a built in bookcase in a room with large windows
Photography by Joe Fletcher.

May 6, 2022

Words: Nicholas Tamarin

The New Workplace Aims to Achieve Aesthetic Perfection

The pandemic presented an unprecedented opportunity for workplaces to pursue aesthetic perfection.

Clou Architects, firm’s own office, Beijing

Reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s seminal use of aluminum foil to cover walls in the Factory, his legendary New York studio, hot-dipped galvanized sheet steel—as found on common household appliances—provides luminescent reflections from a fully glazed facade offering sweeping views of the grand mountains northeast of the Chinese metropolis.

  • sheet steel walls over a black and white floor
    Photography by Banye Li.
  • sheet steel walls over a black and white floor
    Photography by Banye Li.
  • employees at Clou Architects office
    Photography by Banye Li.
  • sheet steel walls over a black and white floor gives way to paneled walls
    Photography by Banye Li.
  • an orange curtain behind glass windows of a conference room
    Photography by Banye Li.

HS2 Architecture, Riggio Foundation, New York

Given the institutions that philanthropist and Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio’s family foundation supports, it’s fitting that the charity’s headquarters is a showcase for an enviable art collection that encompasses works by Donald Judd, Agnes Martin, Kerry James Marshall, and others, set off by a discreet envelope—travertine, Venetian plaster, industrial columns, walnut millwork and flooring—that allows for maximum visibility.

  • orange pendant lights hang above a desk
  • a conference room with white chairs around a communal table
  • a lobby room with artwork on the walls
  • art work in a work room with desk and chair

Síol Studios, Four One Nine, San Francisco

Unexpected angles and unapologetic biophilia greet at every turn in this two-story community studio and creative agency in the city’s edgy SoMA district, its 3,300 square feet of column-free space made possible through the installation of an expansive steel truss that’s offset by white-ash paneling, 3-D tile, and Caesarstone counters.

  • staircases in Four One Nine by Siol Studios
    Photography by Joe Fletcher.
  • greenery abounds outside the door
    Photography by Joe Fletcher.
  • a conference table with bench seating and chairs
    Photography by Joe Fletcher.
  • a built in bookcase in a room with large windows
    Photography by Joe Fletcher.

Matali Crasset, AWARE, Paris

Founded in 2014, this small nonprofit—its clever name the acronym for the Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions—now occupies an historic Montparnasse villa, the home and studio of Russian artist Marie Vassilieff in the early 20th century, the near-psychedelic renovation of the new digs by the French firebrand designer having been funded by the City of Light itself.

  • greens and pinks throughout AWARE
    Photography by Philippe Piron.
  • green walls and yellow chairs accent the bookcase wall in AWARE
    Photography by Philippe Piron.
  • orange accents on the shelves of a bookcase in AWARE
    Photography by Philippe Piron.
  • a sunlight-esque accent wall in greens, yellow, oranges, and pink in AWARE
    Photography by Philippe Piron.

MR Architecture + Decor, Confidential Investment Advisory, New York

The discretely comforting cues of financial stability are signaled with Maharam linen wallcoverings backing art by the likes of Rashid Johnson, while statement pieces like the Haas Brothers’ furry Beast bench show how much fun such privileged security can be.

  • a dining table flanked by artwork on the walls
    Photography by Thomas Loof.
  • a glass partition is opened to a sitting area
    Photography by Thomas Loof.
  • a couple of pink modern art images hang above a credenza
    Photography by Thomas Loof.
  • graphic art hangs above a white sofa and blue rug
    Photography by Thomas Loof.

read more

recent stories