15 East 40th Street

New York, NY, USA

Photo © Barkow Photo

Architekci: RZAPS (Ricardo Zurita Architecture & Planning, P.C.)

Location: New York, NY, USA
Year: 2014

The project redesigns the street front facade, main lobby and elevators for a thirteen story office building in Midtown Manhattan. The objective of the project was to improve the building’s appearance along the street as well as public access for tenants and visitors. Particular problems addressed included the difficulty in identifying the front entrance and a main lobby that was narrow and constrained. The two elevators are also used for freight and as a result of their intensive use were in poor condition.

The design solution uses a few deft strokes to address the problems identified. The walls and flooring are the same light colored marble with the ceiling painted to match the tone of the stone; the use of a single color serves to perceptually increase scale of the space. An additional 60 SF was incorporated from an adjacent retail space to create a separate zone for the elevator waiting area and a front desk. The somber quality of the walls and floor is offset by the ceiling: a floating plane that is cut away to provide a dramatic lighting effect. The canopy over the main entrance is conceived as a continuation of both the interior ceiling and the dark aluminum storefront thus bringing the inside out.