Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice
| Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice | |
|---|---|
42nd Street facade | |
Interactive map of the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice area | |
| Alternative names | Ford Foundation Building |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Late Modernism |
| Location | 320 East 43rd Street, Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°44′59″N 73°58′16″W / 40.74972°N 73.97111°W |
| Construction started | 1964 |
| Completed | 1967 |
| Inaugurated | December 8, 1967 |
| Renovated | 2016–2018 |
| Cost | $16 million |
| Client | Ford Foundation |
| Owner | Ford Foundation |
| Height | |
| Height | 174 feet (53 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Concrete and steel frame |
| Floor count | 12 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Kevin Roche (building architect), Dan Kiley (landscape architect) |
| Architecture firm | Roche-Dinkeloo |
| Structural engineer | John Dinkeloo |
| Services engineer | Cosentini Associates (mechanical) |
| Main contractor | Turner Construction |
| Awards and prizes | Albert S. Bard Civic Award Twenty-five Year Award |
| Designated | October 21, 1997 |
| Reference no. | 1969 (exterior), 1970 (interior) |
The Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice (also known as 320 East 43rd Street, 321 East 42nd Street, or the Ford Foundation Building) is a 12-story office building in East Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. Completed in 1967, it was designed in the late modernist style by architect Kevin Roche and engineering partner John Dinkeloo of Roche-Dinkeloo. The building was commissioned as the headquarters of the Ford Foundation, the largest private foundation in the United States when the edifice was constructed.
The building is a glass-and-steel cube held up by piers made of concrete, clad with Dakota granite. The main entrance is along 43rd Street, and there is a secondary entrance on 42nd Street. Dan Kiley was the landscape architect for the large public atrium inside, the first such space in an office building in Manhattan; it includes trees, shrubs, vines, and other plants. Most of the building's offices are north and west of the atrium and are visible from other offices.
Commissioned after Henry Heald became the Ford Foundation's president, the structure was developed on the former site of the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled. Final plans for the Ford Foundation Building were announced in September 1964, and the building was formally dedicated on December 8, 1967. The building underwent a major renovation and restoration between 2015 and 2018, and it was renamed the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice. The structure received critical acclaim for its design following both completion and renovation, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated the building and its atrium as city landmarks.