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      Norman Kelley refreshes lobby of postmodern Chicago skyscraper

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      US architecture studio Norman Kelley used materials such as brass and polished quartz to update the lobby in a 1980s skyscraper designed by John Burgee and Philip Johnson.

      The project – formally called the 190 South LaSalle Street Lobby – is located within a postmodern-style office tower in Chicago’s Central Loop. The 41-storey building was originally designed by American architects John Burgee and Philip Johnson and opened in 1987.
      Norman Kelley updated the lobby with materials including brassThe current owners, Beacon Capital Partners, hired local studio Norman Kelley to update the ground-level lobby, which is open to the public.
      “The overall goal of the project was to provide a safe interior public space that encourages community and contemplation, or a space to linger within,” the studio said.
      Rose-hued marble pilasters were kept intactThe lobby has a number of notable features that were kept intact. These include rose-hued marble pilasters, a black-and-white marble floor, and a 50-foot-tall (15-metre) vaulted ceiling sheathed in gold leaf.

      Norman Kelley added a range of new elements, including electric turnstiles, security desks and a cafe. Brass and polished quartz were used for the desks and cafe.
      A black-and-white marble floor was also preservedThe studio also designed new furnishings for the project, including a curvy sofa and long banquette, both in a vanilla hue.
      The seating was inspired by two sources – Vitra’s office furniture and group seating in the now-shuttered Four Seasons restaurant in New York, designed by Philip Johnson.
      A vanilla-hued banquette was designed by the studioThe seating was paired with round, brass-and-marble tables topped with portable LED Carrie lamps by Norm Architects.
      The north apse, which once held a marble security desk, was redesigned as a semicircular amphitheatre measuring 12 feet high and 27 feet wide (3.7 by 8.2 metres).
      The semi-circular amphitheatre has gold seatingThe tiered seating is made of perforated brass risers and honed, off-white marble with gold veining. Railings are made of brass pipes.
      To animate the space, the architects created an “immersive audio experience” in collaboration with the studio iart and sound scenographer Idee und Klang.
      Brass and polished quartz were used for the desks and cafeThe weather-inspired audio installation was designed to be triggered by 81 light sensors and three motion sensors that are located behind the risers.
      “Once the amphitheatre senses one’s presence, a musical score comprising 15 instruments, four tempos, and seven keys and scales play across eight of the nearest 91 speakers,” the team said.

      Deconstructivism “killed off postmodernism” says Peter Eisenman

      “The brass-and-marble amphitheatre is a responsive instrument that uses real-time data inputs, like weather and time of day, to compose an ever-changing sonic environment.”
      The amphitheatre stands in contrast to the southern apse, where a towering bronze sculpture, called Chicago Fugue by Anthony Caro, was installed in 1987. The abstract sculpture is composed of anomalous shapes and alludes to musical instruments.
      A bronze sculpture by Anthony Caro features in the space”Like an aural diptych, the lobby presents two musical sculptures: one figurative, the other literal, to welcome you back to work,” the team said.
      Norman Kelley was founded in 2012 by Carrie Norman and Thomas Kelley.
      The studio’s other projects include an Aesop store in Chicago’s Bucktown neighbourhood, which features reclaimed bricks arranged in pinwheel patterns, and a flagship store for clothing retailer Notre that is housed in a building dating to 1906.
      The photography is by Kendall McCaugherty Ristau.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Norman KelleyOwner: Beacon Capital PartnersGeneral contractor: Power Construction CompanyMedia architecture: iartSound scenography: Idee und KlangAcoustics: Walters-Storyk Design GroupMEP: Kent Consulting EngineersStructural engineering: Klein & HoffmanAudio visual services: Global Service TechniciansMillwork: HuberExpediter: Burnham NationwideFilm: Spirit of Space

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      Frederick Tang Architecture transforms New York loft into light-filled wellness studio

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      Interior architecture and design studio Frederick Tang Architecture (FTA) has updated Moxi, a wellness studio and acupuncture centre in Soho, New York by re-arranging its interiors around an expansive oval skylight.

