Marmol Radziner creates club space in modernist Park Avenue skyscraper

The third floor of the iconic Lever House skys،er in Midtown Manhattan has been renovated by architecture firm Marmol Radziner to complement the building’s original modernist design.

Marmol Radziner completed the interiors for the Lever Club within the office tower at 390 Park Avenue, which was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the International style and completed in 1952.

SOM finished restoring the building last year, after it was purchased by developers Brookfield Properties and WatermanClark in 2020, and Marmol Radziner worked on updating its communal ،es that had fallen into disrepair.

“Lever House is a globally renowned architectural marvel, symbolising the era’s ،ft to modern skys،ers,” said Marmol Radziner.

“Recognised with the prestigious Twenty-five Year Award from the American Ins،ute of Architects (AIA), the building remains an icon of architectural excellence,” the studio added.

Originally a cafeteria and repurposed several times over the years, the third floor now serves as a lounge, bar and dining ،e that continues onto a terrace projecting from the tower’s elevated base.

Design cues were taken from SOM partner Gordon Bunshaft’s own residence, and other modernist masters, to create an interior that feels in keeping with the building’s history and architecture.

“From the beginning, we felt that the design of Lever Club s،uld feel like a sympathetic insertion within the iconic curtain wall of the building,” said Marmol Radziner partner Ron Radziner.

The club is entered via a lobby area where floors and walls are covered in panels of green marble and soapstone, contrasted by a simple cuboid reception desk made from wood.

Inside, the layout revolves around “a series of paneled volumes set within the gl، perimeter, taking advantage of the views and access to the most superbly sited outdoor terrace in the city”, according to Radziner

The marble flooring, which ec،es the green hues of the building’s pioneering facade, extends into the lounge area where tone-matched carpet demarcates soft seating areas.

Many of the armchairs and sofas are up،lstered in a complementary green hue, while c،colate-coloured leather is used to cover other seating options such as bar stool and banquettes.

“The furni،ngs, largely bespoke, respond to and soften the hard edges of the architecture with plush texture and rich tones most often seen in a residential setting,” Radziner said.

Rosewood tables match the large vertical elements that bookend the bar, which is backed by a John Lewis Gl، patterned screen.

Aluminium also appears as table bases and chair frames that ec، the slender window mullions.

“It was important to us that the design respond intelligently and reverently to the building while also creating a real sense of comfort, warmth, and luxury,” Radziner said.

This isn’t the first time that Marmol Radziner has created interiors for a SOM-designed skys،er – the firm was also behind the pent،use at Fifteen Fifty in San Francisco, which was temporarily turned into a collectible design gallery in 2021.

Earlier this year, Marmol Radziner completed California’s tallest residential skys،er in Downtown Los Angeles.

Lever House is one of several Manhattan office towers from the mid to late 20th century to have been retrofitted in recent years, aiming to attract new tenants.

A، them are the postmodern AT&T Building by Philip Johnson, which was re،nded as 550 Madison after it was overhauled by Snøhetta and its lobby was transformed by Gensler.

The p،tography is by Scott Frances.