Like entering a contemporary temple, solemn and welcoming at the same time: this is the impression one gets when crossing the threshold of 55 Broad Street, an office building located in the heart of Manhattan's financial district, whose historic charm has recently been revitalized by a stunning restoration.
Conceived by Fogarty Finger Architecture, the architect of the entire restyling, the new lobby is the building's calling card: no longer a mere place of transit and waiting, this emphatic entrance makes modern-day instances its own, proposing itself as a liquid "square," open to meeting and exchange, and at the same time protected by the indispensable turnstiles, in a design vision that combines hospitality and security. The frenetic energy of the city remains outside the large windows, to give way to a comfortable dimension in which to feel at ease, thanks to an elegance that does not overpower but envelops.
Taking center stage is marble, a noble material par excellence, which dresses the walls of the space like a tailor-made, classic, yet incredibly contemporary suit. From the Apuan Alps to Wall Street: this is the journey that Statuario Caldia® marble-supplied by MGI Group, a leading natural stone quarrying and processing company-has taken to give substance to the minimal, sophisticated and timeless style chosen by the designers.
But why the Caldia®? The answer lies in its brightness, dazzling and candid, standing out against the black of the terrazzo floors, dictating the line of the entire design. Indeed, the interior of the restored lobby is composed of two starkly contrasting monochromatic areas that find their meeting point in the sharp edges. An essential, rarefied scheme, which, however, appears anything but static: credit to the marble, called upon not only to interpret the architects' idea of luxurious solidity, but also their more innovative ambitions.
This is evident from the different solutions that MGI Group has proposed, to make the space vibrate with unusual and intriguing echoes. Classically austere where the finish is smooth, the stone cladding unleashes a geometric dynamism in the recessed space beyond the turnstiles, characterized by an "overlapping panel" decoration, with an original undulating effect. The result is a wavy structure, through which the expressive power of Caldia® emerges dramatically and unexpectedly. What remains unchanged, in either case, is the warm white background of the stone, embellished with soft and delicate veining, the identifying characteristics of a fine marble that is never a mere background, but asserts itself as the protagonist of the space.
Behind this magnificence lies the painstaking and passionate work of those who have been dedicated to marble for seventy years, with a direct control of the raw material, from extraction to finished product, that is synonymous with quality. From its own quarries, all the way to the world's most important stages, MGI Group carries on a tradition that comes from afar, but one that is constantly evolving and does not stop in the folds of the past. As demonstrated by the experience of 55 Broad Street, yet another stage in a long journey of excellence, marble can be an ally of design in a contemporary key, to the point of becoming the link between classicism and experimentation, thanks to a surprisingly malleable soul, capable of adapting to the most diverse needs and ennobling any space.
Photocredits: Connie Zhou
Source: Elle Decor