85 Broad St, New York, NY / 2016

When Beacon Capital Partners bought 85 Broad Street, the building had not been significantly renovated for more than three decades since its construction. To attract media and technology tenants, Beacon recruited us to lead an experiential design-focused lobby renovation project.

A curved corridor, replicating the original path of Stone Street from colonial times, runs through the center of the lobby. The design team faced a complex challenge since the cobblestone-like path could not be changed due to city regulations. Nonetheless, our team of experts seamlessly integrated digital media, software-driven lighting, and wayfinding graphics to retell the story of 85 Broad in a lively and engaging manner.

We transformed the dimly lit corridor into a bright and engaging space by installing light bars that doubled as a custom low-resolution video ceiling, featuring subtle lighting patterns. For instance, one animation depicts the sky and clouds, creating the impression that the corridor is open to the air, similar to when it was a street.

To highlight the unique and historic location of 85 Broad within the city, seven expansive relief maps of Manhattan adorn the walls of the entryways. Sculptural chandeliers were also incorporated to complement the light bars that run down the corridor.

At the end of each elevator bay, transparent LCD screens were mounted over the historical relief maps, providing a mix of opacity and clarity that alternately obscures and reveals the details of the maps beneath. The screens display real-time content, such as local weather, traffic updates, and social media trends, that can be useful for visitors.

To guide pedestrians down the path of old Stone Street, the building's two exterior entrances are adorned with oversized LED arches that announce the entrance. The Broad Street arch is particularly striking as it features geometric animations, map imagery, and generative text patterns that relate to the custom media inside.

The building's exterior arcade boasts a captivating light installation that spirals through it, comprising light bars and reflective blades that alternate and twist, creating a dynamic and visually appealing effect. The installation adds a "wow" factor to the building's exterior.

CN Core Responsibilities /

-Senior Physical Designer
-3d design, detailing and rendering
-Lighting prototyping
-Construction administration

Client / Beacon Capital Partners
Experience Design / ESI Design
Architect / nbbj
Specialty Fabricator / Dimensional World Wide
Lighting Designer / upLIGHT