Jeremy Dworken of Foster + Partners discusses the new JPMorgan Chase headquarters in New York with RE+D

With a focus on sustainability, design quality, and the contribution of large-scale projects to the urban fabric, architecture is called upon to respond to the needs of the contemporary workplace and the cities of the future.

In the interview, he discusses in detail the design of the offices of JPMorgan Chase, a project of high technical complexity developed above a dense network of underground railway lines.

He explains the innovative structural and engineering solutions that enabled the creation of the largest fully electric tower in the city, as well as the ways in which the design responds to contemporary workplace needs, placing particular emphasis on employee wellbeing and shared spaces.

Having led major projects in different international contexts, which core ideas or values consistently connect your work?

At Foster + Partners, our work is guided by fundamental values that remain constant across every project: a commitment to sustainability, an emphasis on high-quality construction and technical craftsmanship, and the belief that architecture must make a meaningful contribution to the public realm and to the city. Our teams collaborate internationally—our London headquarters working in close connection with studios around the world—allowing us to draw upon a broad spectrum of global experience and apply this perspective to local design challenges.

I began my career in the London studio, working on projects across Europe, Asia, and India. After relocating to New York City, I had the opportunity to lead a number of projects from concept through completion, ranging from residential towers such as 551 West 21st Street and 50 UN Plaza to Apple retail stores in Brooklyn and on Fifth Avenue. Across all these projects, the same values—sustainability, craftsmanship, and a strong public dimension—shape the way we approach design, and they are equally embedded in the project for the JPMorgan Chase headquarters at 270 Park Avenue.

What were the principal design challenges in developing the new JPMorgan Chase headquarters in New York, and how did the city’s particular urban context influence your architectural decisions?

The design of the new JPMorgan Chase headquarters is defined by the fact that it occupies one of the most technically demanding sites in New York City. The tower occupies an entire city block and effectively “floats” above an active and extremely dense network of underground railway lines.

These constraints became the catalyst for an innovative structural strategy: a series of sculptural structural “fans” that concentrate the tower’s loads into just fourteen points. Passing between the railway lines to reach the bedrock below, these elements resolve the complexity of the site while simultaneously giving the building its distinctive architectural identity.

This structural solution allowed the tower to rise elegantly above ground level, opening the base to natural light and extending public space along Park Avenue and Madison Avenue. The constraints imposed by the railway infrastructure also required the lobby level to be elevated, leading to the creation of a “sky lobby” that functions as the communal heart of the building—a vertical “neighborhood” within the tower.

Equally important was maintaining New York’s urban architectural tradition. The tower’s form incorporates a contemporary interpretation of the city’s historic “setback” typology, gradually stepping back as it rises to allow light to reach the streets while integrating harmoniously with the skyline and the architectural language of the city.

270 Park Avenue is the largest fully electric tower in New York City. What were the main engineering challenges involved in powering a 230,000-square-meter building exclusively with renewable electricity?

Powering a 230,000-square-meter commercial tower exclusively with renewable electricity created two primary engineering challenges.

The first concerned scale: as the largest fully electric tower in New York City, there was no precedent for accurately forecasting the building’s peak electrical demand. Early and continuous collaboration with the energy provider was essential, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding peak consumption during summer and winter periods, the presence of multiple fully electric commercial kitchens, and the variability associated with an extensive audiovisual program—factors that render traditional demand forecasting models insufficient.

The second challenge involved distributing this energy throughout the building. Electrifying systems that have traditionally relied on fossil fuels required multiple service pathways rather than a single vertical riser, creating significant spatial constraints. Rigorous three-dimensional coordination was therefore critical, enabling the integration of the electrical infrastructure within an already dense network of building systems. This integrated approach made it possible to deliver a fully electrified, high-performance tower that establishes a new benchmark for large-scale commercial development.

How was the design of 270 Park Avenue adapted to respond to the “future of work”?

The building’s design places employee health and wellbeing at its core. Multiple levels of amenities and shared spaces are distributed throughout the tower, creating opportunities for informal encounters among colleagues that foster a culture of collaboration and community.

Beyond these amenities, the tower was constructed to meet the highest standards for employee health and wellbeing. The design draws on research from Harvard University regarding the impact of fresh air on cognitive performance, providing an outdoor air ventilation rate of 10 cubic meters per minute per person—double the minimum required by standard regulations.

The building also incorporates circadian lighting across all office floors to support wellbeing. This system aligns with the body’s natural biological rhythms, enhancing the overall working environment. In addition, triple glazing contributes to improved energy efficiency and greater user comfort.

Amid increasing climate pressures, urban density, and sustainability challenges facing cities, what distinctive role can large-scale architecture continue to play?

Density is one of the most sustainable characteristics of urban form. Integrating high density into cities helps address these challenges by reducing land consumption and limiting urban sprawl.

270 Park Avenue is a clear example of this approach. Built above a mass transit system, the large-scale tower integrates with existing infrastructure and represents a leading example of the urban regeneration potential created by the East Midtown Rezoning program.

Rather than creating an entirely new district, the tower is embedded within the existing urban fabric. At the same time, 97% of the demolition materials from the previous Union Carbide building were recycled, reused, or upcycled. Large-scale architecture can not only operate within the local architectural vocabulary of a city but can also lead the broader discussion on how we should build and design the cities of the future.