60 Wall Street

60 Wall Street

Company type	Office skyscraper
Industry	Commercial real estate
Founded	1989 (1989)
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	Financial District, Manhattan, New York City
Key people	Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo (architects)
Products	Office and trading floor space
Owner	GIC Singapore (majority), Paramount Group (minority)

60 Wall Street—previously known as the J.P. Morgan Bank Building and later the Deutsche Bank Building—is a 55-floor skyscraper situated on Wall Street within the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City. The structure was crafted by architects Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo of Roche-Dinkeloo, initially serving as headquarters for J.P. Morgan & Co.. Its architectural style is a blend of postmodern design with Greek Revival and neoclassical influences. , ownership is predominantly held by GIC Singapore, while Paramount Group retains a minority share.

The tower encompasses roughly of rentable area. Its base spans four stories, featuring columns that evoke architectural arcades, whereas the upper levels are clad in a combination of glass and stone materials. The eight levels beneath the distinctive hip roof are characterized by corner elements resembling columns. The ground floor includes a publicly accessible atrium adorned with greenery and provides access to a subway entrance linking Wall and Pine Streets. Floors two through four were originally designed as trading floors, with the upper floors allocated as office space for J.P. Morgan & Co., followed later by Deutsche Bank.

This building replaced multiple structures formerly occupied by Cities Service. In 1979, American International Group along with Bank of New York had proposed constructing a 60-story tower at this location; however, these plans were abandoned by 1982. The site was initially acquired by Park Tower Realty Company before being sold to J.P. Morgan & Co. in 1985. Completed in 1989, the building was fully occupied by J.P. Morgan. After the September 11 attacks damaged Deutsche Bank’s previous headquarters, 60 Wall Street became their U.S. headquarters starting in 2001. Paramount Group purchased the property in 2007, and GIC took majority ownership in 2017. Following Deutsche Bank's announcement in 2021 to vacate the premises, the owners proposed renovations that triggered opposition from preservation advocates seeking to maintain the original facade and lobby.

Site

Located within the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City, 60 Wall Street occupies a full city block bordered by Pine Street, Pearl Street, Wall Street, and William Street. The irregularly shaped lot measures , with a frontage along Wall Street and extends to a depth of . The foundation rests upon Manhattan schist bedrock, which rises beneath the center of the site and slopes downward toward both east and west.

The building shares its block with neighboring properties: 48 Wall Street to its west and 72 Wall Street to its east. Other nearby landmarks include Our Lady of Victory Church, 56 Pine Street, Down Town Association, 70 Pine Street, One Wall Street Court, 63 Wall Street, 75 Wall Street, and 55 Wall Street.

Previous buildings

Prior to Roche/Dinkeloo’s current tower, this site was occupied by seven separate buildings spanning addresses from 52 to 70 Wall Street. Several of these structures, along with adjacent 70 Pine Street, once formed part of oil company Cities Service’s headquarters during the mid-20th century. The original building at 60 Wall Street featured a footbridge and tunnel connecting it to 70 Pine Street. When Cities Service relocated its headquarters to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1974, all buildings on this site were demolished except for 52 Wall Street.

At the western edge stood a roughly 33-story office building at 52 Wall Street, designed in 1927 by McKim, Mead & White for National City Bank Corporation. Next to it was a nine-story office at 54 Wall Street owned by Central Trust Company of New York, followed by two pre-1857 structures combined into a five-story building at 56 Wall Street.

The original structure at 60 Wall Street was an office tower completed around 1905 for the International Banking Corporation, rising twenty-six stories on Pine Street side and fourteen stories on Wall Street side. To its east was an eleven-story building at 64–66 Wall Street constructed in 1907 with an additional three-story annex at 68 Wall Street designed by McKim, Mead & White in 1917. The easternmost building was a twelve-story office at 70 Wall Street built in 1927 for Commercial Exchange Bank but later occupied by Municipal Bank of Brooklyn.

Architecture

Previously identified as the J.P. Morgan Bank Building and later the Deutsche Bank Building, 60 Wall Street was crafted by Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo of Roche-Dinkeloo. The structure encompasses of rentable area. Reports indicate the tower rises 55 stories and reaches a height of . The construction was overseen by Tishman Realty & Construction, with steel fabrication carried out by Frankel Steel, part of Canadian Harris Steel Group Inc. Structural engineering services were provided by WSP Cantor Seinuk.

Form and facade

The architectural expression of 60 Wall Street merges postmodernism with Greek revival and neoclassical influences, accentuating its verticality and mass. Its four-level base presents arcades supported by paired columns along Wall and Pine Streets, echoing the design language of the neighboring 55 Wall Street. These columns, reaching tall, delineate the building's shaft in a schematic manner, topped by a cornice inspired by surrounding edifices. Bronze window mullions transition to painted aluminum above street level. In 2021, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) undertook a redesign of the base, incorporating a portico and triple-height glazing that overlooks the ground-floor atrium.

