Generous Public Spaces Define New LPC Headquarters

MBB designed the public and work areas of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to be inviting, collaborative, and communicative of the agency's mission.

Photo of public hearing room of NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designed by MBB Architects

Communicating Civic Mission

Spread across four floors of the historic 1894 Home Life Building, the new LPC spaces support and communicate the agency’s mission to protect the city’s architectural heritage. The 44,000-square-foot project—located at 253 Broadway, across from City Hall—includes vibrant public reception and meeting spaces as well as improved workspaces for agency staff. The thoughtful juxtaposition of contemporary and historic elements models a respect and appreciation for architecture as a shared civic asset.

Photo of NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission lobby designed by MBB Architects

Photo of NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designed by MBB Architects

Repurposing a Deco-Era Restaurant

At the heart of the project is the high-ceilinged public Hearing Room, where the LPC debates and evaluates public petitions for landmark designation. Daylight filters in through the preserved Art Deco glass block walls, remnants from the Longchamps restaurant that opened in 1938. MBB’s adaptive reuse of the space includes an undulating ceiling and perforated wood paneling to enhance the room’s acoustic performance. Vertical slat windows offer a glimpse of the proceedings from the reception area.

Optimizing Agency Workspace

Based on an initial programming analysis, the design streamlines intra-agency collaboration. Shared spaces such as the pantries, copy/supply room, meeting rooms, and archives are distributed throughout the floors and near stairways to encourage interaction and movement. A non-historic dropped ceiling on the 12th floor was removed to restore the full 16-foot ceiling height of what was once a telegraph switchboard room. New, accessible paths connect the stepped floor heights of the two originally separate office buildings—the Home Life Insurance Co. and the Postal Telegraph Co.—which were joined internally in 1947.

Architecturally Themed Graphics

Dot-matrix mural graphics celebrate the agency’s work and iconic landmarks such as the Chrysler Building, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the TWA Terminal as well as vernacular cast iron and masonry windowed facades. The architecturally themed graphics reinforce a shared sense of purpose throughout the public and office areas.