550 Madison Is Home to a Hot New Korean Restaurant Designed by David Rockwell

Great architecture evolves—just take 550 Madison Avenue. In 1984, architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee completed the 37-story office tower as the Manhattan headquarters of AT&T. Clad in pink granite, the Midtown skyscraper slyly reinterpreted classical forms, with three sections that evoked ancient Greek columns and a pediment interrupted by a circular opening. In time, the building would become an icon of postmodernism, beloved for its witty fenestration, voids, and ground-level arcades (the latter of which were recently enclosed in glass curtain walls, thanks to a building-wide revitalization by the global architecture firm Snøhetta).

Now, 550 Madison Avenue has officially welcomed some dynamic new tenants: Cote 550, a subterranean outpost of Simon Kim’s Cote restaurant, and his new ground-level Bar Chimera, both designed by AD100 Hall of Famer David Rockwell. Not unlike Johnson’s tripartite scheme, Chimera comprises three distinct concepts, with dedicated areas for wine, martinis, and whiskey. Clever seating arrangements help to delineate each beverage zone as custom lighting twinkles overhead, complementing neon sculptures by Martin Creed (commissioned by Artline) that read “Don’t Worry” and “Coming Going.”