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      Omar Aqeel brings “sensory fantasy” to NYC bar Only Love Strangers

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      Cobalt blue surfaces line this bar and restaurant in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, designed by Brooklyn-based Studio Omar Aqeel as a “retro-futuristic oasis”.

      On the corner of East Houston and Allen streets, Only Love Strangers is a two-level cocktail lounge, restaurant and live-music venue that draws influences from 1960s and 70s surrealism.
      Guests arriving at Only Love Strangers are greeted at a cantilevered host stand within a limewashed spaceStudio Omar Aqeel blended references ranging from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey movie and Eileen Gray’s E-1027 villa to the sculptures of Alexander Calder for the interiors.
      “A site of sensory fantasy – especially for discerning creatives – Only Love Strangers boasts a unique aesthetic that encourages endless discovery,” said the team.
      An arched opening leads into a bar area lined floor to ceiling with cobalt blue tilesGuests who enter the 6,300-square-foot (585-square-metre) space are greeted at a cantilevered, brushed-aluminium host stand.

      Straight ahead, through an arched opening, is a bar area enveloped in floor-to-ceiling cobalt blue tiles with blue grouting.
      Banquettes are upholstered in Verner Panton’s 1969 Black and White Optik textileA brushed-aluminium bar counter has rounded ends echoed by a light fixture above, and industrial-style bar stools provide seating for seven.
      Banquettes are upholstered in Verner Panton’s 1969 Black and White Optik textile, adding space for eight more guests.
      Cobalt blue continues as an accent on seat cushions in the main dining spaceIn the main dining space, left of the entrance, the walls are covered in earthy limewash that contrasts the bright blue cushions of built-in seats.
      “Here, a voyeuristic egress allows guests to peek into the subterranean lounge, while domed dining niches with blue crescent-shaped booths provide a more intimate dining atmosphere,” the team said.
      The private dining space is decorated with a mural inspired by the Bauhaus abstract gridThe private dining space for up to 10 guests is decorated with a wall-to-wall, hand-painted mural inspired by the Bauhaus abstract grid.
      With its own entrance, this space includes Ant chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, a vintage Makio Hasuike for Seccose metro dining table, and Maru pendant lighting by Ingo Maurer.

      Bird feathers and burls inform New York restaurant by Polonsky & Friends

      Cobalt blue reappears across the basement-level lounge, where almost every surface is dressed in the bold hue.
      Aluminium accents continue in this space too, along with a variety of playful lights that add a warm glow to the cool-toned space.
      The basement-level cocktail lounge is also lined almost entirely in cobalt bluePieces by New York-based artists and designers can be found throughout Only Love Strangers, including Max Simon, Blue Green Works, Yuyu Shiratori, Nico Anon, Superabundance, Gregory Beson, Adriana Gallo, Ash Allen, and Lucas Willing Studios.
      The lounge also offers a live music program of local jazz talent in the evenings.
      The lounge features aluminium furniture and hosts live music performancesThe lively Lower East Side neighbourhood is packed with bars and restaurants, such as Italian spot Una Pizza Napoletana with “deco meets industrial” interiors.
      Boutiques that have recently opened in the area include the Le Père menswear store by BoND and the Awake NY streetwear shop by Rafael de Cárdenas.
      The photography is by Ori Harpaz.

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      Studio Ahead designs “soothing” interiors for Williamsburg wine bar

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      Taupe walls and walnut banquettes create a calming atmosphere in this wine bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, designed by California-based Studio Ahead.

      Named With Others, the bar on Bedford Avenue specialises in natural wines from small-production, low-impact wineries.
      Studio Ahead designed the With Others wine bar to have a soothing atmosphereSouth Williamsburg, which has seen a dramatic transformation over the past three decades – from creative backwater, to hipster locale, to commercial hotspot.
      Owner Shanna Nasiri wanted to take her patrons back to the creative spirit of the neighbourhood’s heyday in late 1990s and early 2000s.
      Industrial elements include metal-mesh shelving behind the barShe invited Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia, founders of Studio Ahead in San Francisco, to design the interiors with a “rough around the edges” feel.

