The original Federal Reserve building dealt with security by barricading itself from the city. As a new office/retail space, we studied ways to open up the building to the city. Window sills in the original building were extended from a height of six feet down to the sidewalk and the mezzanine was pulled back to allow light to penetrate into the depth of the building.
Although Yamasaki’s glass addition is more transparent, the lobby was poorly lit and dark. We opened the lobby to the alley and the mezzanine floor to add volume and light.