Above this foundation, the building’s corners are recessed with alternating bands of ribbon windows and curtain wall panels that resemble banded pilasters. Central facade segments combine glass surfaces with horizontal strips of green and pink granite. Curved steel trusses support thin stone cladding on the exterior walls. The eight floors beneath the roof feature corner elements resembling columns akin to those at the base, visually strengthening the tower’s edges.

Topping the structure is a tall copper-clad hip roof, a pyramidal variation inspired by other Wall Street high-rises. This roof encloses mechanical systems and communication equipment. In January 2012, Deutsche Bank installed a 122.4 kW solar photovoltaic system on this rooftop—the largest in Manhattan and the highest rooftop PV installation worldwide at that time—cutting carbon emissions by approximately 100 metric tons annually.

Features

The building provides 1.5 million square feet of leasable area. Initially permitted for 804,900 sq ft "as of right" with a floor area ratio (FAR) of 15, Park Tower Realty expanded its size by purchasing over 363,000 sq ft of air rights from adjacent 55 Wall Street, owned by Citibank. Additional incentives were granted for including a covered pedestrian space (144,900 sq ft) and public arcades (16,038 sq ft), along with 88,700 sq ft reserved for mechanical facilities—resulting in an approximate gross floor area of 1.57 million sq ft. The tower integrates environmentally responsible design elements consistent with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria, achieving LEED Gold status.

Atrium

A 2,360-square-foot enclosed public atrium occupies the ground floor, measuring 30 feet in height and extending 174 feet in length. This landscaped area with seasonal plantings was part of concessions made to increase upper-floor interior space. Preserving Wall Street’s traditional "street wall," the atrium features white marble tile floors arranged to resemble brick patterns and is supported by ten white octagonal columns with flared capitals holding up a latticed ceiling originally decorated with wood and mirrors—a design motif previously employed by architect Roche at the United Nations Plaza Hotel.

Within the atrium are seating ledges integrated into column bases, movable furnishings, and a central pedestrian corridor. The western wall showcases stone sculptures equipped with water spouts and planters; on the eastern side are storefronts adjacent to restrooms and an office entrance near the northeast corner. Walls exhibit an ashlar-patterned finish combining green granite with white marble. A partially staffed entrance connects to the Wall Street subway station serving multiple subway lines.

Jerold Kayden noted in 2000 that usage patterns within the atrium vary: it experiences heavy foot traffic during rush hours, moderate use at lunchtime, and steady but moderate occupancy throughout the day by a diverse group including employees and bike couriers. In 2021, KPF began a $250 million refurbishment project introducing a 100-foot-high green wall, new skylights, an expanded subway entrance, additional dining spaces, and refreshed seating arrangements. The renovation plans also call for tan and white marble surfaces and bespoke lighting fixtures aimed at modernizing the environment while improving tenant amenities.

Additional accounts

The trading floors on the second through fourth levels offer open, column-free spaces, each spanning roughly . These areas, situated alongside the lobby, were initially tailored for J.P. Morgan & Co., who also incorporated elegant dining rooms to provide complimentary meals for staff. To support the bank's functions, two data-processing centers were established. The office levels feature a steel framework with broad column spacing, allowing adaptable interior configurations.

Gensler Associates crafted J.P. Morgan's office design, which included computer infrastructure supported by of cabling, predominantly fiber-optic. Corner locations housed private offices, while the building’s perimeter allowed for abundant daylight. Work areas mainly consisted of standardized cubicles; department leaders occupied offices of uniform dimensions. Senior management, including the chairman and CEO, were situated on the 20th floor to remain close to their teams. Furniture for these offices was designed by Mancini Duffy.

Deutsche Bank became the tenant in 2001 and brought Gensler back in 2016 to update the interiors. The renovation entailed removing select interior partitions, replacing desks to foster better interaction, and repositioning corridors to enhance access to stairwells.

Nearby, Cities Service completed 70 Pine Street in 1932 and maintained occupancy until 1975 before it was acquired by American International Group (AIG). The Bank of New York (BNY) had maintained offices at 48 Wall Street since 1929, with a presence there dating back to 1797. After demolishing buildings from 54 through 70 Wall Street in 1974, the resulting vacant site was considered for use by the American Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange, although neither plan came to fruition. Ownership of 52 Wall Street was shared by AIG and BNY, with AIG holding sole ownership of the parking area at 54–70 Wall Street. By the late 1970s, plans emerged for several significant office developments within the Financial District.

Initial proposals

By late 1979, AIG and BNY envisioned constructing a 60-story office tower to replace the parking lot along with 48 and 52 Wall Street, targeting a size between and , with projected costs near $450 million. Welton Becket & Associates was commissioned by AIG for one design option, while BNY engaged John Carl Warnecke for two alternatives. Welton Becket’s concept retained portions of the lower floors at 48 Wall Street within a slab-like tower structure. Warnecke’s designs featured a square tower with an angled roof dubbed "Son of Citicorp," and a taller building for AIG paired with a shorter BNY tower rising from a shared base referred to as "Son of 30 Rockefeller Plaza." Although neither 48 nor 52 Wall Street would be preserved entirely, some lower levels of 48 Wall Street might be integrated.