      “This is not the Williamsburg of Hermès and homogeny, but of carefully selected wines served in a space of carefully selected artisans where you wave to the people you know across the room,” said Studio Ahead. “A neighborhood bar.”
      Walnut banquettes feature tall backs and thin cushionsThe building’s weathered facade, complete with “scratches, graffiti, patina, grime”, was left largely untouched.
      Inside, a soft-industrial aesthetic is evoked through elements like metal-mesh shelving behind the bar, fabricated by local company Wombat.
      Small square tiles cover the front of the bar counter and the floorSmall square tiles cover the floor and the sides of the bar counter, matching the Farrow and Ball paint on the walls and ceiling.
      Along one side of the space runs a series of minimalist walnut banquettes with tall backs and thin seat cushions.

      Timothy Godbold adorns Tribeca loft with modernist relief panels

      Georg stools by Chris Liljenberg Halstrom for Fritz Hansen, which feature cushions strapped to simple wooden frames, appear in two heights.
      Artworks and objects dotted through the interior include a wooden vase by artist Ido Yoshimoto, and small dishes and bowl by ceramicist Katie Coughlin.
      With Others nods to the recent history of its Williamsburg locationOn the walls, cube-shaped washi paper lanterns by artist John Gnorski depict “Dionysian scenes of friendship and frolic”.
      The minimalist forms and muted colour palette throughout the space offer a “soothing contrast to bright loud furious New York” according to Studio Ahead.
      The building’s weathered facade was left largely untouchedWilliamsburg may have changed over the years, but it’s still one of New York City’s most popular neighbourhoods.
      Recent additions to the area include a Moxy hotel designed by Basile Studio and a Kith store with an “industrial ambiance”.
      The photography is by Ekaterina Izmestevia.

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      Crina Arghirescu Rogard adds “eccentric design” to historic penthouse in Tribeca

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      Architect Crina Arghirescu Rogard has updated a penthouse apartment in a historic New York City building, injecting an array of designs into an already eclectic collection.

      Arghirescu Rogard was tasked by a friend, Mexican artist Claudia Doring Baez, to reimagine her family home in just six weeks.
      Located in the American Thread Building, the penthouse’s grand living room was formerly a ballroom for The Wool Club societySharing “a mutual passion for eccentric design pieces,” the pair set about finding and installing a mix of art, textiles and custom contemporary pieces that would add to the home’s assemblage.
      “The primary challenge was to establish a dialogue between the old and the new, the strong historical architectural shell of the apartment and a decidedly contemporary new interior,” said the architect, who has offices in both Paris and Brooklyn.
      Decorative black walnut panelling is contrasted by contemporary furnitureThe penthouse is located in Tribeca’s American Thread Building, built in 1890 in the Renaissance Revival style.

      Its grand living room was formerly the ballroom for The Wool Club, a society of fabric industry leaders who would gather on the building’s top floor.
      Custom-designed pieces for the apartment include the pale-blue dining table by Liz HopkinsOriginal details such as highly decorative black walnut panelling, ceiling mouldings and a large open fireplace form a backdrop for the contemporary furniture.
      Baez’s extensive collection of art, which includes works by Pablo Picasso, Robert Motherwell and Roy Oxlade, helped to inform the interior refresh.
      The eclectic mix of furniture and artwork continues in the kitchenPaintings, photographs and sculptures by her mother Lucero Gonzales, her brother Adolfo Doring and her daughter Alexandra Zelman also cover the walls of the kitchen and hallways.
      “A poetic assemblage of strong pieces that could stand on their own was what was needed to echo the spirit of the art,” Arghirescu Rogard said.
      For the primary bedroom, Crina Arghirescu Rogard custom-designed a curvaceous headboard wrapped in dark green velvetA large-scale triptych by Rose Wylie that hangs behind the custom dining table informed the colour palette and bold gestures chosen for the living space.
      Among the pieces added are the curved asymmetric sofa that separates the sitting and dining areas, and the pale blue Conversation chairs by artist Liz Collins that are tied together with draping fabric.

