At the heart of the Ford Foundation Headquarters lies a captivating feature - a glazed atrium adorned with an interior garden, carefully crafted to strike a harmonious balance between individual privacy and collective collaboration. Remarkably, the building's program required less space than the permitted buildable volume, presenting an opportunity for the Ford Foundation to transform the surplus area into a valuable civic amenity.

The atrium soars impressively to a height of 179 feet (54.6 meters), thoughtfully situated in the southeast corner of the building, with an asymmetric placement that visually connects the various offices and offers captivating diagonal views towards the East River. The atrium's beauty is enhanced by steel beams spanning an impressive 84 feet (25.6 meters), which support the ten-story glass facades on the south and east sides, ingeniously inviting the public gaze into the interior garden while flooding the courtyard with natural light.

On the north and west sides of the atrium, banks of offices boasting fully glazed windows enable the pleasant greenhouse-like air to circulate, creating a serene and refreshing atmosphere that overlooks the central space. As you ascend to the top, you'll discover the executive suite, a shared dining facility, and a magnificent skylight crowning this extraordinary hollowed-out section.

The Ford Foundation Headquarters' glazed atrium, with its interior garden and innovative design, not only fosters a sense of interconnectedness among its occupants but also opens up to the public as a luminous and welcoming urban oasis.