Lever HOuse
New York City
LOCATION
Midtown East, New York City
TYPE
Office
For almost forty years, this private financial firm occupied two floors in a building further down Park Avenue. However, a change in generations, as well as a change in working practices, necessitated a new scheme in a new location, Lever House.
Brought in by a longstanding residential client, the brief was to transform an empty concrete shell into a warm, inviting space, one that had roots in the decade that the iconic skyscraper was built and that seamlessly supported the role of the office today. The result is a home for a legacy firm that feels like it has always been there.
Architecture by Forge Group. Photography by Joshua McHugh.
An array of oranges permeates the space. The firm’s signature hue is used to sign concealed doors. Here, the shade is found in the reception lounge rug, which was retained from the firm’s previous office.
The stainless steel and acrylic screens that divide the main working areas were designed explicitly for this project and are inspired by the louvered industrial paneling of the International Style.
Rather than opaque offices, custom glass partitions were commissioned to divide the space while maintaining the impressive views up and down Park Avenue.
The tables and credenzas in the conference rooms are custom designs, which marry grey-washed white oak with Arabescato marble and bronze accents. Each slab was selected so the book-matched veining complemented the vintage Mies van der Rohe Bruno chairs and the door handles, both in caramel leather.
Custom walnut panels echo the interior architecture of Lever House. Used to both frame individual offices and shared spaces, their vertical grains and expressed battans make ceilings appear optically higher.