      Timothy Godbold adorns Tribeca loft with modernist relief panels

      Contrasting one another, a bi-colour Franco Albini Fiorenza lounge chair and a white Lympho Contemporary chair by Taras Zheltyshev are positioned by the fireplace.
      The bright yellow coffee table comprising stackable resin cubes was custom designed by Liz Hopkins, who also created the blue-tinted dining table – both taking their colours from Wylie’s paintings.
      Paintings, photographs and sculptures by the homeowner’s family line the corridorsFor the primary bedroom, Arghirescu Rogard custom-designed a curvaceous headboard wrapped in dark green velvet and added her yellow raku and bronze coffee table.
      With these pieces, the architect was able to “transform the Baez apartment into a poetic contemporary retreat that is audacious and yet warm and familial, in keeping with the owner’s own sense of life, creativity and whimsy”, she said.
      The updated interiors reflect the owner’s “sense of life, creativity and whimsy”Tribeca is a popular neighbourhood for artists and creatives, who reside in the spacious lofts and penthouses of former industrial buildings.
      Others that retain their historic features include an apartment with “secret spaces” that was renovated by Andrea Leung and a pied-à-terre that doubles as a showroom for Danish design company Vipp.
      The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

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      GRT Architects creates buttery yellow interior for San Sabino restaurant

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      Yellow hues make for a sunny environment inside this restaurant in New York’s West Village, designed by Brooklyn-based studio GRT Architects.

      For San Sabino, GRT Architects once again teamed up with chefs Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, with whom they worked on the neighbouring Don Angie restaurant.
      San Sabino’s historic facade was restored and painted pale grey to constrast the yellow interiorWith a very different menu and aesthetic, the new space is typified by buttery yellow interiors that contrast its pale grey facade.
      Both restaurants occupy the same wedge-shaped building on Greenwich Avenue, in what used to be a trio of retail spaces with “diminutive storefronts”.
      An interior wall was partially removed to connect the bar and dining areasThe facades were restored and windows were uncovered, returning the historic corner to its former glory.

      “Under many layers of paint and filler we found the original storefronts clad in copper sheet that seemed only better for neglect with a charming verdigris and patina,” said GRT Architects.
      A stainless steel ribbon above the bar fronts the lower connects and connects through to the dining spaceInside, a thick brick wall was partially removed to unify the spaces, while still visually separating the bar area from the main dining zone.
      A ribbon of stainless steel above the bar wraps around to connect the two, with custom polished brass sconces affixed at intervals onto the undulating surface.
      Ribbed leather banquettes and custom light boxes creates intimate moments”This horizontality is reprised at the bar with a shapely solid pewter rail, echoed by stainless nosings set into the bar die,” GRT Architects said.
      Low-slung ribbed banquettes covered in warm caramel-hued leather surround the perimeter, notably below a mirrored side wall with light boxes installed between the reflective panels.

      Don Angie restaurant interior takes influences from Italy and New Jersey

      Mottled grey stone floor tiles are patterned with smaller, glossy yellow circles and squares, riffing on a classic carreaux d’octagones pattern.
      The handmade yellow tiles were also installed behind the bar, while the ceilings are padded and upholstered to help with acoustics.
      The sunny daytime mood becomes more sophisticated at night thanks to the lighting scheme”Naturally this was an excuse to play with pattern and texture,” said the team. “The dining room features a winking vermiculated print while the bar tips luxe with a woven jacquard.”
      Overall, the vibrant color scheme and the cool metal tones come together to create a playful yet sophisticated dining environment, which shifts dramatically from day to night and reflects the spins on the Southern Italian cuisine served.
      The warmth of the yellow tones contrasts the cool metals to create a playful aestheticGRT Architects was founded by Tal Schori and Rustam-Marc Mehta in 2014, and over the past decade has built up a portfolio of projects in New York City.
      Among these are several Manhattan restaurants, including the similarly sunny Cucina Alba in Chelsea and the maximalist Bad Roman on Columbus Circle.
      The daytime photography is by Nicole Franzen. The nighttime photography is by Alice Gao.

