Good Morning!
In the face of employee backlash over JPMorgan Chase’s 5-day-a-week return to work mandate, company leaders are hoping their new Manhattan headquarters—and the smart tech inside of it—will entice workers back.
Located at 270 Park Avenue, the building’s lighting aims to replicate a worker’s circadian rhythm—growing brighter or dimmer and changing color or pulse depending on the time of day. When employees register for a conference room, their temperature preferences will be included, and employee coffee preferences will be tracked.
Advanced tech isn’t the only perk. Much like a hotel, the new building will feature a “signature scent.” The company’s large corporate art collection (featuring gifts from David Rockefeller) will also be on display, as well as generative artwork that comes to life and moves when guests walk past.
The firm also created a 19-restaurant food court for employees, which Arena says is “like the modern version of an Eataly.” Food can be delivered on-demand straight to employees’ desks. After work, they can take advantage of an Irish pub also located in the building, as well as physical therapy, yoga or meditation classes.
“That's the job of our group in real estate: Take the friction out of your day and make your day easier,” David Arena, JPMorgan Chase’s head of global real estate, told me when we recently sat down for a video interview. “Why shouldn't your day be great? Why shouldn't coming to work be great? Why shouldn't it be better than being at home? And we kind of love that.”
The first group of around 2,000 employees are scheduled to transition to the building in August. You can see my full video about JPMorgan Chase’s new offices here.
Kristin Stoller
kristin.stoller@fortune.com
Editor's note, Feb. 7, 2025: This story has been updated to clarify information about JPMorgan's future food court.
