Cupolas and mosaics

5 Madison Avenue – The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower Architect – Napoleon LeBrun Completed – 1909 Inspired by – St Mark’s Campanile Have you ever spent a good portion of your life wondering how things come together? I’ve spent the entirety of my career admiring American renditions and interpretations of traditional European architecture. 5 Madison Avenue is a beautiful example of the American interpretation of order, form and hierarchy. The design of the clock tower mimics the form of a Greek column, with its major defining elements designed in proportion to the structures height and width. In order to achieve the effect of resembling a column, the architect designed the tower to incorporate a base, a shaft and a capital; along with the inclusion of four clock faces, a peaked roof and crowned with a cupola and beacon. The clock’s face is constructed of mosaic tile in a radiating pattern, while the hands and numbers are made of copper. The cupola is sheathed in a gold-colored aluminum and it is flanked by bells, railings a viewing platform and other ornamentation. The surrounding area around 5 Madison Avenue contains some of New York’s most beautiful works of European inspired architecture juxtaposed amongst asymmetrical shards of steel and glass architecture. Some notable buildings in the area include: The Flatiron Building, 11 Madison Avenue and 51 Madison Avenue (which was designed by one of my favorite architects).