601 Lexington Avenue is a prominent 59-story commercial office building in Midtown Manhattan, which provides access to New York City’s five boroughs due to its location atop a major subway station. Originally designed by Hugh Stubbins & Associates and Emery Roth & Sons in 1977, the building underwent significant renovations to revitalize and modernize its spaces.
VHB played a key role in the development of the ground-level outdoor plaza and annex building, contributing to the creation of a world-class marketplace and a 200,000-square-foot rentable facility. Our team provided plans to reconfigure and remodel the base of the building, transforming spaces beneath the columns to support new amenities. In addition, our environmental team secured approvals from the City Planning Commission for modifications to the existing special permits and worked closely with the owner, attorneys, and New York City Department of City Planning to maintain the project schedule. VHB also delivered solutions for City right-of-way changes such as street tree layout, sidewalk elevation adjustments, subway air vents, and the addition of security bollards through careful coordination with City agencies and relevant stakeholders. These site enhancements elevated the safety, functionality, and accessibility of this plaza, creating a more dynamic urban environment.
