The New IBM
Research Center
in Yorktown, N.Y.

Why Yorktown ...

The plan for relocating the IBM Research Center to Yorktown was announced initially in the fall of 1956 as a significant step in developing a long-range program for IBM's future and strengthening IBM's position in science and technology. Wishing to create a physical environment suitable for an IBM Research Community, the Company also recognized the advantages of separating research activities from the daily pressures of product development and of production. These two important considerations resulted in the decision to move from Poughkeepsie.

Westchester County was chosen as the new home for the Research Center because of its proximity to New York City's numerous advantages and of its easy accessibility to IBM facilities in Poughkeepsie. Furthermore, Westchester's variety of communities — rural, suburban, and urban — and its fine schools make it a desirable living environment for Research Staff members and their families.

To relieve the space problem temporarily, until the completion of the Yorktown Research Center at the end of 1960, properties were leased in early 1957 in the Northern Westchester area. The leased locations are the Spring Street Laboratory in Osing and the Lamb Estate on Quaker Ridge Road in the Town of Cortland — both properties currently housing various administrative and technical research groups.

Subsequently, when growth demanded still more space, the Mohanatic Laboratory was constructed in the Town of Yorktown at the intersection of Route 202 and the Taconic State Parkway. This Laboratory began operations in May 1958 and its new wing was completed in the fall of 1958.

IBM research operations at these three locations and all IBM research activities in Poughkeepsie will be consolidated, beginning April 1960, at the Yorktown Research Center, Taconic State Parkway and Pines Bridge Road in the Town of Yorktown.

IBM® Research Center, Box 218, Yorktown Heights, N. Y.

RECEIVED
FEB 2 1959
EERO SAARINEN
AND ASSOCIATES

## The Site

The new IBM Research Center will be located on approximately 224 acres of rolling and wooded country in the southern part of the Town of Yorktown, about forty miles north of New York City in Westchester County. The site lies north of Pines Bridge Road and just east of the Taconic State Parkway, a major north-south route.

The Research Center site is within fifteen minutes of the major shopping centers of Mt. Kisco and Peekskill and within easy commuting distance by car from any of the fine Westchester residential areas.

Easy access from the Research Center to either Route 134 (Kitchawan Road) or Pines Bridge Road will be maintained, both of which have entrances onto the Taconic Parkway.

## The Building

The new Research Center is a two-story, 450,000 square foot building, with the terrace floor exposed on the north side. Panoramic glass galleries offer a scenic view of the countryside and act as communication corridors, while the natural stone ends of the building blend it with the site. Sufficient parking for staff members is south of the building, while visitors may park just opposite the main entrance to the north. The Research Center is planned for approximately 1600 staff members.

The building is in the shape of a 73° arc measuring over 1000 feet on the front (northeast) face and over 900 feet in the rear. The Research Center is designed to offer maximum interior flexibility of laboratory and office space to accommodate the changing needs of research projects through the use of movable partitions and the placement of work areas across the width of the building.

In addition to necessary work and office area, the building will contain a cafeteria, a 300 seat auditorium and adequate materials shipping and receiving facilities.

## The Purpose

The IBM Research Center forms one of the world's largest laboratories devoted to research in information handling systems.

In the new Research Center, IBM scientists conduct research in areas of interest to IBM in fields such as solid state physics, magnetics, cryogenics and information theory.

From the new Research Center the Director of Research also guides work being done in other research laboratories located in San Jose, California; Zurich, Switzerland; and New York City.

## The Plan

Every care is being taken to utilize the natural beauty of the site and maintain its rural atmosphere. The Research Center will form an east-west arc, following the crest of a major hill on the property.

Access roads and parking areas are being designed to offer easy ingress and egress to and from the site and building and yet remain in character with the countryside.

## The Schedule

Fall, 1958:
Spring, 1959:
Spring, 1960:
Winter, 1960:

Ground broken
Grading completed
Construction commenced
Occupancy begun
Occupancy completed.

## The Architect

Eero Saarinen

Responsible for the design of the new Research Center is internationally known Eero Saarinen. Mr. Saarinen has created many outstanding achievements in both industrial and educational architecture, including the summer opera house of the Berkshire Music Center, Lenox, Massachusetts; the General Motors Technical Center, Warren, Michigan; and the auditorium and chapel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Saarinen also served as consultant to the Secretary of the Air Force on the Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.