Contract Magazine - July/August 2017 - 20

PHOTOGRAPHY: MACKENZIE STROH

EDITORIAL

Repositioning for a Millennial Workforce
As we completed this issue of the magazine, I had the television
shows "Moonlighting" and "L.A. Law" in mind-dramas from the late
1980s that were set, at least in part, within offices. The workplaces
depicted on those shows were cool at the time, even cinematic-
think private offices with mauve, leather armchairs, matching desk
accessories, and a little more mauve, all under gauzy atmospheric
lighting. Lobby entrances were dramatic, literally and figuratively,
with plenty of marble and neoclassical detailing that had returned
along with postmodern architecture-vaulted ceilings, rotundas,
pediments over doorways, and faux columns. The workplace became
an extension of status symbols for a generation of "Thirtysomething"
(another late-1980s television drama!) young people-the Baby
Boomers making their way in the world with boxy suits, power ties,
and shoulder pads.
That was 30 years ago, which does not seem that long ago.
But it is. And all that has changed.
In this issue, three of the four featured repositioned office
lobbies (page 115) are within buildings that were newly constructed
in the late 1980s-built during the lifetimes of many Millennials.
And those interiors would have been brand new, fresh, and cool
for Maddie Hayes and her detective work on "Moonlighting"
or for the attorneys on "L.A. Law." With the repositions, architecturally,
the postmodern formality and excesses are now literally stripped
away to create new interiors that are adaptable, flexible, and nuanced.
Considering these repositioned office projects in context,
understand this: The change is symbolic of the generational shift
that has been evolving in recent years. The work atmosphere itself
is seemingly more casual, as work can be accomplished anywhere
at any time in many cases. A casual-cool cafe setting to enjoy a coffee
is now a status symbol, rather than a interior dripping with neoclassical
symbolism. Creatives enjoy the ability to work flexible hours in jeans,
T-shirts, and sneakers, rather than a more buttoned-up, formal setting.
With this in mind, the repositioned lobbies featured here also
underscore the need for real estate to respond quickly and somewhat
radically to the changes to attract and retain tenants today. Aventine,
an office building in San Diego (page 120), was designed in
the late 1980s-the peak of the postmodern era of prominence
in architecture-by Michael Graves, the legendary architect who
was the most recognizable postmodernist. But less than three decades
later, the Aventine public spaces seemed dated and its new owners
faced a conundrum-maintain the Graves interiors or renovate for
20

an aesthetic to appeal to tenants in a highly competitive market.
The owners chose the latter, which required the Graves interiors
to be removed. Gensler completely reconceived the lobby with
a contemporary, open interior focused on a cafe-a highly desired
amenity space that did not exist in the original space. Is it controversial
to remove the Graves interior? Does it raise questions of what is
worth saving? Yes. But while preservation and recognition of significant
architecture and interiors is always desirable, in this case, the reality
of a real estate market and evolving workplace needs won out.
In a bit of irony, though, up the coast in San Francisco, the lobby
of 301 Howard Street (page 128) has been beautifully repositioned
by Huntsman Architectural Group. In that project, a postmodern interior
was completely recast as a light, serene space that welcomes tech,
media, and other present-day tenants and employees. The irony
when compared to the Aventine project? 301 Howard was originally
designed in the late 1980s by Gensler. It all comes full circle.

Enter the Interiors Awards
When you receive this issue, you'll have about a month to
enter your recent projects in the 39th annual Interiors Awards,
presented by Contract. The Interiors Awards honor exemplary
commercial interiors worldwide, and the entry deadline is September
12. Entries are accepted in 15 professional categories, including
a new category for office lobby repositionings. An all-star jury
of design professionals will select the winning projects, which will
be honored in January at the Interiors Awards Breakfast in New York.
Visit contractdesign.com/interiorsawards.com to learn more
and to enter today!

Sincerely,
John Czarnecki, Assoc. AIA, Hon. IIDA
Editor in Chief
Visit contractdesign.com/editorial to read all of Editor in Chief
John Czarnecki's editorials

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Contract Magazine - July/August 2017

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