the historic exterior and selected interior features, while hotel rooms and public areas were redesigned for contemporary luxury lodging. The second floor also became home to The Clocktower restaurant, which includes dining, bar, and billiards spaces and is associated with British chef Jason Atherton. The east wing entered another redevelopment cycle in the twenty-first century. Work on a new addition designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox began in 2020 and was completed in 2024. The resulting property combines a preserved early skyscraper with a postwar office wing, a contemporary addition, and a luxury hotel. Its present identity is therefore based on architectural preservation and adaptive reuse rather than on the original insurance operations alone.
- 2024
One Madison Avenue addition completed
[1]The contemporary addition to the east wing was completed.
- 2020
One Madison Avenue addition begins
[1]Construction began on a Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed addition to the east wing.
- 2015
New York EDITION opens
[1]The tower reopened as the 273-room New York EDITION Hotel, with The Clocktower restaurant on the second floor.
- 1989
New York City landmark designation
[1]The property was designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
- 1978
National Historic Landmark designation
[1]The building received National Historic Landmark status.
- 1972
National Register listing
[1]The tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1964
Major tower renovation
[1]A modernization replaced or covered portions of the original marble exterior and updated building systems and interiors.
- 1960
Postwar east wing completed
[1]The replacement east wing was completed in stages and became known as One Madison Avenue.
- 1953
Replacement east wing construction begins
[1]Construction began on the replacement east wing designed by Lloyd Morgan and Eugene Meroni.
- 1913
No longer the world's tallest building
[1]The tower's period as the world's tallest building ended in 1913.
Products and positioning
A landmark adaptive-reuse property combining early skyscraper heritage, luxury hospitality, and modern commercial real estate in central Manhattan.
Historic skyscraper · 1909
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
The landmark tower at 5 Madison Avenue is the historic core of the complex. Designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons, it is distinguished by its Venetian campanile inspiration, four large clock faces, four bells, a lantern, and a pyramidal roof. It was built as a corporate headquarters and is now substantially used for luxury hospitality.
Luxury hotel · 2015
New York EDITION Hotel
A 273-room luxury hotel occupying the tower section since 2015. The adaptive-reuse project converted former office space into guest rooms and public hospitality areas while preserving the building's landmark exterior and selected historic details.
Restaurant · 2015
The Clocktower
An upscale restaurant on the hotel's second floor, with dining and bar areas and a billiards room. The venue is associated with British chef Jason Atherton and takes its name from the building's most recognizable architectural feature.
Commercial real estate · 1955
One Madison Avenue
The east wing of the Metropolitan Life complex. The current wing was constructed in the 1950s and later expanded through a contemporary addition designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and completed in 2024.
Brand decisions
2020
Expansion of One Madison AvenueStrategyBackground
The east wing required contemporary commercial space and an updated role within the surrounding Manhattan development market.
Action taken
Work began on a Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed addition to One Madison Avenue.
Aftermath
The addition was completed in 2024, extending the complex while leaving the landmark tower as its historic visual anchor.
2015
Adaptive reuse as a luxury hotelStrategyBackground
The former headquarters tower was repositioned for a new commercial and hospitality era after its original office function had declined.
Action taken
The tower was converted into the New York EDITION Hotel, with 273 rooms and associated food-and-beverage venues.
Aftermath
The conversion preserved the building's principal exterior identity while establishing hotel operations as its dominant modern use.
1964
Modernization of the historic towerGeneration changeBackground
The tower required updated building systems and a visual relationship with the new east wing.
Action taken
The renovation introduced air conditioning, automatic elevators, acoustic ceilings, and a more streamlined limestone exterior treatment.
Aftermath
The work improved contemporary usability but altered portions of the original Renaissance Revival appearance.
1953
Replacement of the original east wingStrategyBackground
The original home-office wing no longer represented the needs and architectural language of a postwar insurance headquarters.
Action taken
Metropolitan Life replaced the east wing with a new building designed by Lloyd Morgan and Eugene Meroni, constructed in stages through 1960.
Aftermath
The project created the modern One Madison Avenue wing and was accompanied by a substantial modernization of the older tower.
1905
Commissioning of a landmark headquarters towerStrategyBackground
Metropolitan Life expanded its home-office complex with a highly visible tower intended to accommodate corporate operations and express the scale and permanence of the insurance company.
Action taken
The company commissioned Napoleon LeBrun & Sons to design a tower inspired by St Mark's Campanile and built it at the northwest corner of the block.
Aftermath
Completed in 1909, the tower became the world's tallest building and one of New York's most recognizable corporate landmarks.
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