On Monday, September 15, 2025, Ford unveiled a brand-new headquarters within its Dearborn, Michigan campus, with wider ongoing construction expected to continue well into 2027. This massive facility will house up to 4,000 people in the main building alone, but where one titan rises, another falls. With no more use for the iconic “Glass House” serving as Ford’s company headquarters for seven decades, the building is officially scheduled for demolition.
The demolition itself involves a long process of decommissioning as work gets migrated out, totaling an estimated 18 months before the building is finally shuttered. Work on a final section of the new headquarters is still ongoing, with the grand opening set for November 2025.
Named the New Ford World Headquarters, this facility is designed with open integration in mind, emphasizing a more collaborative and cross-functional workspace. It’ll serve as the main cornerstone for the greater campus area, named the Henry Ford II World Center, a name partially shared with the Glass House. While the building itself might be new, it actually sits on hallowed ground for Ford enthusiasts; its location rests on top of the former Ford Product Development Center, responsible for the creation of some of the world’s most ubiquitous automobiles (and some of Ford’s biggest flops). Vehicles like the Ford F-Series, Mustang, and Thunderbird were all penned in the Product Development Center’s campus, its history dating back to 1953. The Glass House also boasts its own rich history, of course, dating to 1956 and witnessing many of Ford’s pivotal moments.
The Glass House
Officially known as the Ford World Headquarters, the Glass House is likely one of the most iconic office buildings occupied by a single company, also being one of the largest. It was designed by the Chicago-based architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the International style, an architectural language first popularized in the 1930s. Unlike other office buildings within cities, the Glass House stands out as a decentralized workspace among farmlands once owned by Henry Ford, featuring a total of 3,083 windows supported by a concrete and steel structure…