Art + Architecture
An important tenet of Modernism is the integration of Art and Architecture.
The Bauhaus called this notion Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total work of art”, which combines architecture, painting, sculpture, crafts, and industrial design in a holistic work. In this way, art within architecture is not an ornament that is adorned after the building is completed, but rather an integrated piece of the project inspired by the space and designed in tandem.
This principle of modernism can be found in many of our projects. We routinely partner with artists to create moments in our buildings and plazas that celebrate the artwork and enhance the experience of the architecture as a whole. The result is a marriage between art and architecture that gives meaning to space. Below are some past MdeAS projects that exemplify this relationship and its impact on the public.
1221 Avenue of the Americas
In keeping with the tradition of Rockefeller Center buildings celebrating great artists, 1221 Avenue of the Americas showcases the work of Mark Bradford in a grand 30-foot-by-41-foot-by-23-foot viewing area connecting the north and south lobbies. The commission, named Elgin Gardens, features two 25-foot-high mixed-media installations depicting the grid of Manhattan. Tables designed specifically for viewing encourage a moment of pause, transforming a space that would otherwise serve as a passage into a small public art gallery.
One Wall Street
Designed and developed in collaboration with a collective of artisan weavers in Mexico, the tapestry in One Wall Street’s lobby vestibule is derivative of the line-and-form concepts pioneered by Sonia Delaunay. As a Geometric Abstractionist working in Paris in the 1920s, Sonia Delaunay is a source of inspiration for several decorative elements found within One Wall Street. Delaunay’s exacting use of line is one of the hallmarks of her decades-long career as a painter and textile designer.
645 Fifth Avenue
At 645 Fifth Avenue, also known as Olympic Tower, the atrium design incorporates green wall accents alongside several commissioned multidimensional sculptural pieces by renowned contemporary artist Liam Gillick. Triangulated Passage consists of a series of triangular, aluminum louvers powder coated in vibrant colors and encased within steel frames. Though his work historically has been informed by the orthogonal grid, Gillick was inspired by the undulating stone walls at 645 Fifth Avenue. This series breaks from his main oeuvre to speak with the architecture that houses it.
1290 Avenue of the Americas
Known for his black-and-white images across large landscapes, JR’s ballerinas grace the walls of the lobby at 1290 Avenue of the Americas. Mimicking the white Carrara marble, his backdrop naturally blends into the walls giving the illusion of the ballerina jeté-ing into space.
3 Bryant Park Plaza
The Guardians: Hero and Superhero sculpted by Italian artist Antonio Pio Saracino are permanent public art pieces featured at 3 Bryant Park Plaza. Donated by the Italian Government, The Hero is a marble-stacked plated sculpture recalling the stature of Michelangelo’s David. Its counterpart, The Superhero was commissioned by Three Bryant Park and is a digitally fabricated stainless steel monument evoking resilience and innovation. The pair anchor each end of the plaza, tying into the subtle horizontality of the design.
200 Park Avenue
When Modernist architect Gropius was designing the Pan-Am building in the early 1960s, he commissioned his friend and artist Josef Albers to design a mural for the Grand Central passage. Inspired by the hustle and bustle of the city and the street grid that he loved, Albers created Manhattan, a 55-foot-wide x 28-foot-high mural consisting of 486 interlocking black, white, and red panels that sat atop the lobby for three decades until it was placed in storage. Restoring Manhattan to its rightful place was an essential priority to the building’s ownership and is the heart and soul of our restoration design. Using Albers’ detailed drawings and color-matching with original panels, MdeAS worked with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation to commission a precise re-creation of the mural which proudly lives at home in the rejuvenated lobby today.
90 Park Avenue
At 90 Park Avenue, you can find Doyle Partners' Color Library and Light Cloud on display in the MdeAS-renovated lobby and entry. The tiers of rectangular and square blocks in varying shades are accentuated by the sculptural light fixture overhead to create a dynamic space evocative of the energy in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Archive
The tenant lounge at The Archive features a satin sheen walnut feature wall where iconic photographs of West Village artists are thoughtfully displayed with integrated lighting. The photographs were curated in partnership with Morrison Hotel Gallery, a local music photography gallery, to feature West Village legends such as Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, and B.B. King.
650 Madison Avenue
The lobby at 650 Madison Avenue doubles as an art gallery featuring works from acclaimed, world-renowned artists. Street passersby can catch a glimpse of Doug Aitken’s ONE as well as a series of vertical 'plank' canvases by KAWS. The muted material palette and gallery lighting within the lobby were designed to support the viewing of such world-class pieces.
1330 Avenue of the Americas
At 1330 Avenue of the Americas lives Xavier Veilhan’s Jean-Marc statue. It was created with three-dimensional scanning technology to represent the form and volume of the human body, and milled in industrial polyurethane. The building’s custom lighting design highlights the angular form of the sculpture to create a unique presence in this public space.
520 Madison Avenue
The lobby at 520 Madison Avenue was designed to house The Berlin Wall by prominent 1980s street artists Thierry Noir and Kiddy Citny. The warmth of the travertine walls and floor compliments these five reinforced concrete slabs taken from the demolished Berlin Wall. Aimable light fixtures above highlight the artists’ graffiti featuring garish grim faces and powerful colors.
729 Seventh Avenue
In the heart of the Theater District, 729 Seventh Avenue is home to many production companies. The lobby was designed to evoke the era of black and white film. In collaboration with Doyle Partners, a ‘black box’ reception desk was constructed of glass and celluloid, the material historically used as photographic film, to house an original projector. Down the hall, an accompanying art piece by Doyle Partners features archival film strips of classic movies that were produced by tenants of the building.
