MasterCard Global Headquarters
Purchase, New York

In the after math of the terror attacks of 911 many corporations fortified their facilities to assure the safety of their employees. In this case, hundreds of concrete filled steel crash rated bollards were added across the front of the building. These were placed to provide maximum security against vehicular assault but complicated pedestrian circulation and overall aesthetics. This iconic building designed by I.M. Pei won a National Honor Award from AIA in 1986 and remains an excellent example of a building that conveys “solidity and strength”. Our role was to provide a new site design that would reduce vehicular paving areas and enhance the pedestrian experience up to and around the main entrance of the building. We accomplished this by utilizing versions of existing dry stacked fieldstone walls and adding stone paving materials in lieu of asphalt with a broad season planting pallet. We also selected light fixtures and designed a pavilion that bridged the gap between the modern designed building and the rural nature of the site. While some bollards were removed and reinstated in key areas, the majority was encased in the fieldstone. This preserved their function while making them look like the other stonewalls. We reduced the vehicular paving area from around 20,000sf to around 8,000. The pavilion was a much-needed element to give people shelter while they waited for mass transit or a taxi. This white tube steel structure includes seating with overhead heaters, lighting and is Wi-Fi accessible.