By 1981, demolition work on 52 Wall Street had begun; by this point, BNY had acquired AIG’s stake. Despite its architectural value, dismantling of 48 Wall Street encountered no opposition. To reduce expenses, BNY applied for a $22 million tax abatement from the Industrial Commercial Incentive Board in January 1982, arguing that the vacant lot was both an eyesore and an opportunity to rejuvenate the neighborhood. At that time, reports indicated that illicit activities occurred on the site.

However, after objections from New York State Senator Franz S. Leichter and City Councilwoman Ruth Messinger, the tax abatement application was rejected in February 1982—a notable shift from previous approvals granted to large firms such as AT&T and IBM. BNY then stated it would proceed with constructing a smaller building without tax incentives. By August of that year, parcels at 52 and 60 Wall Street were put up for sale. The next month, BNY declared intentions to remain at 48 Wall Street and an adjoining property at 46 William Street instead of developing the vacant lots collectively covering about .

Park Tower Realty

By April 1983, BNY had reached an agreement to sell the property to George Klein, leader of Park Tower Realty Company. The location was suitable for development without structural changes, though the developer intended to acquire additional air rights and enhance the nearby subway station to allow for a larger tower. Despite a minor downturn in New York City's office property market, BNY completed the sale to Park Tower Realty in September 1983. The company proposed a 60-story office skyscraper featuring a subway entrance, parking garage, and dedicated space for computer systems. Construction was scheduled between 1984 and 1986. Neil Klarfeld, vice president of Park Tower, remarked: "Sixty Wall Street will represent a building of the next century, yet its design will harmonize with the historic buildings around it."

In 1984, architects Roche and Dinkeloo were chosen over Helmut Jahn's three design submissions. To increase the building's height, Park Tower sought to purchase approximately of air rights from above 55 Wall Street, a designated New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved this transfer in March 1984. In return for gaining an extra of office space, the developers committed to creating a public atrium at the tower's base. Manhattan Community Board 1 also gave unanimous approval for these bonuses; meanwhile, the NYC Planning Commission endorsed the plan but requested a reduction in parking spaces from 197 to 125.

By early 1985, the site had remained undeveloped for three years; Park Tower attributed delays to the city’s construction permitting procedures. The lot was not generating income through parking during this period. In September 1985, J.P. Morgan & Co. announced their intention to acquire and fully occupy the forthcoming tower, with Park Tower acting as developer. After previously considering relocating their headquarters to Delaware due to unsuccessful attempts to acquire 7 World Trade Center, J.P. Morgan opted to remain in New York following changes in tax laws and secured significant tax incentives for 60 Wall Street. This decision consolidated J.P. Morgan’s operations from six buildings into three—including 30 West Broadway and 23 Wall Street—joining other financial institutions leasing substantial office space in lower Manhattan. Construction was planned to begin within six months of signing the lease, with an estimated budget of $550 million.

Construction and J.P. Morgan use

J.P. Morgan tailored its offices at 60 Wall Street to include state-of-the-art computer and communication technologies. Both commentators regarded 60 Wall Street and its counterpart, Park Avenue Tower, as pseudo-classical designs that disrupted the character of their respective blocks. Meanwhile, Ada Louise Huxtable commended the building for its innovative approach to classical architectural themes.

Upon its completion, The Wall Street Journal noted the building’s "ostentatious exterior," which stood in stark contrast to Morgan’s traditionally restrained image exemplified by 23 Wall Street. Goldberger suggested that the structure revitalized historical design elements with contemporary significance, also emphasizing its strategic location between notable skyscrapers such as 40 Wall Street and 70 Pine Street. The AIA Guide to New York City characterized it as "a bulky mass, out of harmony with the elegantly slender and air-cooled spires nearby."

Goldberger likened the atrium to a retail mall’s central area "minus the shops," deeming it "discordant and insincerely sweet." Jerold Kayden criticized its color scheme and illumination for creating an "antiseptic gloom," reminiscent more of a subway station or a contrived English garden. A reporter from Village Voice described the space as evoking "the cozy atmosphere of a hybrid town hall and bus terminal." When renovation proposals emerged in 2021, preservation advocates voiced opposition, with Goldberger urging that the lobby be maintained. In a 2022 discussion, he referred to it as "one of the rare significant interiors" from New York City's 1980s era. That same year, Christopher Bonanos from New York labeled the lobby as "vibrant, somewhat extravagant, yet endangered by a stifling redesign." Samuel Medina, editor of New York Review of Architecture, contrasted the original atrium’s offering of "genuine public luxury" with the renovated version’s blandness and overt commercial focus.

See also

• List of tallest buildings in New York City
• List of tallest buildings in the United States