Madison Avenue Plaza

Madison Avenue Plaza is the first of NYC’s new generation of POPS (Privately Owned Public Spaces) plazas to be designed since the Department of City Planning’s zoning resolution amendment in 2009. The activated public plaza, located on East 33^rd Street between Madison and 5^th Avenues, expands the public realm of the street and creates places for gathering throughout the day and night.

The site’s western and northern limits are defined by a screen wall made of corten steel, creating an envelope that changes in color and tone as the material oxidizes over time. Perforated with a rippling pattern, the screen creates shadows and textures throughout the day, providing respite from the busy street environment. At night, the screens are back lit, creating a glow that illuminates the space and welcomes passersby. The site also features a plant palette of native and adapted species, a variety of unique seating typologies, and tree planting that will eventually create protective canopy over the space with time.