Sony Building (New York)

Sony Building (New York)

The Sony Tower, formerly the AT&T Building, is a 647 feet (197 m) tall, 37-story highrise skyscraper located at 550 Madison Avenue between 55th Street and 56th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is the headquarters of Sony Corporation of America. The building was designed by architect Philip Johnson and partner John Burgee, completed in 1984, and close - in concept - to the 1982 Humana Building by Michael Graves. It became immediately controversial for its ornamental top (sometimes mocked as "Chippendale", after the open pediments characteristic of the famous English designer's bookcases and other cabinetry), but enjoyed for its spectacular arched entranceway, measuring about seven stories in height. With these ornamental additions, the building challenged architectural modernism's demand for stark functionalism and purely efficient design. The effect the building had on the public at large has been described as legitimizing the postmodern architecture movement on the world stage.

In December 2012, bidding started on the building and in January 2013 Sony announced plans to sell the building to the Chetrit Group for $1.1 billion -- $685 million more than it had paid for it. Sony would lease back its offices there through at least 2016.