Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 131

Key Design Highlights
The lobby was completely
reoriented from an awkward
corner entrance to a more clear,
centered sequence.
The new luminous, bright white
interior features scalloped
ceilings and ridged sidewalls.
Daylight sensors adjust the level
of light emitted by the integrated
LED fixtures depending on the
amount of natural light.
Custom sculptural benches
made from bent strips of white
oak by Matthias Pliessnig
ornament the lobby.

Before Floor Plan

Renovated Floor Plan

The ceilings of the elevator
lobbies are wrapped in wood
(above), while the back
wall is finished in precast
concrete panels with deep
grooves of varying widths
(opposite, top). LED fixtures
are integrated into the
interior, and daylight sensors
adjust the level of artificial
lighting depending on the
amount of natural light
(opposite, bottom). A polished
stainless steel reception
desk stands out as a
sculptural element.

For the complete ground-floor renovation,
the design team reoriented the entrance toward
Howard Street, directly in front of the elevator
bank. By reclaiming the corner outdoor area for the
interior and reworking the floor plan, the designers
also gained an additional 2,500 square feet of retail
space. Two bays were enclosed with a glass curtain
wall, providing transparency and natural light.
"We wanted to make it light and bright, and very
interesting, so that people on the street would
want to look in," says Shinners.
In the new 2,700-square-foot lobby,
the luminous, bright white interior has an ethereal
undulating quality. The scalloped ceilings-
finished in Venetian plaster for a subtle texture-
are accented by ribbons of light. Together with
ridged sidewalls and curved control joints in the
terrazzo flooring, the major interior elements work
in tandem to shape the rectilinear space. The
back wall is finished in precast concrete panels
with deep grooves of varying widths.
LED lighting is integrated into the new interior
architecture. Daylight sensors adjust the level of
artificial lighting depending on the amount of natural
light. "The sense of light is really important in
a lobby-it has a strong psychological impact,"
says Bill Puetz, a principal at Huntsman.
Acting as signature elements, two bent-oak
benches designed by Brooklyn, New York-based

Matthias Pliessnig are intriguingly sculptural.
Their curving, organic nature contrasts with
the sharp coolness of the polished stainless steel
reception desk with turned edges.
"To make it fresh and modern in a way that
was not a reflective white glass box, the materiality
became a strong theme," says Puetz. "There's
this lush detail to the space, and all the elements
stand alone as really beautiful elements."
"[The renovation has] definitely elevated the
perception of the building in the market," Shinners
says. Google has since renewed its lease, while
two new tenants-Bain Capital and FreeWheel,
a division of Comcast-have signed on. Working
with the bones of a 30-year-old building, Huntsman's
strategic design has enabled this postmodern
tower to be relevant and profitable. c

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Contract Magazine - July/August 2017

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