Axa Equitable Center Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Axa Equitable Center
View to the northwest (September 2009)
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Commercial building (offices and retail); skyscraper
Address	787 Seventh Avenue (between 51st and 52nd Streets) New York City, New York, United States
Coordinates	40°45′42″N 73°58′54″W / 40.761733°N 73.981802°W / 40.761733; -73.981802
Completed	1986
Height
Roof	229.3 m (752 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	54
Design and construction
Architect	Edward Larrabee Barnes
Structural engineer	Severud Associates

The Axa Equitable Center is a very tall building, also known as a skyscraper, located in New York City. It stands at 752 feet (229.3 meters) high. You can find it at 787 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, between 51st and 52nd Streets. This building was originally called the Equitable Tower or Equitable Center West.

Building Design and Construction
Who Uses the Building?
Cool Features of the Axa Center
Helicopter Incident
Other AXA Buildings Around the World
Images for kids
See also

Building Design and Construction

The Axa Equitable Center was designed by a famous architect named Edward Larrabee Barnes. It was finished in 1985. The building has 54 floors, mostly used for offices. Its design is called "postmodern," which means it mixes old and new styles.

The building's frame is made of steel. The outside is covered with granite in two colors: brown stripes going up and beige stripes going across. The top part of the building has large arched windows.

Who Uses the Building?

The Axa Equitable Center is home to many important companies. The main company there is Axa Financial. This company is part of a larger French insurance and banking group called Axa.

Other big companies that have offices in the building include BNP Paribas, Stifel, New Mountain Capital, Sidley Austin LLP, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, UBS, and Citigroup. In 2016, a company called CalPERS bought the building.

Cool Features of the Axa Center

The building has some special features that make it unique.

Art and Events at the Atrium

When you enter the building, you'll see a huge mural by the artist Roy Lichtenstein. It's called Mural with Blue Brushstroke and he finished it in 1986. This large entrance area, called the Atrium, is also used for events after business hours and on weekends.

Connecting to Rockefeller Center

The Axa Center is connected to the big underground walkways of Rockefeller Center. This means people can walk through the Axa building and easily get to other parts of the area without going outside.

The Axa Auditorium

The Axa complex also has a large auditorium with 487 seats. This space is used for many different events. These include product launches, company meetings, and even live TV shows. It's a very flexible space for events in New York City.

Helicopter Incident

On June 10, 2019, a helicopter crashed onto the roof of the building. Sadly, the pilot died in the accident. A small fire started on the roof, and everyone in the building had to leave for safety.

Other AXA Buildings Around the World

Axa is a global company, and they have buildings in many different countries.

The Tour Axa in Paris, France, was the former main office for Axa. It was updated in 2011 and is 225 meters tall.
The Axa Center in Perth, Australia, is 75 meters high and has 20 floors. It was finished in 1975.
Tour Axa in Montreal, Canada, was completed in 1974.
Axa Tower in Jakarta, Indonesia, was finished in 2011. It is part of a larger area with offices, apartments, and shops.
Axa Tower in Singapore is also known as 8 Shenton Way. It is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Singapore, standing at 234.7 meters (770 feet).