Slade Architecture

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 eyelevel as one moves through the corridor parallel to the glass wall.

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.

Throughout the space, materials were chosen that would create a sense of depth and translucency. These include the silver finish woven carpet and sanded aluminum on the floors and translucent and reflective materials on the walls.

The volume that separates the elevator lobby from the space contains the server room, copier and kitchen and is clad in a translucent blue acrylic (Liteblocks) with an iridescent finish that changes the color of the material as you move next to it. This translucency and iridescence create a sense of depth in the surface of the object.