Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 119

Key Design Highlights
This Rockefeller Center tower
was completed in 1972 as the
headquarters for McGraw-Hill,
and the lobby was last
renovated in 1998. The latest
repositioning lightens and
clarifies the interiors.
Blue de Savoie stone walls,
white epoxy terrazzo floors, and
columns in simple white metal
brighten the lobby.
Two large paintings by Mark
Bradford, inspired by New York's
dynamic urban grid, activate
a central interstitial space.
With a greater amount of
glazing along the ground level,
the interior connects visually
with its Midtown context.

The renovation includes
an increase in the amount
of floor-to-ceiling glazing,
making for a more
transparent, open interior
(above). Elevator banks
(above, right) feature
afrormosia wood-clad walls
with floor numbers carved
into them. Artist Mark
Bradford created two largescale paintings (opposite,
top) that add dynamic color.
LED strips on the ceiling
(opposite, bottom) combine
with direct lights and
wall washers to create
a soft effect.

"You should understand the monumentality,
be able to see everything, and know what you're
supposed to do [upon entering]."
When visitors walk into the soaring lobby
now, their path is clear. Intimately scaled elevator
banks, clad in dark afrormosia wood panels carved
with custom signage, contrast with the adjacent
lightness. For an interstitial space connecting
one end of the lobby to another, artist Mark Bradford
was commissioned to create an artwork that
would add vibrant color and drama. Entitled "Elgin
Gardens," the piece is composed of two facing
paintings, each measuring 22½ square feet, paying
homage to the energetic dynamics of city life; one
references the urban grid of Midtown and Upper
Manhattan, while the other depicts downtown
and Lower Manhattan.
A revamped exterior plaza is a significant
component of this project. Designed by Abel
Bainnson Butz, the plaza includes thick green
plantings, pearl gray marble benches, and many
tables, injecting life into the midblock space. "People
use it as an oasis in the middle of all this mayhem,"
adds Bill Edwards, senior vice president at
Rockefeller Group, the owner of the property.
"The activation of the plaza is a key to both
the exterior and the interior."
The experience of entering the building has
gone from what Shannon describes as "see nothing

to see everything." The openness and hum of
activity make this renovation especially effective.
The building, which had been approximately
75 percent leased prior to the repositioning and
the new plaza, is now at 98 percent with tenants
including Comcast, Morgan Stanley, and the
law firms Dentons. One of the newest tenants
is the major law firm White & Case, which leases
approximately 440,000 square feet of space
and has its own entrance on the south side of the
building. "Without this project we wouldn't have
White & Case here," Edwards explains.
For Rockefeller Group, the renovation has
paid dividends by reenergizing one of its modern
towers for the next generation of tenants. c

contract



Contract Magazine - July/August 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract Magazine - July/August 2017

Contract Magazine - July/August 2017
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Designers You Should Know: Buck Studio
Columnist: Investing in Your Firm’s Future Through Professional Development
Product Focus: Back to Nature
Product Focus: Studied Casualness
Best of Neocon 2017
Jackalope
Campo
Quad Cinema
1221 Avenue of the Americas
Aventine
125 Summer Street
301 Howard Street
Competition: Inspirations Awards
Designers Select: Textiles
Sources
Ad Index
Installation: Hive of Activity
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Intro
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Contract Magazine - July/August 2017
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Cover2
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 1
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 2
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 3
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 4
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 5
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Contents
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 7
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 8
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 9
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 10
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Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 12
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Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 15
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 16
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 17
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 18
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 19
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Editorial
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 21
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Industry News
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 23
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 24
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 25
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 26
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 27
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 28
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 29
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Designers You Should Know: Buck Studio
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 31
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Columnist: Investing in Your Firm’s Future Through Professional Development
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 33
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Product Focus: Back to Nature
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 35
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Product Focus: Studied Casualness
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 37
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 38
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Best of Neocon 2017
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 40
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 41
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 42
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 43
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 44
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 45
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 46
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Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 86
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 87
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 88
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 89
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 90
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 91
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 92
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 93
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 94
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 95
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 96
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 97
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Jackalope
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 99
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 100
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 101
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 102
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 103
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 104
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 105
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Campo
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 107
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 108
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 109
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 110
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 111
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Quad Cinema
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 113
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 114
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 115
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 1221 Avenue of the Americas
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 117
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 118
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 119
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Aventine
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 121
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 122
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 123
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 125 Summer Street
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 125
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 126
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 127
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 301 Howard Street
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 129
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 130
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 131
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Competition: Inspirations Awards
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 133
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 134
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 135
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 136
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 137
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Designers Select: Textiles
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 139
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Sources
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 141
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Ad Index
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 143
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Installation: Hive of Activity
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Cover3
Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - Cover4
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