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      The Red Room by Apparatus forms theatrical lighting presentation

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      New York lighting brand Apparatus has enveloped its showroom in red to present a new modular version of the Cylinder pendant series during NYCxDesign.

      The Apparatus showroom in Manhattan’s Garment District has been transformed once again, as part of the brand’s continual evolution of its spaces and product lines.
      The central space at the Apparatus showroom in Manhattan’s Garment District has been enveloped in redThe Red Room was created to showcase the brand’s updated Cylinder series, which first debuted in 2014 and has now been extended into a customisable modular system.
      The central room of the fourth-floor space is decorated in a dark oxblood hue across the walls and floor, with furniture pieces upholstered to match.
      The installation was created to present a new modular version of the brand’s Cylinder seriesTo contrast the old-world glamour of the red decor, illuminated lightboxes overhead and gunmetal-lined portals into the room lend a more futuristic tone.

      Apparatus, led by artistic director Gabriel Hendifar, described the setting as “Ms Vreeland’s ‘Garden in Hell’ meets Mr Kubrick’s Space Odyssey as imagined by Mr Fellini”.
      On a central plinth sits a bronze statue of Phaethon, the son of Helios in Greek mythologyOn an elongated pedestal in the centre of the room sits a bronze statue of Phaethon, the son of Helios in Greek mythology.
      “The boy is struck down by Zeus with a bolt of lightning after he scorched the earth with his father’s Sun Chariot – the source of all light itself,” said the Apparatus team.

      Apparatus updates Los Angeles showroom to include a “modernist grotto”

      The Cylinder System comprises Canopy and Lamp units that can be combined in various stacks and as double pendants, as demonstrated in The Red Room.
      “The light is soft-edged, warm, diffused, and can be directed to find the object of its affection,” said Apparatus of the products.
      Furniture is upholstered to match the walls and floorThe brand frequently updates its showrooms in New York, Los Angeles and London to present new or updated collections, which it refers to as “Acts”.
      For example, Apparatus updated its Los Angeles showroom to include a “modernist grotto” earlier this year.
      “We believe that our work is to create a stage for the human drama of life,” the team said. “We adopt the language of theatre and literature as a structure, with work organised in Forewords and Acts, each with their own exploration of form or narrative.”
      Illuminated ceiling panels and gunmetal-lined portals add a futuristic slant to the spaceThe evolution of the Cylinder Series is one of several to be expected from the brand this spring, as it revisits several from its catalog and introduces new ideas to existing pieces.
      Dezeen’s US editor Ben Dreith hosted a discussion with Hendifar at the showroom on Tuesday 21 May 2024, about the role of design in renewal and transformation.
      This was one of over 10 events we co-hosted during NYCxDesign, which took place across the city 16-23 May 2024.
      The photography is by Matthew Placek.

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      In Common With opens Quarters showroom and hospitality venue in Tribeca

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      New York lighting brand In Common With has opened a multi-functional space in a 19th-century Tribeca loft in time for NYCxDesign, and will host a shoppable experience and a variety of events during the festival and beyond.

      In Common With founders Felicia Hung and Nick Ozemba renovated the 8,000-square-foot (473-square-metre) space on the second floor of a historic building on Broadway as a venue to host events and showcase installations and collections both by themselves and others.
      Designed with a residential feel, the Quarters venue includes a wine bar for hosting events”A marriage of warmth and grandeur, whimsy and irreverence, Quarters is both a concept store and community gathering space,” said the duo.
      “Inspired by Tribeca’s rich artistic history – and by the participatory spirit of 1960s ad hoc art spaces – Quarters shifts between the expected and the altogether disarming, a curated space and one that’s improvisational and alive.”
      Quarters is divided into multiple interconnected spaces, including one styled as a living roomDesigned and styled to have a residential feel, the venue unfolds through various interconnected rooms, including a bar, lounge, library and great room.

