Last Month, the Ford Foundation, the Midcentury Modern masterpiece in New York by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates, officially reopened to the public after a $205 million makeover. When the renovation was first announced three years ago, preservationists fumed, worried that the interiors of the 1967 landmarked building would be ruined. There were extravagant custom furnishings by Warren Platner, among others, made of mahogany, brass, linen, and leather, in a range of hues from A (amber) to B (brown). But as deputy editor Suzanne Stephens reports in this issue, everyone can calm down now—the original design has been respected as the building was pulled gently into the 21st century.

The renovation—which removes most private offices and opens up the building’s 12 floors—brings about an egalitarianism and transparency that reflect the more focused mission evident in the philanthropy’s newly enhanced name: the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice. Yet, despite these changes, the sensitive renovation by Gensler—with Dan Kiley’s atrium garden reconceived by landscape architect Raymond Jungles—has left the serene and distinguished ambience intact.