      Frederick Tang Architecture, based in Brooklyn, was tasked with reordering and redesigning the open-plan, top-floor studio into a space that accommodates a reception area, six treatment rooms, offices, bathrooms, herb dispensary and pantry.
      Frederick Tang Architecture wanted to capture natural lightThe studio took the 1901 mercantile building’s skylight as the starting point for the refurbishment of the rectangular-shaped space.
      Its dense urban context required an innovative solution to increase the floor area while introducing natural light throughout.
      Moxi is arranged around a central skylight”Architecturally we wanted to organise the many different components in a plan that felt logical and complete which was difficult with space constraints,” said Frederick Tang, director of design and principal architect at Frederick Tang Architecture (FTA).

      “We started by organizing the plan around the sources of natural light,” he told Dezeen.
      An office space has been added to the interiorVisitors enter the wellness studio and arrive at a reception area framed by four arched windows overlooking Broadway.
      Here, a custom bench crafted from white oak slats and copper detailing curves along two walls while sculptural pendant lights hang from the ceiling.
      To maximise space and take full advantage of the natural light, this area doubles as a site for gatherings and classes.
      The reception is flanked by four arched windowsFTA reconfigured Moxi’s rooms as well as softened corners and created arches that echo some of the existing architecture of the space for the client who wanted the interior to feel “holistic, natural, calm and inspiring”.
      A single corridor leads to all six treatment rooms, which were also coloured in shades of green.
      The walls were lime-washed in a soft cypress green, with wainscotting wooden panels painted in a darker shade of the same hue.

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      FTA wanted the colour to contrast traditional wellness studios which are often white and feel more clinical.
      “The predominant colour was green –lime washed in a cypress and deep forest – chosen for its property to heal, critical at the front where the patron first experiences the space,” said the architects.
      Each acupuncture treatment room has a different wallpaperThe treatment rooms, which are the most intimate sections in the studio, contain two bedrooms and a bathroom arranged around the lightwell.
      The green was offset by hints of pale peach throughout the interior and natural finishes including terrazzo, concrete, boucle and ribbed glass add depth and texture.
      A kitchenette is located at the end of the central corridorAt the end of the corridor, a second archway opens into a back-of-house area, where FTA has inserted a new office, herb dispensary, staff pantry, and bath.
      Other design-focused wellness spaces include the Shelter wellness centre in Sydney, which is located in a former restaurant and Yoko Kitahara spa in Israel, which was transformed from an Ottoman-era home.
      The photography is by Gieves Anderson.

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      Olson Kundig's New York office includes a timber cityscape table

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      Earthy tones and a wooden table in the shape of a cityscape feature in the Olson Kundig’s first New York office, which was designed with sensitivity to the 100-year-old building it occupies.

      Located in Midtown Manhattan, the office is spread across the 10th floor of a mid-rise tower constructed in 1923.
      The office features a central living room with a sculptural tableOlson Kundig – a studio with its primary offices in Seattle – created the interior to be its first New York City hub with a material and colour palette that responded to the building’s 100-year-old history.
      The open-plan office is defined by a central “living room” that features a 144-square-foot (13-square-metre) wooden table on wheels with a statement geometric cityscape.
      The cityscape was informed by the office’s New York locationCreated from raw timber offcuts, the table is divided into quarters for different configurations. It was designed by studio principal Tom Kundig and fabricated by Spearhead.

      “The design was the result of a conversation Alan [Maskin] and I had about our teacher, [the late architect] Astra Zarina, and our fond memories of gathering around the table at her home in the centre of Rome,” Kundig told Dezeen.
      “She always had a big pile of candles in the centre of the table, similar to the abstract masses at the centre of our table.”
      “We want to foster the same spirit of conversation and sharing between colleagues and collaborators in this new office space, so it was a natural place to draw inspiration.”
      An unenclosed kitchen is also located adjacent to the stationsA series of wooden workstations are arranged across the open-plan office, while conference rooms feature around its perimeter. An open kitchen is also located adjacent to the stations.
      Platforms are positioned above the workstations offering a display area for sculptures and models. According to the studio, this continues its tradition of integrating art into everyday life.

