Many cities wrestle with the challenges posed by aging infrastructure while simultaneously acknowledging the need for new models for workplace design and collaboration. Hybrid work, neurodiverse workers, and a new focus on sustainability and wellness are redefining the office. Google at St. John's Terminal offers a viable solution to these issues. This new collaborative workplace was sustainably adapted from an existing structure and provides an asset that will evolve with the city — and neighborhood — around it.

Developed by Oxford Properties with CookFox as the core and shell architect and Gensler as the interior designer, Google at St. John’s Terminal pilots a seating model based on flexibility of choice. Driven by Google’s research, we designed workspaces in shared, team-based neighborhoods and a curated collection of desk-alternative work zones — all clustered around a 12-story stair designed for maximum connectivity. Outdoor terraces with sweeping views of the Hudson River help create a wellness-driven workplace that embraces neurodiversity and multi-modal work styles.

This adaptive reuse project celebrates the history of St. John’s Terminal while reinvigorating New York City’s Hudson Square neighborhood and the adjacent Hudson River Greenway. As the new North American headquarters for Google’s Global Business Organization, it’s also a future-focused, sustainable, and research-driven workplace that embraces new ways of working. With a focus on sustainability and wellness, SJT is an award-winning example of how repurposing an existing building can help cities rethink aging infrastructure and inject new life into the urban core.