The Walt Disney Company has had a long history with New York City, and now Disney’s connection to the Big Apple is getting even deeper, with the opening of a new headquarters for its New York businesses at 7 Hudson Square.
This new complex, which serves as a collaborative town square in the bustling city, has already started welcoming employees, and by next summer will officially be home to news, editorial, live productions, streaming, technology, advertising, corporate, business support functions, and more.
The NYC headquarters is named the Robert A. Iger building — an honor bestowed by the company and its Board to mark Iger’s many accomplishments for Disney and its employees as he commemorates his 50th anniversary with the company. Iger began his career at ABC in New York in 1974.
The new building features hallmarks of Disney’s other offices and campuses around the world that speak to the company’s century of creativity and community.
7 Hudson Square is also a testament to Disney’s commitment to NYC, its economy, and its people. The state-of-the-art building encompasses an entire city block and will be a collaborative hub for the company’s media, production, and innovation.
Welcome to 7 Hudson Square
Disney employees will enjoy access to a wide range of individual work, collaboration, and amenity spaces, along with best-in-class shared services. This modern facility is equipped to evolve with future advancements in technology, new formats, and the overall transformation of the company’s businesses.
The building has also already begun hosting audience productions of The View in the new space. With three large studios, the building will continue to welcome hundreds of New Yorkers and visitors from across the country and around the globe each weekday to participate in live and recorded tapings of our shows.
Noteworthy building amenities include a full-service café and coffee bar, outdoor terraces, wellness rooms, a large event space for employee gatherings, conference centers, a large screening room, a reading room, a bike room with shower facilities, a company store, TV studios, and much more.
The all-electric building features on-site solar panels, high efficiency dedicated outside air systems, high-performance facades, waste heat recovery, and electric heat pumps. The energy-efficient design approach is reflective of Disney’s 2030 environmental goals.
Disney and NYC: A History of Storytelling
Since The Walt Disney Company was founded more than 100 years ago, New York City has been part of the storytelling foundation that has supported the company’s success.
For example, Steamboat Willie — the iconic short starring Mickey Mouse — debuted in Manhattan in 1928 at the Colony Theatre, which is now known as the Broadway Theatre.
Another major milestone in the relationship between Disney and New York City was when Walt Disney and his creative team, referred to today as Walt Disney Imagineers, debuted four spectacular attractions using innovative forms of themed entertainment and dimensional, figural animation — or Audio-Animatronics® — at the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair. Some of these marquee experiences, like it’s a small world, would later become beloved Disney Parks attractions, with versions found at the company’s theme parks around the globe.
As for Disney’s Broadway presence, it began in 1994 with a 13-year run of Beauty and the Beast and spans 10 Broadway titles, including The Lion King, the highest-grossing title in box office history. With three of the 15 longest running shows in Broadway history — Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Aladdin, now in its 11th year — Disney Theatrical Group is one of the most successful Broadway producers of all time.
Creativity and Collaboration
At the heart of the timeless storytelling of The Walt Disney Company is creativity and collaboration. The company’s offices and campuses are important places that foster community, leading to unbridled creativity, strengthened partnerships, and trust among and between teams.
Architecture has been a culture driver and part of Disney’s identity for decades. While the company’s offices and campuses in Burbank, Bristol, and Emeryville (to name a few) are each tailored to the type of work taking place there — in all cases, these campuses aim to foster creativity and collaboration.
The Robert A. Iger building is an example of what makes Disney unique. It not only forges a shared community that allows the company’s storytelling to flourish, but it also connects Disney’s culture within a state-of-the-art complex that focuses on innovation, collaboration, and the indelible spirit of New York City.
