Snøhetta has been granted planning permission to create a garden at New York's 550 Madison, which forms part of its overhaul of the postmodern tower.
Snøhetta's proposal for the indoor public garden on the ground floor of the 37-storey office building was approved by the New York City Planning Commission this week.
The garden is part of an updated proposal that the firm revealed in 2018, after a major backlash against its initial design resulted in the postmodern tower gaining landmark status.

The new scheme was approved by New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in February 2019.
Construction on the garden will begin this year and the building's interior renovation is currently underway, and over 50 per cent complete. The firm is still awaiting permission to complete exterior renovation work. Snøhetta's garden will be accessed from the west side of 550 Madison, formerly known as the AT&T Building. The design reimagines 550 Madison's existing public area which previously housed cafe tables and chairs, and linked to the adjacent building at 717 5th Avenue.
The firm will rip out the existing curved glass roof covering the space and also remove annex building built inside, to create 50 per cent more room for the project.
A new, steel-and-glass roof supported by slender white columns will provide cover over the space and be a reference to the former roof.

An abundance of vegetation will feature inside with many evergreens and shrubs well suited to the climat...