Culture Clash

The 121 E 22nd Street condominium project is located on the border of two distinct neighborhoods. The structure is situated between the natural domestic beauty of Gramercy Park and the distinctly urban character of the Madison Square Neighborhood. The building façade, conceptualized by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA New York, is a study in contrast. A rigorously orthogonal grid of “New York Deco” inspired windows clashes with a tessellated organic geometry to create a dynamic, expressive hybrid. This context of contrasts became INC’s primary inspiration in developing the project interiors. Highly polished, abstract materials like mirrors, black glass, and satin lacquer are juxtaposed with very rough or active materials like figured marbles and concrete plaster. The slick and minimal cohabitate with the tactile and textured. Dark surfaces give way to light. The decorative elements follow a similar logic with contrasts of softness, hardness, faceted forms, and curvaceous ones. OMA’s design idiom is rooted in the 1970s & 80s Neo-modernism. This era was characterized by a hopeful, heroic, and even cheerful modernism that feels relevant and necessary today. Many objects, decorative elements, and colors owe a nostalgic debit to this era with soft colors, playful graphic forms, and a dynamic collection of highly idiosyncratic features.

From

2015 to 2019

Location

E 23rd St, New York NY

Project Team

Aaron White, Adam Rolston, Aikaterini Petrou, Anthony Leal, Carolyn Woods, Drew Stuart, Gabriel Benroth, Louisa B Revitte, Neil Shah, Riley M Miller, and Tyler M Kleck

Services

Interiors and FF&E Design

Certified as

LEED

Featured in

Architectural Digest 2019Architectural Digest 2017RE Journals 2019Metropolis 2019

Part of

InteriorMultifamilyAll