      Each features richly hued decor and is populated with artful vintage and contemporary designs, the majority of which are shoppable.
      The majority of the design products on show are available to buyThere’s also bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, and powder rooms that feature dramatic marble sinks and are lined with handmade tiles.
      Other highlights include large tapestries hung on the walls, built-in burl wood storage that matches a counter base in a foyer, and the bar area that’s framed with a fresco by artist Claudio Bonuglia.
      The furniture, lighting and artwork presented in the space – by In Common With and many of their collaborators – will change frequently”Quarters is more than a retail concept; it’s a platform for showcasing our unique view on domesticity and hospitality and sharing our creative vision with a broader audience,” said Ozemba.
      “It represents our imagination, values, and ambitions in a tangible form, and it’s an open invitation for others to find inspiration within our world.”
      In Common With’s lighting collections including Flora, designed by Sophie Lou Jacobsen, are dispersed throughoutSince starting In Common With six years ago, Hung and Ozemba have collaborated on lighting collections with designers including Sophie Lou Jacobsen, Danny Kaplan and Simone Bodmer-Turner.
      All of these are represented throughout the different rooms, in pendant, floor, table and chandelier variations and multiple colourways.
      The various spaces, including bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room, are all decorated with a mix of vintage and contemporary furnitureThe launch of Quarters also coincides with In Common With’s debut collection of wooden furniture, which features hand-painted trompe l’oeil surfaces and customisable inlaid ceramics created with artist Shane Gabier.
      Other new pieces on view include glass lighting and objects with hand-cut graphic patterns, and a three-piece series of hand-embroidered fabric lighting fixtures.

      In Common With opens lighting studio and showroom in Brooklyn warehouse

      Hung and Ozemba plan to use the space as a platform for their fellow designers and artists, as well as their own work, and to entertain their peers with wine evenings and dinners.
      The displays will be updated to present new projects and collections, and to reflect In Common With’s fluid approach to collaborative design.
      Highlights include a marble counter with a burl wood base in a foyer area”By welcoming others and fostering our artistic community, [Quarters] will continue to evolve in new and exciting ways,” said Hung.
      “With each new perspective and collaboration, Quarters will transform again and again, pushing the boundaries of design, expression, and creative connection.”
      Bathrooms and powder rooms feature handmade tilesQuarters launched just in time for NYCxDesign, New York’s annual design festival, and is hosting a variety of events over the course of the month. Check out Dezeen’s NYCxDesign highlights and all of the events we’re hosting.
      In Common With previously opened a studio, showroom and production facility inside a Brooklyn warehouse in 2022.
      The photography is by William Jess Laird.

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      The Metropolitan Museum of Art unveils Sleeping Beauties exhibition spanning four centuries of fashion

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      In this video, Dezeen previews the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s latest blockbuster fashion exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, following last night’s Met Gala.

      The exhibition explores the concept of rebirth and renewal in fashion, showcasing the archival and restoration processes that take place behind the scenes of the Met’s Costume Institute.
      [embedded content]
      The exhibition brings together historical and contemporary pieces from the museum’s archive
      The show also uses nature as a visual metaphor to explore ideas around the transience of fashion.

      In addition to bringing to life the behind-the-scenes work of fashion conservation, the exhibition also explores the sensory aspects of fashion, with visitors being encouraged to smell aromas of floral motifs, feel the textures of different embroideries, and talk to historical figures through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
      The show links exhibits through the motif of nature. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe title of the exhibition is derived from the “sleeping beauties” of the institute’s archives – pieces that are too fragile to be displayed on mannequins. Instead, the exhibition uses AI, animation and X-rays to bring these historical garments to life for visitors.
      Approximately 220 garments and accessories spanning four centuries will be on display as part of the show.

