Bell Laboratories: Difference between revisions

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Bell Laboratories — known today as Nokia Bell Labs — is an American industrial research and development institution with headquarters in Murray Hill, New Jersey. The company was incorporated in 1925 as an AT&T subsidiary under the name Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc., though its roots reach back to 1907, when AT&T and the Western Electric Company centralized their engineering departments in New York City, or even further to 1883, when AT&T's Mechanical Department was established. Over the following century, Bell Labs became one of the most consequential scientific institutions in the world, deeply woven into the history, identity, and scientific landscape of New Jersey. As a former subsidiary of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T), Bell Labs researchers developed radio astronomy, the transistor, the laser, the photovoltaic cell, the charge-coupled device (CCD), information theory, the Unix operating system, and numerous programming languages including B, C, C++, S, SNOBOL, AWK, and AMPL. The institution's achievements garnered eleven Nobel Prizes and five Turing Awards.

Origins and Founding

In 1925 the company was formally incorporated as an AT&T subsidiary. The operation itself had started much earlier as the Western Electric Engineering Department, working out of 463 West Street in New York City during the late 19th century. After years of advancing telecommunications, that department was reformed into Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1925 under the shared ownership of Western Electric and AT&T.

New Jersey's connection to Bell Labs goes back to its earliest days. A radio reception laboratory opened in 1919 in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen Township, New Jersey. That foothold in the Garden State proved to be just the beginning. The company later established Bell Laboratories locations across New Jersey in Holmdel Township, Crawford Hill, the Deal Test Site, Freehold, Lincroft, Long Branch, Middletown, Neptune Township, Princeton, Piscataway, Red Bank, Chester Township, and Whippany.

Bell Laboratories' primary task was developing the telecommunications equipment and systems manufactured by AT&T, but it engaged in a vast range of other basic and applied research. In 1926, for example, it created the first synchronous-sound motion-picture system. In 1937 it built the pioneer electrical-relay digital computer; that same year, Bell researcher Clinton Davisson shared the Nobel Prize for Physics for demonstrating that electrons display both wave and particle characteristics.

New Jersey Campuses and Expansion

As the institution grew, its focus shifted increasingly toward New Jersey. During the 1960s, laboratory and company headquarters relocated to Murray Hill. The Murray Hill campus became the administrative and scientific heart of the organization, housing thousands of researchers whose work touched virtually every area of modern science and engineering.

The Holmdel site had been in use since 1929, when Bell Telephone Laboratories purchased farmland in Holmdel, New Jersey to establish a radio reception laboratory. Working alongside a transmitter laboratory in Deal, the Holmdel facility was where the Bell Labs Radio Research Division conducted experiments on shortwave radio transmission and reception to improve the reliability of the Bell System's transatlantic radiotelephone services.

Six Nobel Prize laureates worked at Bell Laboratories. The site also witnessed Karl Jansky's creation of radio astronomy in 1932. In the postwar decades, the scientific talent concentrated at Bell Labs' New Jersey facilities was unmatched anywhere in American industry. At its height under AT&T, Bell Labs employed over 15,000 people, many of whom would eventually win Nobel Prizes for inventions developed at the company.

Of the many New Jersey locations, Murray Hill and Crawford Hill remain active today. The Piscataway and Red Bank sites were transferred to and are now operated by Telcordia Technologies, while Bayer purchased the Whippany property.

The Holmdel Complex: Architecture and Design

Nothing expresses Bell Labs' ambition in New Jersey quite like the Holmdel Complex. In 1958, Bell Labs hired Finnish architect Eero Saarinen to design a new office building and complex in Holmdel to serve as their headquarters. Saarinen, who'd also designed the St. Louis Gateway Arch and the TWA building at JFK airport, began work on what would become the Bell Labs building, though he died in 1961, just one year before its completion.

Constructed between 1959 and 1966, the Bell Laboratories-Holmdel reflected a deliberate shift toward modernist design befitting the cutting-edge research within its walls. The property represents the midcentury corporate move toward suburban landscaped campuses for headquarters and research sites.

