Architectural models of various scales are displayed throughout the Midtown Manhattan studio of global firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, which was recently renovated by its in-house team.

Overlooking Bryant Park and The New York Public Library flagship, the offices on 42nd Street were refreshed to highlight the firm’s extensive portfolio and to better facilitate its collaborative working style.

The studio’s reception area features a counter, column and display plinths made from terrazzo. Photo by Claire Dub

“When we made the decision to update our studio space, the (Kohn Pedersen Fox) KPF principals in New York got together in Bryant Park to brainstorm what we wanted the office to say about ourselves,” said KPF principal Marianne Kwok.

“The consensus was that we needed a workplace that highlighted our values, including our collaborative approach.”

Textured wall tiles showcase abstracted details from past KPF projects. Photo by Claire Dub

New York City has served as the firm’s headquarters since 1976, and a major aim of this renovation was to present the office as an active creative studio.

Bringing natural light into the deep floor plate was also priority, so the layout was altered to expose the windows along both 42nd and 43rd Streets to common areas as much as possible.

Communal areas were created along the southern side of the building

The flexible public and communal social spaces were moved to the southern end of the building, which opened up views to the park and library below.

Studio spaces were then grouped into “neighbourhoods” in the four corners, which creates zones for focused work and central spaces for gathering.

Architectural models of various scales are displayed throughout the studio

This reconfiguration also allowed the firm to reveal and celebrate elements of the original building.

These include concrete and terrazzo floors, which were freshly polished, and structural beams and services left visible against white-painted ceilings.

The south-facing windows overlook Bryant Park and the New York City Public Library flagship

“Our intention was to reinstate the clarity of the original structure, a sprawling but rather ordinary 1920s office floor plate,” said KPF principal Brian Girard.

“By liberating the street walls from interior partitions and scraping away the laminations of many successive renovations to the party walls and original terrazzo flooring we revealed the material authenticity of the space.”

Workspaces are grouped into “neighbourhoods” that encourage collaboration

From the elevator bank foyer, where a ceiling of wooden slats creates intimacy, the bright white reception area opens up.

Huge wooden models of the firm’s CITIC Tower in Beijing and the Shanghai World Financial Center preside over the space, displayed on terrazzo plinths that match a monolithic counter and column.

Original elements of the 1920s building, including concrete floors, were exposed and refreshed

Meanwhile, white 3D-printed cityscapes of New York, London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong – all locations of KPF offices – are mounted on an adjacent wall, close to textured wall tiles that showcase abstracted details from past projects.

Modernist furniture including tan leather chairs and a black marble-topped table complement the clean aesthetic and neutral colour palette.

Natural light is used as a wayfinding tool to guide visitors towards the south-oriented cafe and lounges, with several conference rooms and a gallery space located along the route.

In the studio “neighbourhoods”, open meeting tables, wide pathways, and small, doorless partners’ offices encourage communication and collaboration.

A gallery space allows design teams to pin-up work

A warm lighting temperature is employed in these spaces to counter the blue glare from computer screens and create an inviting atmosphere.

Individual video conference rooms provide acoustic privacy, while the main conference room can be flexibly reconfigured for large meetings, lectures and events.

KPF’s New York office is one of nine that the firm operates globally

KPF has a total of nine studios located in cities around the globe, including New York, London, San Francisco, Berlin, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Seoul.

The firm is behind some of the world’s tallest buildings, and recently completed twin skyscrapers for the Ziraat Bank Headquarters in Istanbul and topped-out a “beaux-arts” supertall skyscraper in Manhattan.

The photography is by Eric Laignel unless stated otherwise.

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