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      The office interior was designed to reflect its Manhattan location, rather than mirror the firm’s flagship office in Seattle, according to Kundig.
      “The existing shell of the office was largely concrete and glass. We added wood and warmer tones to soften the space, with natural materials to add texture and interest,” explained Alan Maskin, partner at the studio.
      Artwork is displayed around the officeA mixture of vintage and contemporary furniture was sourced locally from locations in Brooklyn and Tribeca.
      Like the Seattle office, the New York space will also host various art events, tying the otherwise-unique locations together.
      Wooden elements define the spaceOlson Kundig was founded in 2000. The firm has completed multiple international architecture projects including a beach house with louvred shutters in Sydney and a timber floating home in Seattle.
      Another practice that designed its own studio is Urselmann Interior, which created its office using only biodegradable and recycled materials.
      The photography is by Angela Hau.

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      Light and Air updates Financial District apartment with open floor plan

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      Brooklyn studio Light and Air has renovated a loft in New York City’s financial district by removing partitions to create an open, inviting space.

      Occupying the 12th storey of a converted commercial building in one of Manhattan’s historic neighbourhoods, the apartment has generous windows and floor area, but previously made poor use of these qualities and felt cramped.
      The apartment occupies the 12th storey of a Manhattan building”The existing conditions stifled the unit’s access to light and air,” said the design team. The owners tapped Shane Neufeld, of  Brooklyn-based Light and Air Studio, to rethink the space.
      “The space featured a low-hanging storage loft that hovered over the entry and a sprawling closet that loudly commanded the center of the space, disrupting any potential for meaningful visual connections,” said Neufeld.
      It was updated to have an open floor plan”Our goal was to maintain the functionality of the storage loft while creating a more generous entry and rethinking the programming and materiality of the apartment in its entirety,” the designer added.

      The team removed many of the apartment’s internal walls and reduced the footprint of the overhead storage loft to allow taller ceilings. Within the reconfigured welcome area, custom closets, shelving, and a sculptural wooden bench provide plenty of storage, some behind a slatted wooden wall.
      A minimal material palette was used throughoutLight and Air also updated the flooring in this area, marking the transition between the concrete of the building’s corridors and the apartment’s hardwood. The polished concrete is also found in the kitchen and bathroom.
      Within the 1,200 square-foot (111-square-metre) apartment, Light and Air partitioned the space using open shelving, allowing some perspectives to stay open between the living room and bedroom.
      Custom desks were built into the space”Our strategy took the shape of an open floor plan with minimal partitions and reducing the existing material complexity through a more straightforward approach,” said Neufeld.
      The living and dining room is positioned in the corner of the unit and has windows facing in two different directions.
      “Two exterior walls with multiple southeast and southwest exposures allow for significant natural light and impressive views of lower Manhattan,” said Neufeld.

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      These spaces were connected to the kitchen, which remained in the same location, but was updated with matching cabinetry, new appliances, and an additional sink that provides more functionality.
      Throughout the apartment, the designers employed a minimal palette. The walls have no base moulding, there is flush cabinetry, and custom, built-in desks.
      Wood takes centre stage in the project”As one moves in and around the different elements (some floating effortlessly off the ground), its functional variety and formal character become more readily apparent,” Neufeld concluded.
      Light and Air studio, also known as L/AND/A, was founded in 2017. The firm also designed a townhouse in Brooklyn, with a skylight illuminating a central staircase.
      Other New York City apartment renovations include a “minimal but warm” apartment that was designed by Selma Akkari and Rawan Muqaddas, and a loft on Broadway that local studio Worrell Yeung reconfigured to meet the needs of a growing family.
      The photography is by Kevin Kunstadt.

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      Park Slope condo becomes New York City's “largest mass-timber building”

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      Local studio Mesh Architectures has completed Timber House, a condominium in Brooklyn that developer The Brooklyn Home Company claims is “the largest mass timber building in New York City.”

      Timber House is made of glue-laminated timber, a type of structurally engineered wood used to make mass timber structures, and is the largest mass-timber project in New York City in terms of square footage and height, according to The Brooklyn Home Company.
      It is also the first condominium project in the city to be built using mass timber, the developer said.
      The building has 14 condos”Timber House started with the simple notion of creating a sense of life in a building, which engages, stimulates, and at the same time, calms us,” said Eric Lifton, founder and principal of Mesh Architectures.
      “The way we do that here is by using a plant as the primary building material.”

