The new global headquarters of JPMorgan Chase has officially been completed in New York City. The project was designed by the British architectural firm Foster + Partners, founded by Sir Norman Foster — one of the most influential and successful architects of our time. In essence, one of the world’s wealthiest architects has built a skyscraper for one of the world’s most powerful banks.
Scale and Records
- Height: 1,388 feet (423 meters)
- Floors: 60 office floors, each exceptionally tall — many over 5 meters
- Total Area: approximately 2.5 million ft (²232,000 m² )
Despite the floor count, the building appears even taller thanks to the generous floor heights and its sizable structural podium.
This makes it: the second-tallest office skyscraper in New York, surpassed only by One World Trade Center. The sixth-tallest building in the city overall (including residential towers). The tallest office building in the world designed for a single company.
The tower stands on the site of the former JPMorgan Chase building at 270 Park Avenue, constructed in 1957. That building had 52 floors and was demolished in 2019. Construction of the new headquarters began in 2021 — and today, it is officially complete.
Architectural Vision
The most striking feature is the “floating” effect: the tower is lifted above the ground on monumental V-shaped columns, creating a transparent, open pedestrian level beneath it.
Where once stood a closed-off corporate façade, the city now gains: wide sidewalks, an open public plaza, trees planted among the flow of office workers.
From the north and south, the building pays homage to early 20th-century New York skyscrapers. The tower tapers as it rises, forming a pyramidal outline reminiscent of the Empire State Building and Art Deco icons of the past.
The façade is clad in matte, warm bronze-toned metal — not reflective glass. It looks slightly weathered and timeless. The effect is bold and divisive: some call it elegant and fresh, while others see it as a nostalgic nod to the past.
Beyond its symbolic and economic power, the building is made for employee comfort:
- Triple-glazed windows ensure sound insulation and energy efficiency
- Circadian lighting adapts throughout the day — cool and bright in the morning, neutral at midday, warm and soft in the evening
- Terraces on multiple levels offer views over Manhattan
- Split elevator cores keep office floors spacious, open, and filled with daylight
This is New York City’s largest fully electric building. Every system — from heating and ventilation to elevators, computers, and even coffee machines — runs on clean electricity sourced from renewable, zero-carbon power (such as hydroelectricity).
No fossil fuels. Zero direct CO₂ emissions.
Costs and Ambition
The project ranks among the most expensive privately funded office buildings in history, built without government involvement. For context: One World Trade Center cost around $3.8 billion, but it was a public and memorial project. JPMorgan Chase financed this tower entirely with its own capital.
What makes this project especially remarkable is how quickly it transformed the skyline — before our very eyes. The old tower was demolished in 2019, construction began in 2021, and now the skyscraper is complete.
📍 JPMorganChase’s global headquarters / 270 Park Ave, New York, NY 10017
