ModCraft dimensional handmade tile was selected as a design element for the lobby of the 10,000 Building by interior designer Shamir Shah. The 10,00o Building project was completed in 2017 by Handel Architects and is a 40 story luxury apartment building in Santa Monica, California. It is named the 10,000 Building after its addresss on Santa Monica Boulevard. Crescent Heights was the developer of the project.
Shah was chosen by Handel Architects to design a holistic interior with one overarching goal: to integrate sculpture, painting, and photography as seamlessly as possible. “When we were developing the spaces, very early on, Crescent Heights particularly asked us for a strong art program,” he says. “That was music to our ears."
The three level 75,000 square foot lobby displays a richness of material with handblown glass chandeliers by a Murano-trained artisan glisten overhead. An interweave of patterned paper circles, inspired by Japanese kites, create a multi-colored backdrop behind the concierge desk. The expansive floor is lined with dark brown slabs of travertine quarried in Iran, then cut into slabs and polished in Italy.
Shah, inspired by the simplicity of European mid-century modernists, creates an environment where the presence of art impresses without being overwhelming.With emphasis on the art, Shah kept the background muted, although richly textured. Walls are paneled with cerused oak, raked limestone, or patinated bronze.
Abstraction also plays a part. A striking white curvy plaster sculpture by artist Malcolm Hill, who happens to be Shah’s partner in life, pops against a grid of small bronze-colored wall tile by ModCraft. The dimensionality of the tile in the space creates a textured feature wall to offset the smooth expanse of the abstract sculpture.
According to ModCraft owner and designer David Clark, Shah describes the tile as "beautiful and inspiring."The ModCraft tile style chosen by Shah is "Valley," a 6″ x 6″ high fired porcelain tile. Stylistically, the tile raises slightly in the middle and slopes off to the edge. This, along with the play of light, creates a rich patterning when installed horizontally or vertically as a design element, as shown in this installation.