      The building’s columns, beams and floor plates are all mass timber, while the core had to be made of concrete masonry because of city restrictions, the studio said.
      The apartments stretch across the length of the structureTimber House is located in the residential Park Slope neighbourhood in Brooklyn and comprises 14 condos that stretch from the street-side to the back of the building.
      According to Mesh Architectures, the building was “constructed with passive house principles”.
      While not passive-house certified, it was built with solar photovoltaic panels on the roof to provide energy, and mineral wool and polyisocyanurate insulation to reduce the need for air conditioning.
      Heating and air conditioning is provided by air-source heat pumps.
      The building was developed in collaboration with The Brooklyn Home CompanyIt also features passive house-quality windows with triple glazing, and the 10 parking spaces in its ground-floor garage each have an electric charging station.
      The building’s facade is characterized by a flat face made with Danish brick that, according to the team, was chosen to integrate the building into the mostly brownstone neighbourhood.
      On the upper levels, the envelope is sculpted into jutting windows and recessed balconies with glass railings. The balconies’ undersides are wooden, giving the exterior palette a touch of the timber within.
      The floors are also made of woodA rooftop terrace provides views of Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan.
      Inside, wooden walls and ceilings line the corridors, which have hexagonal tiling on the floor that was designed custom by Mesh and produced in Turkey.
      The condos have 11-feet-tall (3.3 metres-tall) ceilings and feature exposed timber beams with LED lights that are integrated directly into the wood.

      The Dezeen guide to mass timber in architecture

      The timber beams also extend down from the ceiling to frame some of the walls and windows, providing insight into the building’s structural makeup.
      “The exposed wooden beams present in the home create a style reminiscent of city living in the 1960s and ’70s when we picture those large loft-style residences, which is really special,” said Bill Caleo of The Brooklyn Home Company.
      “As a city, if we want to lower our carbon footprint we need to prioritize mass timber.”
      In addition to the ceiling and beams the condos have wooden accentsFlooring in the living areas is wood, while the kitchen is floored with white tile to match the white cabinetry – accented with natural wood tones – and a long, white island.
      Other recently-announced designs for mass timber structures include the world’s tallest timber building designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen and a Henning Larsen-designed Volvo experience centre in Sweden.
      The photography is by Travis Mark. 

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      Magdalena Keck employs “warm minimalism” for interiors of glazed house in Hudson Valley

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      Interior designer Magdalena Keck has filled a glass-and-steel home in New York with a restrained but eclectic mix of furnishings that are meant to complement the existing architecture.

      The Hudson Valley Glass House is located in Westchester County, about an hour’s drive from New York City.
      The home has floor-to-ceiling glazing all aroundThe modernist home was designed by architect Robert Fitzpatrick and built-in 1967. Rising two levels, it contains a public zone on the upper level and three bedrooms and a family room down below.
      The clients – a couple with a young daughter – recently purchased the home and tapped Magdalena Keck, who runs an eponymous Manhattan studio, to oversee the interior design. For their full-time residence, the owners desired furnishings that were modern, function-driven and meaningful.
      The dwelling’s interiors intend to complement its modernist architecture”The clients, a family of three, are well versed in design and art, and it was important to them to have a personal connection to each of the items selected for their home,” the studio said.

      Drawing upon her penchant for “warm minimalism”, Keck chose a range of pieces that complemented the architecture and the existing finishes, including wood flooring and vanilla-hued window drapes.
      Magdalena Keck framed a brutalist-style coffee table with a grey bouclé sofa”Magda likes to think of the home as a glass envelope, serving as a vessel for the furnishings, lighting, art and objects that she has worked carefully with the client to fill the space with,” the studio said.
      In the living room, she placed a grey bouclé sofa by French designer Christophe Delcourt and an octagonal, brutalist-style coffee table in resin.
      A hyper-realistic painting is in the dining spaceIn the adjacent dining area, beech-and-fabric chairs by Sergio Rodrigues surround an Extenso table from Desalto.
      Rather than hang a light fixture over the table, the designer added a Mito floor lamp by Tom Fereday and a 1960s Tripod Cocoon floor lamp to provide illumination and visual interest. A large, hyper-realistic painting of choppy water by Ran Ortner rounds out the dining space.

