SEAGRAM BUILDING

This 38-storey, glass-sheathed tower, which originally opened in 1958 was designed by the world-famous Mies van der Rohe with the assistance of a local architect, Philip Johnson. It was a classic monument to the International Style of simplicity and clarity with its dark tinted curtain wall and expansive public plaza fronting Park Avenue. It was the initiative for the City of New York to rewrite its zoning regulations for public plazas.

This landmark, with its perfectly proportioned reflecting pools, art installations, and distinctive decor also contained the famous, Four Seasons restaurant with the renowned interior pool room. The building was beginning to show its age. We purchased the building at the beginning of the decade, instituted a complete maintenance program, re-engineered all building systems, and re-leased three-quarters of the office space (close to a half million square feet) thereby attracting a prestigious tenant roster including notable financial services, banking, law, and multinational firms. Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building became the model for the development of the TD Center in downtown Toronto.