foster + partners designs new york city’s largest all-electric tower

Foster + Partners’ new vision for 270 Park Avenue

Investment banking company JPMorgan Chase reveals plans for its new global headquarters in New York City designed by Foster + Partners. Located at 270 Park Avenue, the 423 meter tall (1,388 foot) skyscraper is set to become the city’s largest all-electric tower with net zero operational emissions and will be 100% powered by renewable energy sourced from a New York State hydroelectric plant. The project aims to exceed the highest standards in sustainability and set a new example for employee wellness and hospitality.

‘270 Park Avenue is set to be a new landmark that responds to its historic location as well as the legacy of JPMorgan Chase in New York,’ says Norman Foster. ‘The unique design rises to the challenge of respecting the rhythm and distinctive streetscape of Park Avenue, while accommodating the vital transport infrastructure of the city below. The result is an elegant solution where the architecture is the structure, and the structure is the architecture, embracing a new vision that will serve JPMorgan Chase now and well into the future.’

image © dbox / Foster + Partners

Accommodating 14,000 JPMorgan Chase employees, the program for 270 Park Avenue compriese 2.5 million sqft of flexible and adaptable space. The project will also provide 2.5 times more outdoor space on the ground level of Park and Madison Avenues, featuring wider sidewalks and a large public plaza on Madison Avenue with natural green space and other amenities geared toward the residents, workers and visitors who frequent the neighborhood on a daily basis.

Regarding the tower architecture, Foster + Partners seeks to create a timeless addition to Park Avenue, which celebrates the city’s iconic architectural history and serves as a powerful new symbol for the next generation of office towers in New York. Using a state-of-the-art structural system to negotiate the site constraints below and at ground level, the innovative fan-column structure and triangular bracing allow the building to touch the ground lightly across the entire block. By lifting the building about 80 feet/24 meters off the ground, it extends the viewpoint from the Park Avenue entrance through to Madison Avenue.

image © dbox / Foster + Partners

‘The designs for 270 Park Avenue emerged from an intense process, where architects, designers and specialist teams – in London and New York – worked in close collaboration with JP Morgan to understand the way they work, ensuring the designs embodied the true spirit of innovation that is at the heart of everything they do,’ explains Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners.

‘Sustainability is at the heart of the project, with workspaces flooded with daylight and fresh air, incorporating biophilic elements and materials to improve wellbeing. As a team, we sought to question and re-evaluate every aspect of the design to create an ambitious future vision of the workplace for JP Morgan.’

image © Foster + Partners

energy efficiency and health come first

Foster + Partners’ design incorporates a host of sustainable strategies so the building can operate as efficiently as possible. These include intelligent building technology that uses sensors, AI and machine learning systems to predict, respond and adapt to energy needs, advanced water storage and reuse systems to reduce water usage by more than 40%, triple pane glazing on the façade and automatic solar shades connected to HVAC systems for greater energy efficiency. In addition, the construction will use 97% recycled, reused or upcycled materials from the demolition of the existing building at 270 Park Avenue.

As well its sustainable strategies, the design also prioritizes improving the health and wellbeing of employees and other building users. Features include doubling the amount of fresh air inside the building, advanced HVAC filtration systems, 50% more communal spaces and 25% more volume of space per person, more indoor planting and more daylight. Staff facilities will include a food hall with healthy menus and a state-of-the-art health and wellness center with fitness areas, yoga/cycling rooms, physical therapy, medical services, modern mother’s rooms and prayer and meditation spaces. The top of the 60-story tower will feature a conference center with unobstructed city views.

JPMorgan Chase is partnering with experts, including Director of Harvard University’s Healthy Buildings program Dr. Joseph Allen, wellness expert Dr. Deepak Chopra, and Union Square Hospitality Group’s Danny Meyer to ensure a world-class wellness and hospitality experience for employees, clients and visitors.

Allen comments, ‘Designed with a health-first mindset in all aspects, this project proves you can have both excellent indoor air quality for occupants, while also addressing sustainability goals that improve the health of the community by reducing impacts on the planet. This building sets new standards of excellence for healthy building in New York City and around the world.’

‘With our new headquarters, JPMorgan Chase is making a long-term investment in our business and New York City’s future while ensuring that we operate in a highly efficient and world-class environment for the 21st century,’ says JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon. ‘We are extremely excited about the building’s state-of-the-art technology, health and wellness amenities, and public spaces, among many other features. It is in the best location in one of the world’s greatest cities.’

Vishaan Chakrabarti, Project Design Collaborator and Founder of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism adds, ‘The new 270 Park will earn its place among Manhattan’s revered Jazz Age skyscrapers. It is a gift to our skyline and our streets, with a monumental axis connecting Park and Madison Avenues, gracious and enduring materials, generous public spaces and sidewalks, and robust connections to Grand Central Station. JPMorgan Chase’s new headquarters is a great example of New York’s resilience and rebirth.’