The structure contains roughly 2 million square feet spread across six stories. A rectangular form sits atop a concrete pedestal, with a facade of black anodized aluminum and reflective glass. The mirrored glass curtain wall let in 25 percent of the sun's light while blocking 70 percent of its heat, earning it the nickname "The Biggest Mirror Ever" from Architectural Forum magazine. The modernist design embodied a new vision for workspace architecture. Open, floating walkways and a high-ceilinged lobby were intended to encourage spontaneous interactions among coworkers.

The Bell Laboratories-Holmdel was listed in the National Register on June 26, 2017. Its significance stems from the architectural design work of Eero Saarinen and Associates and the corporate campus landscape design by Hideo Sasaki of Sasaki, Walker and Associates. Situated in Monmouth County south of New York City, the site covers about 472 acres. The designed landscape stands as a pioneering example of what's been called a corporate campus, corporate estate, corporate villa, or "industrial Versailles."

Roche-Dinkeloo, the successor firm to Saarinen's architectural practice, designed two expansions to the original structure. The original project cost $20 million, equivalent to approximately $158 million in 2024.

The first Bell Labs staff moved into the new Holmdel campus in February 1962, with hundreds of employees relocated from other laboratories in New Jersey and New York. From 1962 to 2007, this served as an "innovation headquarters" for over 6,000 Bell Labs employees. The renowned legacy of innovation has since been preserved by technology-focused companies now operating under the Bell Works brand.

Scientific Achievements and Nobel Prizes

Bell Labs' New Jersey facilities produced remarkable scientific achievements throughout the 20th century. In 1947 the laboratories invented the transistor, an accomplishment for which Bell researchers John Bardeen, Walter H. Brattain, and William B. Shockley won the 1956 Nobel Prize for Physics. The transistor, developed at Murray Hill, fundamentally changed the trajectory of modern electronics and computing.

During the 1960s Bell Labs created the first electronic telephone-switching system and designed Telstar, the world's first satellite communications system. In 1978, two more Bell researchers, Arno Penzias and Robert W. Wilson, shared the Nobel Prize for discovering cosmic microwave background radiation. They conducted their work using the Holmdel Horn Antenna at the Crawford Hill site, providing observational evidence for the Big Bang theory, one of the most significant scientific findings of the 20th century.

Steven Chu, another researcher, received the 1997 Nobel Prize for his work at Holmdel using laser light to trap and cool atoms. Additional notable innovations from Bell Labs include cellular phones, microwaves, modems, and developments in satellite and fiber optic communications. The institution also pioneered sonar, lasers, and solar cells, while performing defense-related research and development under military contracts. The breadth of scientific inquiry here, ranging from pure mathematics and physics to applied engineering and materials science, made the New Jersey campuses a singular destination for the world's most accomplished researchers. Eleven Nobel Prizes and five Turing Awards have been awarded for work completed at Bell Laboratories.

Corporate Transitions and the Legacy of Bell Works

The breakup of the Bell System forced Bell Labs to become a subsidiary of AT&T Technologies in 1984. Funding declined drastically. The institution that once attracted the most ambitious scientists in the country had to reorient itself toward near-term commercial research priorities.

In 1996–97, AT&T split into three companies, one of which, Lucent Technologies Inc., manufactured telephone and communications equipment. Most Bell Laboratories employees became part of Lucent, though a minority stayed with AT&T, which thereafter focused on telephone and other services. Lucent Technologies merged with Alcatel in 2006 to form Alcatel-Lucent, which was then acquired by Nokia in 2016. Today, Nokia Bell Labs operates as an American industrial research and development company owned by the Finnish technology company Nokia, with headquarters in Murray Hill, New Jersey.

The Holmdel campus faced an uncertain future. In 2006, the property owner announced a contract with a private developer who intended to raze the building as "obsolete." This sparked protests from scientists worldwide who'd once worked there. Preservation New Jersey (PNJ) listed the building as one of its "10 Most Endangered Historic Sites" in May 2007.

