Client: Beacon Capital Partners
Location: New York, NY, United States
Completion date: 2016
Artwork budget: $3,500,000
Project Team
Artist
Michael Stiller Design
Artist
ESI Design
ESI Design
Industry Resource
Dimensional Worldwide
Overview
The site of 85 Broad Street embodies the evolution of New York from Dutch colony to vibrant metropolis to the center of global capitalism. Combining that history with the demands of modern tenants, the team’s story-based approach resulted in an iconic media architecture and technology-based experience. We crafted a map-themed narrative that traced the city’s journey from the colonial era to the post-9/11 neighborhood resurrection. And this narrative informed the question always on the designers’ minds: “How do you transform a 1980s corporate lobby for the 21st century when it has a 400 year old street running through it?”
Goals
Our client, the owners of this large office tower in Manhattan's financial district, tasked the designers with transforming a staid, landmark protected, public lobby and exterior arcade into spaces that would attract the new technology tenants and businesses flocking to the neighborhood. With a variety of design and sculptural interventions, the team's efforts paid off. The building now has a clear identity and character that sets it apart. Tenancy has increased to over 90% and the property's public spaces have become a destination for workers and neighborhood visitors alike.
Process
We consulted with ESI Design starting with the initial project ideation and then developed the technical and lighting infrastructure to bring this concept to life. We worked closely with the fabricators, Dimensional Worldwide, to finalize the sculptural form so that it was faithful to the original design intent and able to accommodate all internal lighting and controls. We provided support and design direction to the project engineers, architects, and contractors during the contract documents phase and through construction and programming. As the dynamic lighting components are media-driven, we developed the final pixel maps and provided media specifications to ESI Design to assist their consultant's software development and all media creation.