The New York Times Building

After 100 years in the same location, the iconic Grey Lady needed a new home. Previously siloed offices, scattered across different buildings, would be united in a daring new structure. Working in collaboration with Renzo Piano Building Workshop, we crafted a 52-story tower that blends design and constructability.

Interior floor plans combine European traditions (smaller footprint, access to light and private space) with North American practices (offices clustered around a large, efficient center core) to enable greater collaboration between departments. The tower rises from a base that covers most of the block, which is the large floor plate of the newsroom. With a split core—a technological breakthrough—the ground floor lobby is open and permeable, allowing for three entry points. The most innovative feature of the curtain wall design is an exterior veil of ceramic tubes that functions as an aesthetic device and provides critical sun shading by deflecting the sun and mitigating the solar heat gain. To enhance the indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency, the Times' space incorporates the first underfloor air distribution system of its size in New York City.