Working with PNJ, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Docomomo, Citizens for Informed Land Use, the Present Past Preservation Network, and the American Institute of Architects-New Jersey, the Trust for Cultural Landscapes Forum formed a coalition and proposed an education outreach effort. They sponsored the "Bell Labs Charette," a study undertaken in 2008 and published in 2009.

Somerset Development Corp purchased the property in 2013 for $27 million. Their plan was to retain as much of the original design as possible. Following the acquisition came a new name, Bell Works, and a redesign led by architect Alexander Gorlin, who worked closely with Paola Zamudio, CEO of npz studio+, the lead designer and creative director. The new mixed-use masterplan includes offices, restaurants, shopping, housing, a public library, and more.

Film and television productions have been shot in and around Bell Works. Severance, The Crowded Room, and Law & Order: Organized Crime all used the location. The striking modernist interior, particularly its soaring atrium, brought global attention to Holmdel after Severance became an acclaimed Apple TV+ production. The complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has received several awards.

References

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-'''Bell Laboratories''' — known today as Nokia Bell Labs — is an American industrial research and development institution with headquarters located in [[Murray Hill, New Jersey]]. The company was incorporated in 1925 as an AT&T subsidiary under the name Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc., though its history can be traced back to 1907, when the engineering departments of AT&T and the Western Electric Company were centralized in New York City, or even to 1883, when AT&T's Mechanical Department was formed. Over the following century, Bell Labs became one of the most consequential scientific institutions in the world, deeply rooted in the landscape, history, and identity of [[New Jersey]]. As a former subsidiary of the [[American Telephone and Telegraph Company]] (AT&T), Bell Labs and its researchers have been credited with the development of radio astronomy, the transistor, the laser, the photovoltaic cell, the charge-coupled device (CCD), information theory, the Unix operating system, and the programming languages B, C, C++, S, SNOBOL, AWK, AMPL, and others. Eleven Nobel Prizes and five Turing Awards have been awarded for work completed at Bell Laboratories.
+'''Bell Laboratories''' — known today as Nokia Bell Labs — is an American industrial research and development institution with headquarters in [[Murray Hill, New Jersey]]. The company was incorporated in 1925 as an AT&T subsidiary under the name Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc., though its roots reach back to 1907, when AT&T and the Western Electric Company centralized their engineering departments in New York City, or even further to 1883, when AT&T's Mechanical Department was established. Over the following century, Bell Labs became one of the most consequential scientific institutions in the world, deeply woven into the history, identity, and scientific landscape of [[New Jersey]]. As a former subsidiary of the [[American Telephone and Telegraph Company]] (AT&T), Bell Labs researchers developed radio astronomy, the transistor, the laser, the photovoltaic cell, the charge-coupled device (CCD), information theory, the Unix operating system, and numerous programming languages including B, C, C++, S, SNOBOL, AWK, and AMPL. The institution's achievements garnered eleven Nobel Prizes and five Turing Awards.
 == Origins and Founding ==
-The company was incorporated in 1925 as an AT&T subsidiary under the name Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. The laboratory began operating in the late 19th century as the Western Electric Engineering Department, located at 463 West Street in New York City. After years of advancing telecommunication innovations, the department was reformed into Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1925 and placed under the shared ownership of Western Electric and the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.
+In 1925 the company was formally incorporated as an AT&T subsidiary. The operation itself had started much earlier as the Western Electric Engineering Department, working out of 463 West Street in New York City during the late 19th century. After years of advancing telecommunications, that department was reformed into Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1925 under the shared ownership of Western Electric and AT&T.
