GRT Architects was asked to redesign the public spaces of an 83 unit residential building in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They used a number of strategies to insure their design could be built quickly, without looking rushed. Their first stop was to a local stone yard where they sourced in-stock square tiles in four types of marble. These went to Queens where each received a single cut, resulting in a large and small trapezoid that nest into each other. They laid these out in a checkerboard pattern primarily composed of contrasting grey and white, with a confetti of yellow, red, and green.

Where the floor meets the walls they rotated the small trapezoids to serve as the baseboard, their sloping sides creating a chevron profile in elevation. Custom mahogany wall paneling meets the stone base, incised with lines to emphasize the geometry of the tiles. This motif is exaggerated at the entrance desk where the lines become three dimensional profiles, inlaid with natural brass. The red marble top of the desk is echoed in a custom bench supported by chamfered wide-flange beams relieved into the wall cladding. GRT worked with small husband and wife team to fabricate all of the wood and steel elements which also included a redesign of the vestibule. Again using a mix of in-stock items and custom design, they created a small but elegant transition space with a grid of mailboxes, enclosed by a mahogany storefront. 

In addition to the lobby, GRT selected furniture, lightings, and accessories and designed all of the corridors and elevator lobbies.

Material Used :
1. Fabricator – Max Wang Studio
2. Furniture – Modernica
3. Chandelier – Alex Allen Studios 
4. Mirror – Fort Standard