Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates
Kevin Roche was an Irish-born American architect known for combining modernist clarity with sensitivity to landscape and civic life. Born in 1922 in Ireland, he later moved to the United States and worked with Eero Saarinen before becoming a partner in the firm Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates. After Saarinen’s death, Roche oversaw the completion of several major projects, including the Gateway Arch grounds in St. Louis and the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport. His independent work includes the Oakland Museum of California and the Ford Foundation headquarters in New York, noted for its dramatic indoor garden atrium. Roche received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1982. Throughout his career, he emphasized human experience, integrating buildings with public space and natural elements.
ABOUT THE ARCHITECT
PROJECTS:
THE FORD FOUNDATION
New York City, NY - United States
ADDRESS:
320 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017
ACCESS:
FREE, however you must register in advance (at least 1 day prior) to enter the atrium or gallery.
The Ford Foundation Building in New York City, designed by Kevin Roche, transforms the idea of an office into a human-centered urban space. Its twelve-story structure surrounds a soaring glass atrium filled with terraces, trees, and a vertical garden, bringing nature and light deep into the building. Offices open onto this central green heart, creating a sense of openness, visibility, and interaction. The exterior combines pink granite, Cor-Ten steel, and expansive glass to balance solidity with transparency, connecting the building to the city while maintaining a welcoming presence. By blending architecture, landscape, and community, the design redefines how a corporate headquarters can engage both its occupants and the urban environment around it.
DESCRIPTION:
Only one city block from the UN Headquarters, if you venture to see one you should make sure to see both. There is an elevated street that separates the two projects, this is a great place to catch a view of both.
NOTES:
