Uploaded February 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Henry Cobb worked as a principal architect for the firm I.M. Pei & Partners, which was contracted by Johnson & Johnson to design its corporate headquarters in New Brunswick. The firm also conceived of a framework plan for redevelopment efforts in New Brunswick. Cobb points out, however, that the firm did not have a contract with Johnson & Johnson for these plans; it was done informally with John Heldrich. Cobb discusses how I.M. Pei was one of the few firms of the era that was dedicated to urban renewal. He explores New Brunswick Tomorrow’s (NBT) plan for downtown that led to the construction of Commercial Plaza and made George Street a centerpiece. Cobb notes that the decision of Johnson & Johnson to stay headquartered in New Brunswick was controversial, as subsequent development led to issues around gentrification, historic preservation and the Route 18 extension. Richard Sellars and Jim Burke had different visions for the new Johnson & Johnson headquarters, and the idea that was settled upon was “a building in a park, and a park in a city,” albeit one surrounded by a low wall for security. In contrast to a 1925 plan for New Brunswick by Herbert Swan, Cobb references a 1976 report on downtown New Brunswick that strategizes about development projects.
The Rutgers Oral History Archives is part of the Department of History at Rutgers University. Learn more at https://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/new-brunswick-redevelopment-oral-histories
Henry Cobb worked as a principal architect for the firm I.M. Pei & Partners, which was contracted by Johnson & Johnson to design its corporate headquarters in New Brunswick. The firm also conceived of a framework plan for redevelopment efforts in New Brunswick. Cobb points out, however, that the firm did not have a contract with Johnson & Johnson for these plans; it was done informally with John Heldrich. Cobb discusses how I.M. Pei was one of the few firms of the era that was dedicated to urban renewal. He explores New Brunswick Tomorrow’s (NBT) plan for downtown that led to the construction of Commercial Plaza and made George Street a centerpiece. Cobb notes that the decision of Johnson & Johnson to stay headquartered in New Brunswick was controversial, as subsequent development led to issues around gentrification, historic preservation and the Route 18 extension. Richard Sellars and Jim Burke had different visions for the new Johnson & Johnson headquarters, and the idea that was settled upon was “a building in a park, and a park in a city,” albeit one surrounded by a low wall for security. In contrast to a 1925 plan for New Brunswick by Herbert Swan, Cobb references a 1976 report on downtown New Brunswick that strategizes about development projects.
The Rutgers Oral History Archives is part of the Department of History at Rutgers University. Learn more at https://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/new-brunswick-redevelopment-oral-histories
