An inside look at the new headquarters of a Wall Street disrupter that just moved to a swanky new office in glamorous Hudson Yards

Dan DeFrancesco,Dakin Campbell,Hollis Johnson

Apr 19, 2019, 17:30 IST

An inside look at the new headquarters of a Wall Street disrupter that just moved to a swanky new office in glamorous Hudson Yards

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

MarketAxess maintains three floors in 55 Hudson Yards.

MarketAxess, which runs the largest electronic marketplace for US corporate bonds, relocated its headquarters to 55 Hudson Yards in January.
The space is 83,000 square-feet across three floors and can hold roughly 450 employees.
MarketAxess spent $25.1 million to build out its new home, according to its annual report.

The evolution of fixed income has become one of the hottest topics on Wall Street recently. From Tradeweb's IPO to big banks shutting down trading desks in favor of algos, the space continues to evolve, and at a rapid pace.

So it's only fitting one of the rising players in the bond market just moved to the fastest growing neighborhood in New York.

In January, MarketAxess relocated its headquarters to Hudson Yards, the $25 billion neighborhood that's the most expensive real-estate development in US history.

It's a fitting place for MarketAxess, which has been doing some growing of its own. The company operates the largest electronic marketplace for US corporate bonds and is a key figure in the rapidly evolving fixed-income space.

The news offices are 83,000 square-feet and span across three color-coordinated floors. MarketAxess spent $25.1 million to built out its new home, according to its annual report.

Business Insider recently got a chance to take a peak inside the company's new digs.

Here are the photos:

MarketAxess is located in the fast-developing Hudson Yards on Manhattan's West Side.

Hudson Yards is the most expensive real-estate development in US history, but a large portion of it still remains under construction.

MarketAxess signed the lease for the space in August 2016 after the decision was made to leave its Midtown offices, which it had outgrown.

The office is approximately 83,000 square-feet across three floors.

MarketAxess spent $25.1 million to build out the space, according to its annual report.

The company moved into the new space on January 21, making MarketAxess the first official tenants of 55 Hudson Yards, which also houses Steve Cohen's hedge fund Point72.

The main lobby sits on the 15th floor, but the company also maintains the 16th and 17th floors as well.

All three floors are accessible via an open staircase that sits towards the center of the office.

Floors are color-coordinated with the 15th, where legal, human resources and executives sit, in yellow ...

... the 16th floor, where sales and marketing reside, in orange ...

... and the 17th, which holds the technology team, in red.

The main board room overlooks the Hudson River and features privacy glass that can be turned opaque during sensitive meetings.

All of MarketAxess' conference rooms have been designed so that no wires appear on the tables for a cleaner look.

A room specifically for training features movable desks and a sliding temporary wall so it can be configured differently depending on what it's being used for.

Each floor has its own kitchen that is situated in a hallway that runs through the center of the building.

MarketAxess also provides lunch to employees each day. With much of Hudson Yards still in development, this saves workers from having to walk long distances to get lunch.

Throughout the office, different coves were built for employees to pop in for impromptu meetings or calls.

Urban artist John "CRASH" Matos was commissioned to make several murals throughout the technology floor in an effort to give the space a creative feel. Nick Themelis, MarketAxess' chief information officer, owns a piece by CRASH and recommended him.

Any employee lounge that includes a pool table sits on the 16th floor.

Employees also have access to keyless lockers to store their personal belongings throughout the day.

Currently, approximately 275 employees work out of the office, but it can hold roughly 450, suggesting MarketAxess has serious ambitions to grow.

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