One Vanderbilt

For a century, the lots west of Grand Central held low-rise buildings the city had outgrown. One Vanderbilt changed that. The 1,401-foot tower opened in 2020 as the tallest office building in Midtown, planted directly beside the terminal it helped pay to upgrade.

Project Scope

Kohn Pedersen Fox designed the tower for developer SL Green, stepping its glass-and-terracotta form back in four angled cuts that taper toward the spire. It runs about 1.7 million square feet of office space across 73 floors, with a structural system by Severud Associates and construction by AECOM Tishman. The roof tops out at 1,301 feet; the spire reaches 1,401, making it the city’s fourth-tallest building after One World Trade Center, Central Park Tower, and 111 West 57th Street. Near the top sits Summit, an observation experience that has become a draw in its own right.

Why It Matters

One Vanderbilt is the clearest built example of New York’s “give to get” zoning. SL Green won the height in exchange for roughly $220 million in transit upgrades around Grand Central, including new subway stairs, a public plaza on Vanderbilt Avenue, and better passenger flow underground. The bet was that a trophy tower with direct terminal access could command premium rents even as older Midtown stock struggled, and the building leased up behind anchor tenant TD Bank and a roster of finance firms. It set the template for the supertall office towers, like the nearby 270 Park Avenue, now reshaping the district.

Project Team & Details