Located in an historic landmark building, this design challenge for this financial firm’s office space was to infuse a modern aesthetic while respecting and celebrating the building’s unique historic details. Reinforcing the culture and values of the company while reflecting the unique aspects of this team’s personality and workstyle was also key. Elements like open ceilings, exposed brick walls, and aged bronze window casings were carefully preserved and further enhanced with contemporary details, making the space unique and welcoming.
Using the client’s baseline design standards, the design team made modest adjustments to the design details to infuse the fund manager’s particular aesthetic - the look and feel of a gallery space as a subtle backdrop for art and furniture. A departure from a traditional financial office, transparency was a crucial element in the design approach, capitalizing on daylight and the view of Madison Square park across the street.
Departing from a traditional reception area, employees and visitors are welcomed into a living room space with unobstructed views of the entire office. Drawing inspiration from tech-inspired spaces, amenities were added such as a spacious living room area, an adjacent café/game room, glass partitions for unobstructed sightlines throughout the space and informal and comfortable break-away spaces. All materials were chosen to be in harmony with the rustic/polished look and feel of the space. To further promote comfortable and informal aesthetic all ancillary pieces were chosen for their informal look and feel while the use of area rugs on top of herringbone wood floors also promotes the overall comfortable feel of the space.