-New Jersey's connection to Bell Labs stretches back to the earliest years of the institution's existence. A radio reception laboratory was established in 1919 in the Cliffwood section of [[Aberdeen Township, New Jersey]]. This foothold in the Garden State proved to be only the beginning of what would become a vast network of research sites across the state. Among the later Bell Laboratories locations in New Jersey were [[Holmdel Township]], Crawford Hill, the Deal Test Site, Freehold, Lincroft, Long Branch, Middletown, Neptune Township, Princeton, Piscataway, Red Bank, Chester Township, and Whippany.
+New Jersey's connection to Bell Labs goes back to its earliest days. A radio reception laboratory opened in 1919 in the Cliffwood section of [[Aberdeen Township, New Jersey]]. That foothold in the Garden State proved to be just the beginning. The company later established Bell Laboratories locations across New Jersey in [[Holmdel Township]], Crawford Hill, the Deal Test Site, Freehold, Lincroft, Long Branch, Middletown, Neptune Township, Princeton, Piscataway, Red Bank, Chester Township, and Whippany.
-Bell Laboratories' primary task was to develop the telecommunications equipment and systems manufactured by AT&T, but it routinely engaged in a vast range of other basic and applied research. In 1926, for example, it developed the first synchronous-sound motion-picture system. In 1937 it constructed the pioneer electrical-relay digital computer; in the same year, a Bell researcher, Clinton Davisson, shared the Nobel Prize for Physics for demonstrating that electrons display both wave and particle characteristics.
+Bell Laboratories' primary task was developing the telecommunications equipment and systems manufactured by AT&T, but it engaged in a vast range of other basic and applied research. In 1926, for example, it created the first synchronous-sound motion-picture system. In 1937 it built the pioneer electrical-relay digital computer; that same year, Bell researcher Clinton Davisson shared the Nobel Prize for Physics for demonstrating that electrons display both wave and particle characteristics.
 == New Jersey Campuses and Expansion ==
-As the institution grew, Bell Labs shifted its center of gravity increasingly toward New Jersey. In the 1960s, laboratory and company headquarters were moved to Murray Hill, New Jersey. The [[Murray Hill, New Jersey|Murray Hill]] campus became the administrative and scientific heart of the organization, housing thousands of researchers whose work touched every corner of modern science and engineering.
+As the institution grew, its focus shifted increasingly toward New Jersey. During the 1960s, laboratory and company headquarters relocated to Murray Hill. The [[Murray Hill, New Jersey|Murray Hill]] campus became the administrative and scientific heart of the organization, housing thousands of researchers whose work touched virtually every area of modern science and engineering.
-Bell Telephone Laboratories had used the Holmdel site since 1929, when it purchased farmland in [[Holmdel, New Jersey|Holmdel, New Jersey]], to establish a radio reception laboratory. The Holmdel laboratory, operating with a transmitter laboratory in Deal, New Jersey, was used by the Bell Labs Radio Research Division to conduct experiments on shortwave radio transmission and reception to improve the reliability of the Bell System's transatlantic radiotelephone services.
+The Holmdel site had been in use since 1929, when Bell Telephone Laboratories purchased farmland in [[Holmdel, New Jersey|Holmdel, New Jersey]] to establish a radio reception laboratory. Working alongside a transmitter laboratory in Deal, the Holmdel facility was where the Bell Labs Radio Research Division conducted experiments on shortwave radio transmission and reception to improve the reliability of the Bell System's transatlantic radiotelephone services.
-Bell Laboratories was the workplace of six Nobel Prize laureates, and the site of the creation of radio astronomy by Karl Jansky in 1932. In the postwar decades, the concentration of scientific talent at Bell Labs' New Jersey facilities was unmatched in American industry. At its height under AT&T, Bell Labs, then headquartered in New Jersey, had over 15,000 employees, many of whom would become Nobel Prize winners for inventions created while working at the company.
+Six Nobel Prize laureates worked at Bell Laboratories. The site also witnessed Karl Jansky's creation of radio astronomy in 1932. In the postwar decades, the scientific talent concentrated at Bell Labs' New Jersey facilities was unmatched anywhere in American industry. At its height under AT&T, Bell Labs employed over 15,000 people, many of whom would eventually win Nobel Prizes for inventions developed at the company.
-Of the many New Jersey locations, Murray Hill and Crawford Hill remain in existence (the Piscataway and Red Bank locations were transferred to and are now operated by Telcordia Technologies, and the Whippany site was purchased by Bayer).
