NYC office space interior corridor storage wall lightblocks 3form acrylic blue newmat ceiling chilewich floor

THIRD POINT MANAGEMENT
LOCATION / NEW YORK, NY
PROJECT TYPE / OFFICE
PHOTOGRAPHER / JORDI MIRALLES

lumistry glass effect issey miyake privacy cone of vision

This 23rd floor, penthouse office space in a new building was renovated for a successful hedge fund company. The client is also an art collector who wanted an office space that presented a serious business atmosphere and uncompromised functionality while also reflecting his personal interest and involvement in contemporary art and culture.

The existing space has an open full height curtain wall that runs the entire length. The view and the height of the space drove the design direction. We wanted to create a space that emphasizes the view and the idea of floating above the city; the interior should be almost cloud like and allow the views of the city skyline to dominate the entire space.

Creating a continuous glass wall parallel to the curtain wall allowed direct views out while accommodating the need to have enclosed offices. In order to emphasize the view out and erase the objects in the foreground we used Lumisty view control film laminated between low iron glass panels. The film blurs views at angles greater than 25 degrees from perpendicular. Oriented so that the blurring occurs vertically, the ceiling and floor are blurred while maintaining a clear view on the horizon line. Upon entering the space from the elevator lobby the glass plane appears transparent. The closer one moves toward the wall the more the ceiling and floors blur until the entire desk space and ceiling are blurred leaving only the view outside clear. This simple but effective strategy creates a hazy, cloud-like effect above and below eye-level as one moves through the corridor parallel to the glass wall.

conference room at financial firm workplace with gradient partial privacy translucent glass partition lightblocks table

financial hedge fund office interior glass translucent wall with new york city view ames chair

The separation between the offices, perpendicular to the glass wall, is achieved using built-in cabinetry finished in a custom gray dyed wood laminate with a strong horizontal grain. These objects are like the massing of the buildings outside. When combined with the blurring the effect is to bring the skyline of Manhattan into the space.