NCR Global Headquarters

Located in Atlanta’s technology district and adjacent to prominent research universities, NCR creates a high-tech, urban work environment that attracts innovative thinkers. Composed of two iconic towers on a podium, the project interfaces with its city context at both the skyline and street levels. The high performance, folded glass facades reveal indoor activities to passers-by and provide sweeping city views to occupants. Open, flexible spaces, including an Innovation Hall, café and Tech Talk grandstand connect the ground level with outdoor spaces. A verdant sky lobby with dining and lounge spaces fosters an engaging and collaborative culture that transforms the workplace.

Design Challenge

NCR Global Headquarters occupies a 3.8-acre, L-shaped urban site that fronts Spring Street, 8th Street and Williams Street in Midtown Atlanta. The site’s prominent location and unique shape posed a challenge in the master planning and design of the building. The development of NCR transformed a previously underused land into a vibrant contributor to the Midtown experience. The walkable, urban location supports transit oriented activity and healthy commuting modes such as bikes and scooters. The project’s setback from the street and its orthogonal orientation present a development that is pedestrian-friendly, public-facing and responsive to the need for density and resourceful land use. Major streetscape and architectural elements of the building contribute to the social wellbeing of citizens through active urban use, place-making and exposure to art. Additionally, the building’s iconic form successfully negotiates both the pedestrian experience at street level and a signature, skyline-defining impression from the adjacent interstate. Typically, urban sites in close proximity to interstate highways are considered development “dead zones.” Instead, this project’s smart building layout, sensitive site design, and visionary developer and design team reimagined a potentially undesirable site as a marquee urban headquarters.

Physical Context

Highly visible and at the nucleus of Atlanta’s technology district, NCR’s Global Headquarters urban site was chosen to attract the next generation of engineers and creatives entering today’s evolving workforce. The building’s selected site and layout in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, transforms Spring Street and creates an innovative environment for culture and workplace with direct access to public transportation, easy access and bustle of urban living. The building continuously interacts with its surrounding site through its unique form and scale. Adjacent to a major interstate, NCR’s tall, glass tower is visible to the millions of passersby to engage with the public on a larger scale. At street level, NCR steps down to connect to its surrounding context and create a welcoming experience for its users. The ground level encourages activity and urban use through a generous street level plaza with open seating, shade overhangs and plantings that allow the neighborhood including Georgia Tech and Midtown’s Tech Square to interact with the building. A glass-enclosed volume promotes access to art, collaboration and reflects the company’s culture to the public. NCR’s technology labs, teaching and social spaces reflect the activity of the exterior and are directly connected to the public sidewalk improving the learning, working and social environment of Midtown Atlanta.