Inspired by the history of Madison Square Park, Rockwell Group designed Le Jardin as a modern rooftop conservatory and garden. A traditional conservatory is a glass-enclosed structure that provides a warm environment within which plants and other greenery can grow during the winter months, oftentimes housing “exotic” species collected from faraway travels and thus associating the conservatory with a luxurious lifestyle. Conservatories grew in popularity in the mid-19th century as stylish venues for high society events and parties.
When attached to a home, the conservatory serves as a light-filled transitional space between inside and outside, which is how the rooftop amenity space at One Madison functions. Other similarities between a home conservatory and Le Jardin rooftop include maximizing southern exposure, high ceilings, and an open floor area, combining structure and architecture to create balance and beauty in the overall design.
The 28th floor amenity spaces are contained in a rectangular volume that perches atop the glass tower addition. Accessible by day for One Madison tenants for meetings, coffee, and a serene place to work, Le Jardin Sur Madison can also be rented in the evening for private parties and a variety of events.
The F&B program for the space will be provided by Chef Daniel Boulud, featuring an elevated coffee and tea offering and exclusive seasonal desserts. Tenants can also order food from other venues in the tower for delivery and dining on the 28th floor or outside on the generous terrace.
The amenity structure’s peaked roof allows for a cathedral-like experience inside, with a subtly curved wood ceiling that culminates in a 17’ skylight and mimics the sky-bound trees of the park with its wood-fin clad columns, bronze capitals, and muscular trusses. This celebration of structure, truth to materials, and natural light is further enhanced by integrated lighting and a series of expansive, custom chandeliers in cast glass and polished metal, a collaboration with Gabriel Scott.
Warm woods, natural stone, and reflective metals create an inviting, clean-lined space that emphasizes daylight and spectacular views of the city, Madison Square Park, and the eye-level loggia and arcades of the Met Life’s upper floors. Marble flooring with brass inlays complement the elegant walnut wood tambour column cladding. A seamless indoor-outdoor connection is achieved with a 20-foot opening glass wall system on the western elevation that extends the interior spaces onto a lush outdoor terrace.