      Andrew Franz updates 1960s home on New York’s Fire Island

      Downstairs in the family room, the atmosphere is casual and cosy. The space is adorned with a sofa by Piero Lissoni for Living Divani, Scandinavian nesting tables in rosewood, and a side chair by Børge Mogensen. Underfoot is a Soumak rug from ALT for Living.
      Audio and visual equipment is housed in a cabinet made of waxed aluminium by Jonathan Nesci.
      The Hudson Valley Glass House is located in Westchester CountyIn the main suite, there is a king bed from Camerich, Danish rosewood nightstands and two Bauhaus table lamps by Wilhelm Wagenfeld.
      The daughter’s room is fitted with custom pieces designed by Keck’s studio, including a  bed platform in oak and a desk with modular storage pullouts. There is also an Adorno wall lamp made of wood and brushed brass, and an astronaut painting by American artist Michael Kagan.
      Large windows provide views of the surrounding sceneryThe home’s guest bedroom features a bed by Lawson Fenning, a ceramic-painted nighstand by Reinaldo Sanguino, and a rare Valet chair by Hans Wegner dating back to the 1950s.
      Keck’s furnishing work also extends to the backyard, where there is a patio and swimming pool. Furnishings include a sofa and coffee table from Unopiù. A rounded, white dining table by Eero Saarinen is paired with white chairs by Harry Bertoia.
      Other projects by Magdalena Keck include a stark-white residence in a Four Seasons tower in Lower Manhattan, and the outfitting of a Catskill Mountains home, where she fused Danish and Japanese design.
      The photography is by Jeff Cate.

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      Esme Hotel in Miami draws on the “bohemian grandeur” of its past

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      Saturated tones, Mediterranean patterns and decadent furnishings are found throughout this renovated boutique hotel in Miami with interiors by New York studio Jessica Schuster Design.

      Originally built in 1927 as a cultural hub for artists, the building, formerly known as Spanish Village, is located on Miami Beach’s pedestrian plaza, Española Way.
      Esme Hotel is located along Miami Beach’s pedestrian stripEvent planning and design company Infinity Hospitality Group collaborated with Jessica Schuster Design on the transformation of the hotel, which has 145 guest rooms.
      The architecture of Española Way resembles the Mediterranean villages of Spain and France. Schuster looked to the rich local architectural history as a starting point for the interiors.
      Jessica Schuster Design transformed the building into a boutique hotel”We wanted to create an artful collage of bohemian grandeur alongside Miami’s historic Española Way,” said Jessica Schuster, founder of Jessica Schuster Design.”We had fun playing with furniture, lighting and fabrics to create something timeless and exciting at the same time,” Schuster told Dezeen.

      The interior has Art Deco elementsGuests arrive at a lobby with plush velvet flooring and benches clad in a fabric that recalls the patterned ceramic tiles often seen in southern European countries. Plants potted in wicker pots add to the hotel’s bohemian theme.
      “We wanted to create something that spoke to the Mediterranean culture of South Beach, Miami,” said Shuster.
      “This was achieved using vibrant colours, fun textures and details that remained true to the historical aspect of the hotel’s original design.”
      Clashing patterns feature throughout the hotelAfter passing through the lobby, visitors can sip cocktails or sample Latin-inspired dishes at El Salón, a cocktail bar inside the Esme Hotel.
      Here, stools fringed with tassels are stationed around the edge of a circular mahogany bar. The adjoining, dimly lit dining area has a similar decadent arrangement, with candlelit tables spread across the checkered floor.