+Of the many New Jersey locations, Murray Hill and Crawford Hill remain active today. The Piscataway and Red Bank sites were transferred to and are now operated by Telcordia Technologies, while Bayer purchased the Whippany property.
 == The Holmdel Complex: Architecture and Design ==
-Of all the physical expressions of Bell Labs' ambition in New Jersey, none is more celebrated than the Holmdel Complex. In 1958, Bell Labs hired Finnish architect [https://biography.wiki/e/Eero_Saarinen Eero Saarinen] to design a new office building and complex in Holmdel that would act as their headquarters. Saarinen, who also designed the St. Louis Gateway Arch and the TWA building at JFK airport, then began work on what would become the Bell Labs building, though he would pass away in 1961, one year before its completion.
+Nothing expresses Bell Labs' ambition in New Jersey quite like the Holmdel Complex. In 1958, Bell Labs hired Finnish architect [https://biography.wiki/e/Eero_Saarinen Eero Saarinen] to design a new office building and complex in Holmdel to serve as their headquarters. Saarinen, who'd also designed the St. Louis Gateway Arch and the TWA building at JFK airport, began work on what would become the Bell Labs building, though he died in 1961, just one year before its completion.
-Constructed between 1959 and 1966, Bell Laboratories-Holmdel marks a deliberate shift toward a modernist design befitting the modern research housed within. The property is characteristic of the midcentury move toward suburban landscaped campuses for corporate headquarters and research sites.
+Constructed between 1959 and 1966, the Bell Laboratories-Holmdel reflected a deliberate shift toward modernist design befitting the cutting-edge research within its walls. The property represents the midcentury corporate move toward suburban landscaped campuses for headquarters and research sites.
-The structure itself contains about 2 million square feet, spread across six stories. The building has a rectangular massing, with a concrete pedestal and a facade made of black anodized aluminum and reflective glass. The outside curtain wall of mirrored glass allowed in 25 percent of the sun's light while blocking 70 percent of its heat, earning it the nickname "The Biggest Mirror Ever" from Architectural Forum magazine. The modernist design nodded to a new vision for workspace architecture. Its open, floating walkways and high-ceilinged lobby were intended to encourage spontaneous interactions between coworkers.
+The structure contains roughly 2 million square feet spread across six stories. A rectangular form sits atop a concrete pedestal, with a facade of black anodized aluminum and reflective glass. The mirrored glass curtain wall let in 25 percent of the sun's light while blocking 70 percent of its heat, earning it the nickname "The Biggest Mirror Ever" from Architectural Forum magazine. The modernist design embodied a new vision for workspace architecture. Open, floating walkways and a high-ceilinged lobby were intended to encourage spontaneous interactions among coworkers.
-Listed in the National Register on June 26, 2017, the Bell Laboratories-Holmdel is significant for the architectural design work of Eero Saarinen and Associates and the corporate campus landscape design by Hideo Sasaki of Sasaki, Walker and Associates. Situated in [[Monmouth County]] south of New York City, the site covers about 472 acres. The designed landscape is a pioneering example of what has been called a corporate campus, corporate estate, corporate villa, or "industrial Versailles."
+The Bell Laboratories-Holmdel was listed in the National Register on June 26, 2017. Its significance stems from the architectural design work of [https://biography.wiki/a/Eero_Saarinen Eero Saarinen] and Associates and the corporate campus landscape design by Hideo Sasaki of Sasaki, Walker and Associates. Situated in [[Monmouth County]] south of New York City, the site covers about 472 acres. The designed landscape stands as a pioneering example of what's been called a corporate campus, corporate estate, corporate villa, or "industrial Versailles."
-Roche-Dinkeloo, the successor firm to Saarinen's architectural practice, designed two expansions to the original structure. The original project had cost $20 million (equivalent to approximately $158 million in 2024).
+Roche-Dinkeloo, the successor firm to Saarinen's architectural practice, designed two expansions to the original structure. The original project cost $20 million, equivalent to approximately $158 million in 2024.
-The first Bell Labs staffers began working in the new Holmdel campus in February 1962, and hundreds of employees were relocated from other laboratories in New Jersey and New York. Considered an "innovation headquarters" for over 6,000 Bell Labs employees from 1962 to 2007, this renowned legacy of innovation has been preserved by a mass of technology-focused companies who now call Bell Works home.
