Footprint
Two Manhattan West Nods to Cravath’s Future in Both Design and Function
The bespoke space—occupying 13 full floors in the building and designed in close collaboration with global architecture firm Gensler—is centered around communal areas that embody Cravath’s longstanding culture of collaboration and collegiality, while its technology‑forward capabilities bolster on‑site functionality for clients and attorneys alike.
After 35 years at Worldwide Plaza, Cravath’s New York employees stepped into their new office for the first time in April 2024. The move to 375 Ninth Avenue was years in the making, with the lease signed in October 2019 and construction starting later that year, finishing in January 2024.
In the intervening period, Firm decisionmakers and Gensler architects created a vision for—and then completely reimagined, all during a global pandemic—what a state‑of‑the‑art workplace for a law firm entering its third century might look like.
One question was how the space could best be equipped for Cravath to serve its clients and visitors; another, how its design and floorplan might facilitate the most effective working environment for the Firm’s lawyers and staff.
With those principles in mind, each detail was imbued with the goal of enhancing the Firm’s ability to host clients for collaborative work while also providing organic opportunities for its people to connect across practices and departments.
The result is a purposefully designed space that aligns with how Cravath attorneys and staff do their jobs today while allowing flexibility for the evolving needs of the legal industry well into the future.
Embodying an Ethos
“Nothing was predetermined, and in some ways that is what makes the space so quintessentially Cravath,” said David Perkins, one of six partners on the internal Design Committee.
Envisioning and executing the office to the highest standards possible was a “true team effort” between the committee, Gensler and numerous other Firm stakeholders—including senior and junior partner leadership and staff members responsible for technology, hospitality and security—throughout the entire process, according to Perkins.
“This was a unique opportunity to think about the needs for our Firm and our clients, and something we were able to do with a blank canvas,” he added.
The chance to create a forward‑thinking space in response to the technological advances and shifting business landscape that surfaced during the COVID‑19 pandemic helped inform many aspects of the infrastructure and design, including the modular office sizes and interchangeable furnishings that can be reconfigured as needs evolve.
The committee also considered how the physical space could be used to encourage interaction and bolster connection once people returned to office. To that end, the dark wood paneling, hushed furnishings and partner suites at Worldwide Plaza gave way to Two Manhattan West’s floor‑to‑ceiling windows, full‑height glass office fronts and warm yellow wood throughout.
“The architectural finishes are meant to add a new background,” Gensler architect and principal Timothy Bromiley told the Commercial Observer in a July 2024 interview. “Timelessness was the goal for the built elements and furnishings.”
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New Look for a New Century
Visitors arrive to the topmost floor of the Firm, greeted by views south over the New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty, and across lower Manhattan to Brooklyn in the distance.
A spiral staircase connects the Conference Center across the 37th and 36th Floors. The space is equipped with a boardroom, several configurable multi‑purpose spaces with enhanced multi‑media capabilities, more meeting rooms of varying sizes, and a dedicated dining area that can be converted to an evening event space.
Those familiar with Cravath’s space at Worldwide Plaza will also recognize one prominent feature that made its way to Two Manhattan West: a central staircase connecting the remaining floors, which are comprised of attorney and staff offices.
Each landing area from Floors 35 to 25 is designed with distinct, themed hubs optimized for independent or collaborative work, and the corner spaces on every floor are designated conference rooms for group working spaces, instead of being used for individual offices.
Alongside those communal working spaces are personal amenities to support attorney and staff needs, including the lactation suite, shower and dressing suite, and individual wellness rooms.
“This office was built with the Firm’s guiding principles of excellence in client service, teamwork and training in mind,” litigation partner Maggie Segall, another member of Cravath’s Design Committee, said of the process.
She added: “Its intentional design makes it a special place. I think anyone who has the chance to visit will agree.”
