People-Centered Design in Practice: Citi Global Headquarters Becomes the World’s Largest WELL Platinum Certified Project

Ten years ago, when Citi set out to renovate our Global Headquarters (HQ), we committed to building a sustainable, energy-efficient building that would be a world-class space where our colleagues and clients could collaborate and connect.

Recently, we received recognition for our efforts when our HQ became the world’s largest building to achieve WELL Platinum certification from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). This achievement reflects our commitment to providing our people with sustainable, thoughtfully designed workspaces that promote productivity, health and well-being. The WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) is the world’s leading framework for scaling health across buildings, organizations and communities.

This is an incredible achievement that builds on the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification our HQ earned in 2020.

Originally two adjacent buildings in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood (built in 1986 and 1989, respectively), we completed the renovation of HQ in 2020, combining the buildings into a single, larger site – in what was, at the time, the largest private-sector single-occupancy renovation in NYC history.

The 2.6 million square foot building has innovative features that represent people-centered design and construction, such as an on-site health clinic, on-site bicycle storage and a cafeteria with healthy food options. Citi’s HQ is designed to promote movement, collaboration and productivity through flexible workspaces, with responsible construction materials, optimized light exposure, sound-reducing surfaces and high air quality standards.

For the 14,000+ colleagues and visitors that come to HQ every week, we are also proud that the building is part of the fabric of our community. Our public plaza renovation included preserving the mature trees lining Greenwich Street, adding new greenery and improvements to nearby infrastructure, renovating sidewalks and installing two Citi Bike stations.

WELL is a third-party verified system that assesses buildings across categories such as air, movement, sound, light and community. Certification at the Platinum Level is WELL’s highest designation. Citi has been working with IWBI since 2021 across our real estate portfolio to help raise standards for almost 2,500 building locations in more than 90 countries. We’re proud that eight of our sites have achieved WELL certifications. Achieving these distinctions would not have been possible without our colleagues across the company who work every day to keep our buildings running at the highest standard.  

Read the full press release here.

Citi leaders and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) celebrate WELL Platinum Certification at Citi Global Headquarters in New York, New York. Pictured: Danielle Jennings, Citi New York Headquarters Site President, Ed Skyler, Citi Head of Enterprise Services and Public Affairs, Rosamond Cosentino, Managing Director, Citi Real Estate Services and Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI.