World Wide Plaza was a rare architectural design opportunity because this 2.3 million square foot multi-use complex covers an entire New York City block, 200 feet by 800 feet. Built on the site of the old Madison Square Garden, on the West Side of Manhattan, World Wide Plaza is a complex which includes a 45-story office tower on Eighth Avenue, a 40-story residential tower to the West, and a series of 5- and 6-story residential buildings which line Ninth Avenue, West 49th Street and West 50th Street.

Frank Williams was the designer for the residential complex and the office complex was designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Working with the City Planning Commission contributed to the design concept that allowed the complex to fit into its urban and architectural context. As the complex moves westward, from the office building to the residential tower and then to the low-rise residential buildings, its scale decreases. This allows the complex to tie into the basic 5- to 6 -story scale of the Clinton Historic Landmark District.

Designing large-scale low-rise buildings was also a rare opportunity and, thus, called for the street frontages on Ninth Avenue and along the side streets to be lined with buildings reminiscent of the local town-houses and row-houses of the Clinton Historic District. Some of the residences have their own New York stoop entrances while the residential lobbies are also organized along West 49th Street and West 50th Street. In all, these low-rise buildings contain 242 studio apartments, 126 one-bedroom apartments, and 18 two-bedroom apartments. At the same time, 20,000 square feet of retail space is provided on Ninth Avenue to enhance the continuity of a vigorous retail presence along the avenue.

A landscaped central plaza separates the office building from the residential elements of the complex. This plaza provides a focus for the entire neighborhood with theaters, restaurants, shops, and a health club, that surround the park and keep it very active during the day and during summer evenings.