One Worldwide Plaza

One Worldwide Plaza
The Worldwide Plaza complex in 2007. One Worldwide Plaza is in the left background, while Two Worldwide Plaza is in the center. The short roofs of Three Worldwide Plaza are visible at right (with 1585 Broadway in the background).
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General information
TypeOffice building
Architectural stylePostmodernism
Location825 8th Avenue
Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates40°45′44″N 73°59′13″W / 40.76222°N 73.98694°W / 40.76222; -73.98694
Construction startedNovember 12, 1986
Topped-outMay 20, 1988
CompletedJune 1989
OwnerNew York REIT
Height
Roof778 ft (237 m)
Technical details
Floor count50
Floor area1,706,187 sq ft (158,510.0 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)David Childs of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
DeveloperWilliam Zeckendorf Jr.
Main contractorHRH Construction

One Worldwide Plaza is the largest tower of Worldwide Plaza, a three-building commercial and residential complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), One Worldwide Plaza is an office building measuring 778 feet (237 m) tall, with an alternative address of 825 Eighth Avenue. It is the easternmost building in the Worldwide Plaza complex, which occupies the entire city block bounded by Eighth Avenue, Ninth Avenue, 49th Street, and 50th Street and is built on the site of New York City's third Madison Square Garden. Adjacent to One Worldwide Plaza to the west are a public plaza and two residential buildings.

The classically inspired building contains a three-story granite base, a brick midsection with setbacks, and a pyramidal copper roof with a glass lantern. Inside, there are storefronts and entrances to the New York City Subway's 50th Street station, while three double-height lobbies lead to different sets of office floors.

Worldwide Plaza was developed in the late 1980s by a syndicate led by William Zeckendorf Jr. Upon opening, One Worldwide Plaza was nearly fully occupied, with two anchor tenants: advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather and law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore. During the mid-1990s, the office space was leased at a very low price. The Blackstone Group acquired the complex in 1996 and sold it to Equity Office Properties in 1998. When Blackstone took over Equity Office in 2007, it sold the office building to Harry Macklowe, who lost the building to foreclosure. George Comfort and Sons took over One Worldwide Plaza in 2009. American Realty Capital New York bought a controlling ownership stake in 2017, selling off a non-controlling stake to RXR Realty and SL Green Realty.