JPMorgan Chase - 270 Park Ave

Location:

New York, NY

System:

LITEFLAM

Sector:

Commercial

DESIGN GROUP:

Foster + Partners

owner:

JPMorgan Chase

Contractor:

New Hudson Facades

Year:

2025

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About

JPMorgan Chase - 270 Park Ave

JPMorgan Chase Global Headquarters — one of Manhattan's most significant commercial developments. A 60-story, 1,388-foot supertall tower designed by Foster + Partners, occupying a full city block in Midtown, New York. Greenlite Glass Systems provided the exterior walkable 2-hour fire-rated skylight on Level 17 using the LITEFLAM XT 120 system.

The LITEFLAM XT 120 system incorporates an insulated glass unit (IGU) configuration with a structural laminated walking surface, Low-E coated glass for solar control, and fire-resistive intumescent interlayers — delivering fire resistance, thermal performance, and structural capacity in a single assembly. A slip-resistant ceramic frit pattern allows natural light from upper floors to filter down to lower floors while providing a safe walkable surface.

The system underwent multiple test performance mockups (PMU) as required by the building owner, including structural, air, water, impact, snow load, and glass breakage safety testing — confirming the assembly meets the most demanding performance criteria for a Class A commercial supertall tower.

PROJECT CHALLENGES

Engineering a Walkable Fire-Rated Skylight for a Supertall Tower

Engineer a walkable fire-rated skylight system to meet the architectural design intent for a Class A commercial supertall tower.
Deliver a 2-hour exterior walkable fire-rated skylight — the highest level of fire resistance.
Achieve watertight, insulated, and load-bearing performance for pedestrian foot traffic.
Pass an extensive Performance Mockup (PMU) testing program as required by the building owner.

Project SOLUTION

LITEFLAM XT 120: Exterior Walkable Fire-Rated Skylight

Utilized LITEFLAM XT 120, engineered in collaboration with Foster + Partners and New Hudson Facades.
Insulated glass unit (IGU) configuration with structural laminated walking surface.
Low-E coated glass for solar control and energy performance.
Fire-resistive intumescent interlayers providing 2-hour fire resistance.
Slip-resistant ceramic frit walking surface for safe pedestrian traffic.
Clear glass allowing natural light to filter from upper floors to lower floors.

PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS

The Only Exterior Fire-Rated Glass Floor Assembly of Its Kind

Exterior 2-hour fire-rated walkable skylight.
The only exterior fire-rated glass floor assembly of its kind.
Met the design intent for Foster + Partners' architectural vision.
Load-bearing for foot traffic at 100 PSF.
Insulated glass unit contributing to USGBC–LEED sustainability targets (LEED Gold).
Successfully completed a comprehensive PMU testing program including structural performance at design loads and 1.5× design loads (ASTM E330), air infiltration (ASTM E283), water penetration (ASTM E331), dynamic water testing (AAMA 501.1), concentrated load testing at 270 PSF, soft body and hard body impact tests, snow load tests, and glass breakage safety testing.