Bell Labs Holmdel Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bell Works |
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Aerial view
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Mid-Century Modern |
| Location | Holmdel Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Address | 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°21′54″N 74°10′2″W / 40.36500°N 74.16722°W |
| Construction started | 1959 |
| Completed | 1962 |
| Owner | Somerset Development |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Floor area | 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2) |
| Grounds | 472.69 acres (1.9129 km2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Eero Saarinen |
| Other designers | Sasaki, Walker & Associates |
| Awards and prizes | 1967 Laboratory of the year |
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Bell Laboratories-Holmdel
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| NRHP reference No. | 16000223 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 26, 2017 |
The Bell Labs Holmdel Complex is a famous building in Holmdel Township, New Jersey, United States. For 44 years, it was a huge place for research and development. This means scientists and engineers worked there to invent new things. It was first used by Bell System and later by Bell Labs.
The main part of the campus is a building designed by Eero Saarinen. Over 6,000 engineers and researchers worked inside. This modern building was called "The Biggest Mirror Ever" because its outside looked like a giant mirror. An important discovery, laser cooling by Steven Chu, which won a Nobel Prize, happened here. Today, the building has been updated and is called Bell Works. It's now a place where people live and work. Since 2013, Somerset Development has turned it into a mixed-use space. It has offices for high-tech startup companies. In 2017, the complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical site.
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History of Bell Labs Holmdel
Before the main building was built, Bell Telephone Laboratories used this land for research. A scientist named Karl Guthe Jansky invented radio astronomy here. This was a way to study radio waves coming from space. A monument was put up in 1998 where his special antenna once stood. The monument looks like his antenna and points in the same direction it did on September 16, 1932. That day, it picked up the strongest signal from the center of our galaxy.
Building the Research Hub
In 1957, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) started planning a new research lab. It was built in Holmdel Township, New Jersey, between 1959 and 1962. This was one of the last projects by the famous Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. He passed away in 1961. The complex was used for research and development by Bell Laboratories. This company later became part of Lucent and Alcatel-Lucent. Many different types of research happened here, from basic science to developing new hardware and software.
The building's unique look, especially its mirror-like outside, earned it an award. It was named "Laboratory of the Year" in 1967.
Growth and Design of the Complex
The building grew bigger in 1966 and 1982. It reached a huge size of two million square feet of office and lab space. Even with these additions, the original design stayed the same. This included its special glass wall and its large oval shape. Universities even studied the building as a great example of modern architecture. Inside, the building has four sections of labs and offices. Each section is separated by a cross-shaped open area called an atrium. Walkways and sky-bridges connect these sections.
There's also a cool water tower on the property. It was designed to look like the first transistor, a tiny electronic switch. The water tower is still working well, even after more than 40 years!
Saving a Landmark: Bell Works Today
In 2006, the company that owned the building, Alcatel-Lucent, planned to sell it. They wanted to change how they did research. The new owners first wanted to keep it as an office park. But later, they thought about changing it into homes. This made people worried about losing the historic building. So, in 2007, it was added to a list of "10 Most Endangered Historic Sites in New Jersey."
A group of former Bell employees started "Preserving Holmdel." They wanted to keep the complex as a lab. People in the community suggested ideas like a university center or a recreation complex. In 2012, Holmdel Township decided the site needed redevelopment. They planned to reuse the main building and build some homes nearby.
In September 2013, Somerset Development Corp bought the property for $27 million. They had big plans for the building. These plans included a health center, a hotel, restaurants, shops, and a 20,000-square-foot public library. They also planned recreational areas and homes on the surrounding land. Many companies have moved their offices into Bell Works. There's even a cafe in the main lobby now.
Architect Alexander Gorlin worked on the renovation in 2018-2019. He added glass panels to let more light into the lab spaces. He also redesigned the two huge open atrium floors. The skylights were replaced with special panels that make electricity from sunlight. There are also plans for a hotel on the roof.
In July 2016, iCIMS announced they would move their main office to Bell Works. They moved in on November 27, 2017. In April 2017, Guardian Life Insurance Company also announced plans to move hundreds of employees there.
Images for kids
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Main building in 2016
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"Transistor" water tower in 2016
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Aerial view of AT&T Holmdel site
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Bell Labs Holmdel, NJ April 2010 Lawrence Aberle
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Bell Labs Holmdel, NJ2 April 2010 Lawrence Aberle
