Goldman Copeland has provided the engineering for a dramatic transformation in downtown Newark, NJ – the conversion of an abandoned historic church into a cutting-edge tech center – the “Innovation Cathedral” – for Audible, the world’s largest producer of downloadable audiobooks. The transformation is remarkable on many levels for which Audible deserves recognition – and for which innovative engineering was required.
Goldman Copeland specializes in making historic and iconic buildings contemporary. We air-conditioned the Main Concourse of Grand Central Terminal, for instance. Still, this conversion presented its own unique challenge: How do you take an historic church and adapt it for modern-day tech work requirements?
Several dimensions of this transformation, for which I oversaw Goldman Copeland’s work, are especially notable. First, in selecting the location of its new facility, Audible chose both to increase its commitment to downtown Newark and to preserve an historic presence at the same time. The church structure, built in 1932, has been called “magnificent” by the Newark Star-Ledger and “one of Newark’s most handsome Gothic buildings” by The Newark Public Library.
Second, in preserving that historic presence, the project team breathed new life into a structure that had not served as an active parish since 1995. It took an abandoned property and turned it into a cornerstone of Newark’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem. It now houses 400 Audible employees.
Third, the team creatively repurposed the 80,000-square-foot church – preserving, as required, the landmarked exterior, while adapting the interior for contemporary office use. That required re-using some architectural features while removing others, to enable an ecclesiastical space to become a corporate one, with the original aesthetic retained wherever possible. Among other preserved and refurbished features are stunning stained-glass windows, distinctive organ pipes, and even a bowling alley.
The 55-foot height of the church’s nave and the 35-foot height of the adjacent community hall, for instance, were used to advantage through the unusual creation of dual atriums – two dramatic openings in the floors that allow occupants to see from the lobby to the top of each structure. The atriums create an impressive architectural and visual affect, as one enters the building.
Fourth, the dual atriums required an innovative fire-modeling system. The computer-based model – specially created for that purpose – projected the paths of any potential smoke and enabled designs to remove safely any smoke and maintain a clear path of egress. The dual atriums provide an unusual challenge for proper smoke and exhaust systems, since those systems must pressurize one atrium while exhausting the other.
Goldman Copeland’s work for Audible is the latest example of our firm’s extensive work in New Jersey, supporting important institutions including many of the leading healthcare providers in the state. The firm has engineered three hospitals for Hackensack Meridian Health, including working for more than 25 years with Hackensack University Medical Center – New Jersey’s largest provider of inpatient and outpatient medical services. We have also provided engineering services for two hospitals in the Atlantic Health System, two hospitals for RWJ Barnabas Health, and four other medical complexes in New Jersey. In addition, for PSE&G, we have participated in an initiative to increase energy efficiency in hospitals. For New Jersey Natural Gas, we have recently been selected for a separate energy-efficiency initiative.
We have also worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey over the past 20 years on regional facilities that are vital to New Jersey, including the George Washington Bridge, Goethals Bridge, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, Newark Airport, and the Staten Island Bridges.
Goldman Copeland has played an innovative role in engineering leading institutions in New Jersey. Our work for Audible underscores our ongoing commitment to keeping historic and iconic structures contemporary by providing cutting-edge solutions to 21st-century needs.
Learn more about our work for leading New Jersey Institutions.