+The first Bell Labs staff moved into the new Holmdel campus in February 1962, with hundreds of employees relocated from other laboratories in New Jersey and New York. From 1962 to 2007, this served as an "innovation headquarters" for over 6,000 Bell Labs employees. The renowned legacy of innovation has since been preserved by technology-focused companies now operating under the Bell Works brand.
 == Scientific Achievements and Nobel Prizes ==
-The research conducted at Bell Labs' New Jersey facilities produced a remarkable body of scientific achievement across the 20th century. In 1947 the laboratories invented the transistor, an achievement for which Bell researchers John Bardeen, Walter H. Brattain, and William B. Shockley were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize for Physics. The transistor, developed at the Murray Hill campus, fundamentally altered the trajectory of modern electronics and computing.
+Bell Labs' New Jersey facilities produced remarkable scientific achievements throughout the 20th century. In 1947 the laboratories invented the transistor, an accomplishment for which Bell researchers John Bardeen, Walter H. Brattain, and William B. Shockley won the 1956 Nobel Prize for Physics. The transistor, developed at Murray Hill, fundamentally changed the trajectory of modern electronics and computing.
-In the 1960s Bell Labs developed the first electronic telephone-switching system and designed Telstar, the world's first satellite communications system. In 1978, two more Bell researchers, Arno Penzias and Robert W. Wilson, shared the Nobel Prize for the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation. Their work, conducted using the Holmdel Horn Antenna at the [[Crawford Hill]] site, provided observational evidence for the [[Big Bang]] theory — one of the most significant scientific findings of the 20th century.
+During the 1960s Bell Labs created the first electronic telephone-switching system and designed Telstar, the world's first satellite communications system. In 1978, two more Bell researchers, Arno Penzias and Robert W. Wilson, shared the Nobel Prize for discovering cosmic microwave background radiation. They conducted their work using the Holmdel Horn Antenna at the [[Crawford Hill]] site, providing observational evidence for the [[Big Bang]] theory, one of the most significant scientific findings of the 20th century.
-One researcher, [https://biography.wiki/s/Steven_Chu Steven Chu], went on to receive the 1997 Nobel Prize for his work at Holmdel using laser light to trap and cool atoms. Other notable technological advancements brought about at Bell Labs include cellular phones, microwaves, modems, the transistor, and the development of satellite and fiber optic communications.
+[https://biography.wiki/s/Steven_Chu Steven Chu], another researcher, received the 1997 Nobel Prize for his work at Holmdel using laser light to trap and cool atoms. Additional notable innovations from Bell Labs include cellular phones, microwaves, modems, and developments in satellite and fiber optic communications. The institution also pioneered sonar, lasers, and solar cells, while performing defense-related research and development under military contracts. The breadth of scientific inquiry here, ranging from pure mathematics and physics to applied engineering and materials science, made the New Jersey campuses a singular destination for the world's most accomplished researchers. Eleven Nobel Prizes and five Turing Awards have been awarded for work completed at Bell Laboratories.
-Bell Laboratories also pioneered in the development of sonar, lasers, and solar cells, and performs defense-related research and development under military contracts. The institution's breadth of scientific inquiry — ranging from pure mathematics and physics to applied engineering and materials science — made the New Jersey campuses a singular destination for the world's most accomplished researchers. Eleven Nobel Prizes and five Turing Awards have been awarded for work completed at Bell Laboratories.
 == Corporate Transitions and the Legacy of Bell Works ==
-With the breakup of the Bell System, Bell Labs became a subsidiary of AT&T Technologies in 1984, which resulted in a drastic decline in its funding. The institution that had once attracted the most ambitious scientists in the country was forced to reorient itself toward nearer-term commercial research priorities.
+The breakup of the Bell System forced Bell Labs to become a subsidiary of AT&T Technologies in 1984. Funding declined drastically. The institution that once attracted the most ambitious scientists in the country had to reorient itself toward near-term commercial research priorities.
