Project Details
Project Description
The design of the new headquarters for this international media company reflects their core values of egalitarianism, transparency and provocative journalism while supporting their dynamic daily operation with both individual work studios as well as collaborative social spaces.
Housed within a historic 120-year-old Union Square Building, the two-story space melds a history-rich patina with the technology of a modern media company. A physical extension of the Gawker’s desire for transparency, the design reveals the building’s original steel structure and brick walls, preserving its historic materiality. New architectural insertions, including interior walls and building systems as well as finishes and fixtures, integrate with original building elements.
A high contrast palette with soft white, day-lit working “salons” surround a dark spine of blackened steel stairs, warm inktones and dark woods to create a framework for flexible use and transformation of the space from day to night. The salons are scaled to allow for small-team collaborations as well as the individualization of workspaces, with enough environmental control to encourage a quiet yet collaborative, headset-free environment.
The central stair, which also acts as a gathering space and theater, provides a strong connection between the two floors. This space, along with the adjacent reading room, conservatory and lounge, offer flexible areas for collaborative or independent work. In the evening, screens, large doors and curtains transform the workplace into a hub for events.
Project Team: Kirsten R. Murray, FAIA, Design Principal; John Riordan, AIA, LEED® AP, Project Architect; Kristen Becker, Project Manager; Cristina Acevedo and Brianna Schoeneman, Interior Design Staff; CJ Christensen and Daichi Yamaguchi, Architectural Staff
Key Consultants: Structuretone, General Contractor; Jack Silverstein, Associate Architect; Severed, Structural Engineer; AMA, Mechanical and Electrical Engineer; Niteo Lighting, Lighting Design; Cerami, Acoustic Design
Photographer: Nicholas Calcott, Kevin Scott / Olson Kundig