Design and location
Designed by SOM and developed by Silverstein Properties, the 320-foot-tall building has a terra cotta exterior with a grid of rounded, lichen green columns, and has towers on the east and west sides. The green exterior mirrors Aldo Rossi's 2001 Scholastic Building in Soho, which also sports thick columns. All the building's windows feature Arnold Glas Isolar panels, which are designed to reduce bird–window collisions.[19][20] At ground level, the southern Spring Street features an entrance hall and waiting area to accommodate studio audiences for ABC tapings so that the crowd is not exposed to the elements or crowding the sidewalks outside the building.[4] Wide halls and large elevators help maintain crowd flow towards four underground taping facilities, engineered with Cerami & Associates, with a food court planned to serve refreshments to taping attendees.[19] The building is lined with bollards for security and there is also 30,000 square feet of outdoor space.[4] The building features a screening room, and a wood-paneled library and reading room with mini-exhibits of authentic artifacts from the histories of Disney, Pixar, ABC, and New York, including some from the 1964 New York World's Fair in Queens, and the cafeteria featuring reproductions of Disney's movie posters upon its walls. Sports memorabilia is housed in the reading room, and appropriate sports photography is highlighted along the walls of ESPN's floor. In the great room, there is a double-height space with louvered skylights and a wall-size screen. The hall forms a bridge between the two 19-story towers. The inspiration for the great room is cited as the Emeryville, California facility for Pixar, designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.[19][21]
ABC News oversaw the technical aspects of the new building in consultation with ESPN.[17] ESPN's presence consists of three main studios; Studio 1X and 2Y are used by Get Up and First Take respectively, while Studio Q is used for ESPN Radio and podcasting, and a flex studio was allocated for New York-based contributors to other ESPN studio programs. As with its previous New York location on Pier 17, the facilities are linked to ESPN's main studios in Bristol, Connecticut over a fiber-optic network, with production conducted remotely.[17]
The 10th floor acts as a communal space, which sits 155 feet above the ground, that also splits between the towers of the upper floors.[21] From April 7–11, 2025, Live with Kelly and Mark broadcast from a temporary set in the space while final testing of its new studio was conducted, with segments throughout the week being used to highlight the new headquarters.[15][22]
The building plans aimed to exceed the NYC energy code by at least 25 percent and to work with the Hudson Square Business Improvement District (BID) to aesthetically complement the surrounding sidewalks.[21]
