EnTrust Modern Office

By Wei Ping Ma
Photos 

This modern office is the hedge fund company Entrust Capital's latest­ headquarter in New York City.  It is on the 24th floor of the famous Seagram Building and it has 17,500 square feet. EnTrust Capital specializes in providing investment management services through a range of funds investment products for Public, Corporate and Taft-Hartley pension funds, foundations, endowments and high net worth individuals and families. EnTrust currently manages over $6.5 billion in assets.

Seagram Building is the masterpiece ofLudwig Mies van der Rohe. This skyscraperis located at 375 Park Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building has 38 stories, and was completed in 1958. It stands as one of the finest examples of the functionalist aesthetic and a masterpiece of corporate modernism.

The managing partner Gregg Hymowitz, also an art collector, asked  Gensler design company and architect William T. Georgis to design this office for him. Gensler is a global architecture, design, planning and consulting firm with some 3,000 projects every year. With more than 3,000 professionals networked across 41 locations. This firm has an enduring commitment to sustainability.

Hymowitz wants Gensler to come up with a non-typical modern design which is not too edgy, not too rigid but more lively and energetic and yet conforms within the Seagram Building’s existing rigid structures. Hymowitz wants something very creative which no one has ever seen; but it’s quite a big challenge in the Seagram Building where alterations are prohibited within 15 feet of its perimeter.

Gensler design team used many fluid shapes and forms to break the rigid box in the space.  The most creative part to me is the ceiling. They put the fluid mirror-polished stainless steel beneath the luminous, gridded ceiling which was made of typical aluminum-and-acrylic. They made the boring ceiling very interesting without replacing them.

In the break area, fluid and curvy shapes even appear in the wild, crazy veining of the exotic and luxurious multicolored Brazilian marble that lines the open pantry. This contrasts to the plain, modern, brown wooden lacquered cabinetry beneath. The wild yellowish Brazilian marble becomes the main focal point in the white, neat space.  Furthermore, this yellow color is also complementary to the red art piece hanging on the opposing wall. 

Gensler custom-made a ceiling-high file storage which runs 50 feet long across the entire wall in the office area.  The panels are finished in tough, glossy polyester-resin lacquer. The color is in a bold, high-intensity orange. The long and tall file storage is both aesthetic and functional. The color and the texture combined become a focal point and a piece of art itself. There is no need to add any decoration or accessories to this office space. The bright color can bring in energy to the people in the space. 

In the lounge area, the design team used many different contrasting materials for the furnishings. The custom-made liquid dripping gilded coffee table is made by a gold metal with acrylic legs beneath. Charles Hollis Jones stools next to it are composed of acrylic stands and leather-upholstered seats.  The lounge sofa is covered by soft velvet fabric. The paneling behind the sofa is a Macassar ebony wood paneling with glossy finish.  The neon sculpture outside adds another contrasting focal point.

For Hymo­witz's office, the designers picked a biomorphic titanium­ desk (by Laarman) facing an interesting formed chair (by Oscar Niemeyer). At the conversation lounge in the office,there are two different sets of chairs both covered by leather, accompanying by a solid sterling silver coffee table on top of a red patterned area rug made in wool and silk (by Michele Oka Doner). Next to them is a mirrored credenza. All the materials in this room create an efficient yet creative and sleek vibe.

 In the reception area, the solid-surfacing laminate counter and the flooring have a matte finish which contrast with the glossy, lacquer finished wall.  The art work suspended behind the reception area is created by etching words on mirror-polished stainless-steel. For the furniture, a hard, glossy coffee table (by Joris Laarman) contrasts with the leather- upholstered sofa and fabric-upholstered chairs with silver metal stands (by Jacques Gardel).

Overall, the designers were trying to create many contrasts in this office space.  There's a constant tension between glossy and matte, fluid and straight, hard surface and soft surface, man-made and natural, edgy and conservative, creative and rigid. The designers were also playing many combinations such as leather versus acrylic, metal versus leather, stainless-steel versus fabric. There are endless possibilities in the design world..as long as the designers can create a harmonious and balanced space.

References:

http://www.interiordesign.net/

http://www.gensler.com/

http://www.jorislaarman.com/

http://www.sarlowick.1stdibs.com/store/furniture_item_zoom.php?id=359731&view=1

http://www.micheleokadoner.com/