      KOKO Architecture + Design creates interactive children’s space for the Met

      Sleeping Beauties will be open to the public from the 10th of May, following the annual Met Gala fundraiser, which took place yesterday and celebrated the exhibition’s debut.
      Celebrities interpreted the theme of The Garden of Time on the red carpet, with celebrities like Zendaya, Nicki Minaj and Gigi Hadid sporting floral motifs.
      The show includes pieces by fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Dior and Iris van Herpen. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe exhibition was organised by Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of The Costume Institute, with photographer Nick Knight acting as creative consultant for the exhibition.
      Exhibition design is by architecture studio Leong Leong in collaboration with The Met’s Design Department.
      Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion takes place from 10 May to 2 September at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Eero Saarinen’s Black Rock skyscraper refurbished in New York

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      The first and only skyscraper designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in New York City has undergone a renovation by Vocon Architects and MdeAS Architects to help it “meet the expectations of today”.

      At the behest of developer HGI, local architecture studios Vocon Architects and MdeAS Architects renovated and restored the 51W52 skyscraper, also known as Black Rock, which was completed as a headquarters for American media giant CBS in 1964.
      CBS moved all of its facilities out in late 2023 and Black Rock now contains offices for a variety of companies, including HGI itself.
      Eero Saarinen’s first and only skyscraper has been renovatedDesigned by modernist architect Saarinen as his first and only skyscraper, 51W52’s original symmetrical facade of granite, bronze and travertine has survived, with the bronze fins updated by the renovation team.
      At the time, Saarinen called it the “simplest skyscraper statement in New York”.

      The original design was mostly maintained, and the developer, which purchased the landmarked building in 2021, said that the relatively column-less floor plans made it a perfect candidate for a contemporary office, though the interiors needed an update.
      The building’s facade is made of granite, bronze and travertine”From the beginning, we understood the immense potential of 51W52 given its architectural significance, desirable floor plans, and central location in Midtown,” said HGI president T Richard Litton Jr.
      “The structure of the building was optimal, we just needed to make subtle enhancements to reflect and appreciate its original design.”
      Most of the structural elements in the building were left intact. The architectural team completely renovated two lobbies on the ground floor, including a revamp of the finishes and the elevators. They also redid the building’s rooftop garden.
      Contemporary details and furnishings were added to the lobbyThe project also included the renovation of key amenities spaces including a lounge, fitness centre and a private cafe.
      The studios said that instead of completely rethinking the aesthetics of the 900,000-square-foot (83,600 square-metre) building, they aimed to “let the significant architecture speak for itself”.
      The wide, long walls of the lobby were finished in detailing that echoes those used for the original facade. Some of the walls were covered in brass-tipped wooden slats, while others feature monolithic granite slabs.
      The elevator bay was clad in light-coloured stoneBack-lit stone clads the reception desk, above which was placed a modernist fresco that incorporates the CBS logo to call attention to the history of the building.
      This artwork, by artist Vincent Ashbahian, was originally displayed in the building in the 1970s and willed back to the building after his death.
      Toronto outfit Viso created a massive lighting fixture made of dangling lights on strands to cover a large swath of the lobby.

      Oyler Wu Collaborative repurposes Eero Saarinen bank teller canopies for installation

      “By conceptualizing the experience from the outside in, we were able to restore the fundamental beauty of his design and apply the principles of form, light, and even water to new elements such as the feature stair and water feature that meet the preferences of contemporary office users,” said MdeAS Architects managing partner Dan Shannon.
      From the lobby, a glass-lined stairwell leads down to lounge areas. The stairwell shaft is clad in stainless steel rendered in an undulating pattern.
      Models of furniture originally designed by Saarinen and architect Florence Knoll were placed throughout the renovated spaces.
      A water feature was placed underneath the staircase leading to the below-lobby loungeAs it leads to lounge areas below, it passes over a small, still water feature: a small pool of water retained by black-painted metal.
      “The creation of private lounges, a conference center, and fitness studios help the building meet the expectations of today’s best corporate talent, while their designs maintain the integrity of Saarinen’s original architecture,” said Vocon Architects principal Tom Vecchione.
      Saarinen is known for his modernist architecture, with built work across the United States and Europe. Recently, a number of his buildings have been undergoing renovation, including his TWA terminal at JFK, which was repurposed into a hotel.
      Other modernist skyscrapers that have undergone restorations and renovations in New York City include the famous Lever House skyscraper, which was restored by SOM, its original architects.
      The photography is by Colin Miller.

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