Macklowe drives expansion job at 340 Madison.

Manhattan has the Javits Center for large exhibitions: now, thanks to a visionary design concept, it has 340 Madison Ave. for smaller ones.

In a remarkable engineering and architectural feat, owner/developer Macklowe Properties recently transformed an obsolete 22-story, 550,000 s/f irregularly shaped masonry building in the heart of New York's midtown business district into a modern 750,000 s/f glass office tower.

One of the key elements of the design plan, which was carried out through a collaborative effort between the developer and two New York architectural firms--Moed de Armas & Shannon and Gensler--was the challenge of creating a signature identity for the property by expanding what was once a small lobby into a spectacular limestone paneled "grand space," suitable for events and exhibits.

The newly completed multi-purpose exhibition area at 340 Madison Ave. features an 18-foot high theatrical ceiling, as well as the latest Broadway lighting effects and showroom technologies.

The space lends itself to a variety of venues, such as an exhibit of "Smart Cars," the fuel-efficient mini autos from Europe. Such a display, featuring five vehicles, is presently taking place and represents the inaugural event at the recently opened building.

According to New York-based designer Graham Hanson, who worked as a consultant on the project, the drama of 340's theatrical lobby, which features a rhythmic grid of limestone panels along vertical wall surfaces, is created "through restraint in material specifications and selective touches of artistic impressions. The idea within the showroom is to emphasize the importance of details and objects."

The display of Smart Cars is expected to remain throughout most of 2006. Future exhibits at the building are now in discussion.

"Our car exhibit not only demonstrates the remarkable flexibility and display potential of our lobby," stated Billy Macklowe, president of Macklowe Properties, "but we hope it also dramatizes the truly distinctive design and architectural elements we have painstakingly incorporated into this extraordinary building."

The redesign involved, among other things, infilling cutouts in the original structure in order to expand and create large uniform 39,000 s/f floorplates on floors six through 17. Macklowe Properties had acquired air rights from neighboring buildings, including Grand Central Terminal, to permit the floor expansions.

The complex $100 million redevelopment also included a total upgrading of the building's infrastructure, from new elevators to modern mechanical, electrical and high-tech security systems.