Contract - November/December 2011 - (Page 93)

the clutter—including fretted screens and ornamental ironwork—was torn out, leaving only two ornate bronze chandeliers that were painted white. Incongruous as these relics are, they serve as historic markers, along with the scars left in the floor from the original booths and partitions, which have been filled with seashells. The horseshoe counter of the open kitchen has become the sales transaction desk. At the clients’ suggestion, glass portholes were inserted in the polished concrete floor to reveal the water below. constantly shifting around,” says Denise Schaefer, one of the owners. “We wanted to exploit the volume to create a lifestyle gallery for art and furniture as well as clothes, and we’ve collaborated with Donna Karan and other designers to create special installations.” Climate control and lighting were crucial issues in the makeover. A pale blue film was applied to the expansive, single-glazed windows to cut 99.9 percent of ultraviolet rays, without recourse to shades. Those properties are sufficient enough to protect delicate fabrics, while still allowing the winter sun to warm the thermal mass of the floor slab. The microclimate of Newport Beach is benign, but skylights have been inserted in the service areas to discharge hot air in summer; operable doors allow for cross-ventilation, and a high-efficiency air conditioning system has replaced the old plant. Specialists were hired to create a computer-controlled lighting system with new suspended fixtures that enhance the purity of the architecture. A landmark has been given new life, and the potential of the original building shell is more apparent than ever before. A’maree’s. Architect Paul Davis Architects. Client A’maree’s. Where Newport Beach, California. What 8,100 total square feet on one floor. Cost/sf Withheld at client’s request. For a full project source list, see page 130 or visit www.contractdesign.com. A light and systematic touch “We felt it was critical to touch the building only in a very light and systematic way,” says Davis. He devised a hanging system of stainless steel tubes embedded in the floor on the grid lines of the columns, subtly partitioning the space. The vertical posts of fixtures are canted to maintain an even four inches of separation from the flared columns. Each unit can be pulled out of its sockets and relocated; others are mounted on casters. The architects would have designed all of the display cases, employing a minimalist aesthetic, but the client decided to re-utilize some of the units they already had. The interior accommodates this eclectic mix of fittings, resulting in a much cooler and crisper atmosphere than that of the space’s previous neo-rococo one. Every month, the sisters stay late at night reconfiguring the space to display the latest stock. “It’s like the stage of a theater, everything is www.contractdesign.com c ontract november/december 2011 93 http://www.contractdesign.com http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - November/December 2011

Contract - November/December 2011
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Product Briefs
Product Focus: Classic Touch
Product Focus: Generating Buzz(i)
Gelfand Partners Architects Office in San Francisco Designed by Gelfand Partners Architects
Sorg Architects Office in Washington, D.C. Designed by Sorg Architects
Sauerbruch Hutton Office in Berlin, Germany Designed by Sauerbruch Hutton
Roth Sheppard Architects Office in Denver Designed by Roth Sheppard Architects
AOL West Coast Headquarters in Palo Alto, California Designed by Studio O+A
Red Bull Canada Office Expansion in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Designed by Johnson Chou Inc.
Goods Shed North in Melbourne, Australia Designed by BVN Architecture
Bota Bota Spa in Montreal, Quebec, Canada Designed by Sid Lee Architecture
A’maree’s in Newport Beach, California Designed by Paul Davis Architects
2011 Contract Brand Report Awareness Survey
Sources
Designers Select: Building Products
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - November/December 2011