The New York office of Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) has been reimagined by the firm’s local team to emphasize its mission of elevating cities through context, craft, and high-performance design. Overlooking Bryant Park and New York Public Library on 42nd Street in Manhattan, the refreshed office is also conceived to support creative work and well-being with an abundance of natural light, greenery, and a restrained palette. “When we made the decision to update our studio space, the KPF Principals in New York got together in Bryant Park to brainstorm what we wanted the office to say about ourselves,” says KPF principal Marianne Kwok. “The consensus was that we needed a workplace that highlighted our values as a creative office, including our collaborative approach.”
The reception area distills KPF’s mission at three scales, beginning with a 3D-printed wall of international cityscapes highlighting the firm’s global offices and its commitment to urban enrichment. Wooden models display landmarks as sculptural elements, while textured wall tiles depict abstracted details from past projects, emphasizing KPF’s commitment to craft. Beyond reception, social hubs like lounges and the cafe flow into conference rooms and a gallery space along the southern perimeter. A range of workspaces are housed across the office, with studios apt for individual focus work forming small neighborhoods defined by open meeting tables, wide pathways, and small, doorless partners’ offices that reflect transparency and collaboration. Individual video conference rooms are equipped with acoustic strength, while the flexible main conference room is easily converted to accommodate meetings, lectures, town halls, or large external programming.
A minimal materiality and a fleet of mostly pre-owned furniture are chosen to reduce environmental impact. Existing concrete and terrazzo floors are freshly polished, and sculptural beams and services are visible against painted concrete ceilings. On studio party walls, a patchwork of paint and wallpaper from former occupants creates the backdrop for models and pin-ups. New materials include textured concrete walls wrapping the core, as well as floating wooden boxes that contextualize the scale. “Our intention was to reinstate the clarity of the original structure, a sprawling but rather ordinary 1920s office floor plate,” adds 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.”
