Winter Garden Atrium

The Winter Garden Atrium serves as a towering glass gateway between the structured streets of Manhattan and the open expanse of the Hudson River. You are standing inside a ten story barrel vaulted pavilion that functions as a public living room for the city. When it first opened in 1988, the space was designed by architect Cesar Pelli to act as the grand centerpiece for the World Financial Center, creating a dramatic, sunlit environment that was rare for its time in the dense downtown financial district. Inside, sixteen tall Washingtonia robusta palm trees rise toward the glass ceiling, creating a persistent sense of greenery regardless of the season outside.