Gensler Designing Adaptive Reuse of Former Pfizer World Headquarters in Manhattan
By NOLAN POINTER
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The largest office-to-residential conversion in New York City history is pressing on toward a 2027 conclusion.
The former Pfizer World Headquarters in Midtown Manhattan (219 and 235 East 42nd Street) is transforming the vacant commercial spaces into 1,602 apartments – a quarter of them designated as affordable housing – and features a rooftop pool, more than 100,000 square feet of amenities and ground-floor retail.
Total project cost is estimated at $800 million.
MetroLoft Management and David Werner Real Estate Investments are the developers with architecture by Gensler.
The older 10-story tower (219 East 42nd Street) is being expanded by 19 stories to stand 29 stories tall, while the 33-story tower (235 East 42nd Street) is being completely reconfigured and reclad in a high-efficiency facade.
Gensler’s design completely replaces the metallic skin and all 2,000 windows. The project also incorporates high-efficiency, wall-mounted heat pumps to preserve the building’s architectural integrity without needing outdoor units.
Pfizer officially vacated the premises in 2023, relocating to The Spiral skyscraper in Hudson Yards. Construction and demolition crews began clearing the space in 2024, with the full residential complex slated to open in late 2027.
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