Office

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

Spread across four floors of the historic 1894 Home Life Building opposite City Hall, the new headquarters for the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission provides the agency with a new public identity—and a space that better serves its civic mission.

The new public spaces and work areas at 253 Broadway reflect the agency’s responsibility to protect architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites. The 44,000-sf renovation includes not only optimized workspaces for LPC staff and commissioners, but also vibrant public reception, meeting and breakout spaces that create a new interface between the agency and the public. The thoughtful juxtaposition of contemporary and historic elements models a respect and appreciation for architecture as a shared civic asset.

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 luxury restaurant that opened at this location in 1938. Mural-sized graphics celebrate the agency’s work and iconic landmarks such as the Chrysler Building, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the TWA Terminal.

Photo of NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission lobby designed by MBB Architects

“The beautiful space, including a redesigned public hearing room and other meeting areas, fosters collaboration and accessibility... and highlights how New York’s historic buildings can be thoughtfully updated to meet modern needs.”

Sarah Carroll, Commissioner NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission