WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY HEADQUARTERS

Terrain’s landscape design of Warner Brothers Discovery Communication’s new headquarters provides a green oasis and outdoor workspace on an existing roof with challenging existing conditions including significant weight limitations which required creative design and engineering solutions.  Located in the Flatiron District, the amenity rooftop frames panoramic views of Midtown Manhattan while screening undesired views with lush vegetation. 

Once a barren, ballast-covered rooftop, the terrace design mitigates the existing roof pitch through a creative sequence of terraces connected through stairs and accessible ramps.  This elevation change provides a series of landscape rooms that create a myriad of spaces for outdoor coworking & socializing.  A main focus for the design of the terrace was to create a flexible outdoor meeting space for various events and programming including potential filming of outdoor cooking shows (for which the design team consulted several chefs from Food Network).

Integral to the design is the introduction of natural materials in the rooftop terrace including timber benches, reclaimed tree stump furniture, timber boardwalks and leaning rails. The planting approach is conceived as an “urban meadow” with a diverse mix of grasses, flowering perennials and shrubs which create a multi-layered and textured palette which transforms the space year-round.

Location: 230 Park Avenue South, Manhattan, NY _Size: 4,800 SF _Client: Warner Brothers Discovery _Collaborators: CBRE, Meridian Design Associates Architects, GMS Engineering Group, Bliss Fasman, NY Decks_Status: Completed _Year: 2021_Team: Steven Tupu, Brian Green, Sophie Roberts, Maggie Condon, Joe Norman, Anita Nai-Tzu Cheng, Eduardo Santamaria, Anna Tiburzi

previous conditions