March 14, 2013

Concrete Waffle Ceiling Stuns at New OFS Showroom

At the opening of the new OFS Brands showroom in New York last week, guests were floored by, well, the ceiling. The space accommodates four of the company’s divisions—OFS, First Office, Carolina and Loewenstein—within one showroom, a first in the history of the Huntingburg, Indiana-based manufacturer of sleek office furniture.

“We wanted to have a space where all brands could be showcased in different office settings or vignettes,” says Doug Shapiro, director of A&D at OFS. “Combining the pieces in this way really makes it feel like you’re inside a full-functioning, cutting-edge office.”

OFS brought in none other than FXFOWLE Architects to ensure the new space, roughly 10,000 gutted square feet on the 35th floor of a midtown office tower, would accommodate the company’s goals for synthesis and product showcasing. Along with bright, durable floors finished with a special epoxy coating, the ceiling treatment is what really steals the show.

“We were lucky to discover a rare concrete-waffle-slab ceiling, which was in excellent condition and only needed paint,” says Guy Geier, senior partner, FXFOWLE. “Beneath that we inserted a volume that’s aligned with the city street grid to connect the space back to the urban landscape, since one of the great things here is the sweeping view of the skyline.”

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