Goldman's New Headquarters in New York Conveys Sobriety

Goldman Sachs' new headquarters in New York is "modern but nowhere near the architectural cutting edge; neither cheap nor extravagant; and efficient without seeming merely functional." Paul Goldberger dissects the new Henry Cobb design.

1 minute read

June 16, 2010, 9:00 AM PDT

By George Haugh

"These days, it would be understandable if Goldman Sachs wanted to disappear." The fallout from the financial crisis, including, reportedly, a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors is enough to make a corporation recede from public view. This design achieves this aim, while satisfying "the firm's long-standing obsession with being both extremely powerful and utterly inconspicuous."

The article studies the contemporary relationship between large corporations, the cities which provide their headquarters, and the architects employed to build them. Goldberger finds the interiors full of impressive touches, but the exterior elevations "unlike New York's most admired business temples, will never mean much to people who don't work in it."

FULL STORY: The New Goldman Sachs Building at 200 West Street

Monday, May 17, 2010 in The New Yorker

Architecture World United States New York New York City Corporate America Goldman Sachs Henry Cobb View More

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