-In 1996–97, AT&T split into three companies, one of which, Lucent Technologies Inc., was a manufacturer of telephone and other communications equipment. Most of Bell Laboratories' employees became part of Lucent, though a minority remained with AT&T, which thenceforth confined itself to telephone and other services. Lucent Technologies merged with Alcatel in 2006 to form Alcatel-Lucent, which in turn was acquired by Nokia in 2016. Today, Nokia Bell Labs is an American industrial research and development company owned by the Finnish technology company Nokia, with headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey.
+In 1996–97, AT&T split into three companies, one of which, Lucent Technologies Inc., manufactured telephone and communications equipment. Most Bell Laboratories employees became part of Lucent, though a minority stayed with AT&T, which thereafter focused on telephone and other services. Lucent Technologies merged with Alcatel in 2006 to form Alcatel-Lucent, which was then acquired by Nokia in 2016. Today, Nokia Bell Labs operates as an American industrial research and development company owned by the Finnish technology company Nokia, with headquarters in Murray Hill, New Jersey.
-The Holmdel campus faced a more uncertain fate. In 2006, the owner of the property announced that they had signed a contract with a private developer; the developer intended to raze the building because it was deemed "obsolete." This led to a storm of protest from scientists from all over the world who had once worked there. Preservation New Jersey (PNJ), the statewide historic preservation advocacy group, listed the building as one of its "10 Most Endangered Historic Sites" in May 2007.
+The Holmdel campus faced an uncertain future. In 2006, the property owner announced a contract with a private developer who intended to raze the building as "obsolete." This sparked protests from scientists worldwide who'd once worked there. Preservation New Jersey (PNJ) listed the building as one of its "10 Most Endangered Historic Sites" in May 2007.
-Along with other advocacy groups, including PNJ, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Docomomo, Citizens for Informed Land Use, the Present Past Preservation Network, and the American Institute of Architects-New Jersey, the Trust for Cultural Landscapes Forum formed a coalition and proposed an education outreach effort. The coalition sponsored the "Bell Labs Charette," a study undertaken in 2008 and published in 2009.
+Working with PNJ, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Docomomo, Citizens for Informed Land Use, the Present Past Preservation Network, and the American Institute of Architects-New Jersey, the Trust for Cultural Landscapes Forum formed a coalition and proposed an education outreach effort. They sponsored the "Bell Labs Charette," a study undertaken in 2008 and published in 2009.
-In 2013, Somerset Development Corp bought the property for $27 million, with a plan to retain as much as possible of the original design. Their acquisition in 2013 was followed by a new name — Bell Works — and a redesign led by architect Alexander Gorlin, who worked closely with Paola Zamudio, CEO of npz studio+, the lead designer and creative director of Bell Works. The new mixed-use masterplan includes offices, restaurants, shopping, housing, a public library, and more.
+Somerset Development Corp purchased the property in 2013 for $27 million. Their plan was to retain as much of the original design as possible. Following the acquisition came a new name, Bell Works, and a redesign led by architect Alexander Gorlin, who worked closely with Paola Zamudio, CEO of npz studio+, the lead designer and creative director. The new mixed-use masterplan includes offices, restaurants, shopping, housing, a public library, and more.
-A number of film, television series, and commercials have been filmed in and around Bell Works, including ''Severance'', ''The Crowded Room'', and ''Law & Order: Organized Crime''. The building's striking modernist interior — particularly its soaring atrium — brought global attention to the Holmdel site after ''Severance'' became an acclaimed Apple TV+ production. The complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been the subject of several awards.
+Film and television productions have been shot in and around Bell Works. ''Severance'', ''The Crowded Room'', and ''Law & Order: Organized Crime'' all used the location. The striking modernist interior, particularly its soaring atrium, brought global attention to Holmdel after ''Severance'' became an acclaimed Apple TV+ production. The complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has received several awards.
 == See Also ==