Johnson and Johnson Plaza

Mixed-use highrise in New Brunswick, New Jersey

Johnson & Johnson Plaza

Tower

Location within New Brunswick, NJ

Show map of New Brunswick, NJ

Johnson and Johnson Plaza (New Jersey)

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General information
Type| Mixed-use highrise
Location| New Brunswick, New Jersey
Coordinates| 40°29′52″N 74°26′34″W﻿ / ﻿40.49778°N 74.44278°W﻿ / 40.49778; -74.44278
Construction started| 1979
Completed| 1982
Opening| 1983
Height
Roof| 70 m (230 ft)
Technical details
Floor count| 16
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Henry N. Cobb
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
Structural engineer| Weiskopf & Pickworth
Cosentini Associates
References
[1][2][3]

Johnson and Johnson Plaza is the world headquarters for Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The 16-story building opened in 1983. Its construction is considered to represent the beginning of revitalization of the city's central business district.[4][5]

## Design

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The complex is situated on a 12-acre downtown site and comprises a 16-story tower and seven connecting three-story modules sheathed in glass and white enameled aluminum. It was designed by Henry N. Cobb from Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.[6][7] The white tower, one of tallest buildings in New Brunswick, and surrounding buildings in a park-like setting are across the Northeast Corridor.

The buildings were updated in the 2010s following a design by Kimmerle Newman Architects.[8]

## History

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The company had historically been located on the Delaware and Raritan Canal in New Brunswick. The company considered moving its headquarters out of New Brunswick in the 1960s, but decided to stay after city officials promised to revitalize downtown New Brunswick by demolishing old buildings and constructing new ones. The chairman of J&J at the time was instrumental in the plan.[9][4][5] While New Brunswick lost many historic structures, including the early home of Rutgers University, and most of its historic commercial waterfront to the redevelopment effort, the gentrification did attract people back to New Brunswick. The stretch of Delaware and Raritan canal by the company's headquarters was replaced by a stretch of Route 18 in the late 1970s, after a lengthy dispute.[10][11] I. M. Pei was involved in the plan.[12]

## See also

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* List of tallest buildings in New Brunswick, New Jersey
* List of I. M. Pei projects

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "New Brunswick – SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
2. ^ "Johnson and Johnson Plaza". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
3. ^ "Johnson & Johnson World Headquarters (New Brunswick, 1982)". Structurae. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
4. ^ a b David Listokin, Dorothea Berkhout, James W. Hughes (2016), New Brunswick, New Jersey: The Decline and Revitalization of Urban America, Rutgers University Press, ISBN 9780813575582`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. ^ a b Hackworth, Jason (2013), The Neoliberal City: Governance, Ideology, and Development in American Urbanism, Cornell University Press, ISBN 9780801470042
6. ^ Courtney, Marian (23 October 1983). "Corporate Offices: New State Image". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2019 - via NYTimes.com.
7. ^ Lane, Alexander (June 30, 2002). "Time to turn another corner Next generation of builders has designs on New Brunswick". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
8. ^ "J&J Worldwide Headquarters Nears Completion". Morristown, NJ Patch. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
9. ^ "John J. Heldrich, former top executive at Johnson & Johnson and civic leader, dies at 88". NJ.com. 29 October 2014.
10. ^ 2 Long-Disputed Projects to Begin, The New York Times, July 9, 1977
11. ^ Old Raritan Canal Lock Is Focus of a Classic Dispute, The New York Times, April 16, 1977.
12. ^ "I. M. Pei Proposes a Rebirth for New Brunswick". The New York Times. 28 May 1976. Retrieved 22 June 2019 - via NYTimes.com.