The neoclassical building that houses the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the most frequently photographed objects in New York City. It’s often just simply referred to as Wall Street. However, it’s the main entrance to the building on 18 Broad Street that’s the most impressive. The facade with its six Corinthian columns and triangular pediment looks like a sacred temple from antiquity.
The NYSE has been at this address since 1903 and is still the stock exchange’s headquarters today. But times change and stockbrokers have long since disappeared from the trading floor. The prestigious spaces on the two top stories are now used as offices and for meetings and events. They have also been redesigned and refurnished as part of the latest modernization project. When top executives and co-workers meet, comfort and style are paramount. And this is where Wilkhahn’s Graph conference chair plays a major role.
Sensitive refurbishment of meeting spaces
Rottet Studio and Studios Architecture were tasked with modernizing the interiors. Their designers’ remit was to create more efficient workspaces, larger areas for teams and prestigious rooms with contemporary interiors that were a good fit with the old building. The modernization project involved reconciling the need for modern-day comfort and high-quality design with a historical building. Which is why the planning team placed special emphasis on integrating high-tech digital infrastructure, such as vast LED screens used for hybrid conferences. Built into the arches, these even provide alternating virtual views.
Previous renovations were dismantled to return the room to its original size. The obscured leaded-glass ceiling was uncovered and restored, while a flanking pair of antechambers at either end of the room, which had been walled off during an earlier modernization, were reconnected.
The Graph conference chair – an asset for any space
The conference rooms are designed and decorated differently, with historical maps and documents, paintings by David Hockney and colorful prints by Andy Warhol. Wilkhahn’s comfortable Graph conference chair (design: jehs+laub) is the common denominator throughout. The chairs make the new rooms contemporary, comfortable, and appealing environments for people to meet up for in-person events.
The pioneering form of the Graph conference chair brings a dynamic modernity to the historic rooms at the New York Stock Exchange. Its slender, fluid form and the curved lines of the backrests and armrests match both the historic design elements and the clean design of the smaller workspaces. The horizontal break in the seat shell and the light leather upholstery ensure that the armchairs on casters appear lightweight and transparent despite their generous and comfortable upholstery. The redesign of the historical rooms at the NYSE ensures a pleasant and classy backdrop for debates and negotiations – not least thanks to Wilkhahn’s comfortable and stylish conference chairs.
Further information
Click here for the Studios Architecture website
Click here for the Rottet Studio website
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