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      Schuster worked closely with the Historic Preservation Board of Miami to replicate some of the original building’s elements.
      The studio used materials such as the limestone travertine and plaster, which featured heavily in Mediterranean revival design in Miami.
      The rooms are coloured in saturated, rich hues associated with opulence”It was a historical property, so we worked to bring back the integrity of the original designs that are unique to South Beach, being that most buildings are from the Art Deco period,” Shuster explained.
      “We reused a lot of pecky cypress wood detailing on the ceilings and throughout the hotel. We also uncovered an original fireplace that we gave life to again and kept the original arches,” she added.
      The bathrooms incorporate gold elementsThe Art Deco aesthetic is continued upstairs in the hotel’s bedrooms and bathrooms where bath and skincare products by Grown Alchemist can be found.
      Many of the rooms have a rose and emerald colour scheme with gold accents and vibrant clashing patterns that create striking decorations for floors and walls.
      On the rooftop, there is a vintage bar and swimming pool with frilly red awnings and pinstriped seating.
      The rooftop has pinstriped furnishingsEsme Hotel isn’t the only interior that references the opulence of Miami’s past. American designer Ken Fulk styled The Goodtime Hotel to reflect the art deco architecture of the area.
      Fulk also decorated the interior of the Swan restaurant in Miami with soft, candy colours that remind diners of Miami’s 1920s heyday.
      Photography is by Christian Harder.
      Project credits:Client: Infinity HospitalityInterior design: Jessica Schuster Design

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      Bala's SoHo store by Ringo Studio features oversized fitness equipment

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      Brooklyn-based Ringo Studio has created a pastel “playground” as the first retail space for fitness brand Bala in New York City, which includes scaled-up versions of its products.

      Founded by Natalie Holloway and Max Kislevitz, who appeared on reality TV show Shark Tank, Bala sells weights, bands and other fitness equipment in a range of candy colours.
      Bala’s New York City store includes giant versions of the brand’s fitness productsRingo Studio founder Madelynn Ringo, the former retail designer for cosmetics brand Glossier, cold-called the duo and asked them to keep her in mind when they opened their first physical retail space.
      So when the opportunity arose to take over a 1,300-square-foot (120-square-metre) space at 99 Spring Street in SoHo, Ringo was brought on to translate the brand’s aesthetic into interior design.
      A weighted ankle Bangle becomes a leather seat for customersThe products are typified by soft, rounded shapes, so these were replicated in features around the store.

      “The space invites visitors to work out amid scaled-up versions of Bala’s visually compelling products,” Ringo said. “These sculptural elements create nooks for testing, touching, and trying out in-person.”
      The entrance is via a black hoop that resembles Bala’s Power RingThe entrance to the store is under a black arch that resembles one of the brand’s signature products: The Power Ring.
      Beyond, a pale green counter displays a variety of weights in the same hue as its curved top. Further areas are also colour-matched with the items on show.
      Products are colour-coordinated with their display areas”Organised chromatically, distinct zones immerse visitors in the colour space of the band, heightening the sense of place and identification with the brand,” Ringo said.
      A giant 12-foot-tall version of the Bala Beam is propped up against a mirrored wall that is divided by vertical light strips.
      Mirrored walls allow customers to test out the products as if they were in a gymOn the opposite side, an oversized replica of a Bangle – used as ankle weight – swoops down from the ceiling to form a squishy leather seat.
      Through a pale blue arch is another space decorated entirely in pink, from the walls, ceiling and counter, to velvet fitting-room curtains and a furry carpet.

      Glossier Flagship in New York includes soft-pink plasterwork and a Boy Brow Room

      The space was fabricated by New York-based Konduit, which specialises in scenic design, curved surfaces and custom finishes.
      The team worked with Ringo Studio to match the distinct matte sheen and exact colours of the Bala products across the scaled-up design elements.
      At the back is an entirely pink room, hosting more products and fitting roomsOutside of retail hours, the store is also intended to host fitness programs that incorporate the various products.
      “It’s a Balacise playground to introduce customers to their innovative products and encourage them to test and experiment,” Ringo said.
      The back room is lined with a furry pink carpetPastels have been a popular choice of palette for stores and boutiques over the past few years, particularly in New York City.
      Brands like Everlane, The Arrivals, and of course, Glossier, all chose similarly soft shades for their shop interiors in the city.
      The photography is by Anna Morgowicz.

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