How 3,000 Windows and 5 Acres of Glass Helped Shape Ford’s Legacy

Ford’s “Glass House” has long been synonymous with the company, and the iconic structure followed a lineage of Ford facilities that emphasized the use of glass in their design and construction and represented the company at a time when it was one of the largest producers of the very material that became part of the building's identity.   

The design of the former World Headquarters, the company’s fifth since its founding in 1903, was inspired by what was then the new United Nations building in New York City. Former company leader Henry Ford II was said to have been fond of the glass-intensive U.N. building, and the nickname “Glass House” was quickly adopted for the Ford Motor Company space that would later officially bear his name. It was designed by New York City-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and opened on Sept. 26, 1956. The 90-acre site replaced the company’s previous administration building on Schaefer Road.

The new structure was filled with fine materials such as porcelain and marble, but their quantities paled in comparison to the amount of glass that was used in the 12-story, 200-foot-tall building. It was designed with more than 205,000 square feet of glass – nearly five acres worth (both tinted and heat-absorbing, which was advanced for the time). First known as the “Central Office Building,” it even included a special window washing machine, which was removed in the 2000s. 

During a 1998 renovation project, a heat-reflecting solar film was added to the building’s 3,000 windows.

The rows upon rows of windowpanes that face Michigan Avenue to the south have been harnessed for celebration, too. Throughout the years, the windows have been used as a canvas to acknowledge occasions such as company anniversaries, Ford’s famous wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Super Bowl, among others. 

Head of the glass 

Considering the company’s use of glass in its facilities, it may come as no surprise that Ford was the second-biggest manufacturer of the material in the U.S. in the 1980s. The company’s history of glass production dates back to experiments at the Highland Park plant in the 1920s. Ford’s Albert Kahn-designed Dearborn Glass Plant, where an innovative automotive safety glass was pioneered, was the base for the company’s glass production for decades . In 1927, Ford became the first automaker to provide safety glass as standard equipment for new vehicles. In 1978, it began making residential glass, called Sunglas, that was capable of blocking the sun’s heat. The company ended its glass-making operations in the 1990s.

Ford occupied Detroit's Highland Park plant, also designed by Kahn, in 1910. This is the location where the moving assembly line was implemented, taking Model T production to its height of about 1,000 cars per day. Although it was dubbed the “Crystal Palace” for the sunlight that flooded the space on bright days, the facility used just a quarter of the glass that would go into the Glass House. 

A bright future

Today, the Glass House has entered its final days, as employees prepare to move to the new World Headquarters and other locations around the Dearborn campus. A process of sustainable decommissioning will begin in the first half of 2026 before demolition and repurposing as an asset to the local community. The company, which will continue to own the property, will share more details about the property’s future at a later date.  

As Ford relocates to the sixth WHQ in its history in coming months, it will take with it an address (1 American Road) and the name of Henry Ford II. The coated panes of the Glass House, which have brought light to and celebrated countless milestones and innovations, will now be transformed to create a bright future for Ford and the community. 

Share your memories of the Glass House here! 

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