Lisson Gallery NYC

Private art showroom and apartment, NYC, Jun. 2010-Oct. 2011

We transformed a retail space on the Lower East Side into a private and minimal showroom for art as well as a highly functional apartment for guests. The back area needed to be completely reorganized, while the front became more representative and formal.

Upon entering the gallery, one steps through a large bookshelf that houses a sound system and a projector for video art. We designed this white cube space for art exhibitions, office work, meetings, and dinners. Two large sliding walls can separate this space from the more private rooms. Additionally, they also hide a small, yet functional, art storage.

In order to save space, and achieve more practical zones, as well as to ensure a window for the bedroom, we moved the kitchen out of the corner and into the open space; shifted the toilet closer to the public area; and utilized the angulated, leftover corners as storage. What remained were the shower and its seamless floor drain. In homage to Marcel Duchamp’s Door, 11 Rue Larrey, the door between the kitchen area and the bedroom double-functions as the door to the shower.

All of the spaces were renovated with high-quality materials such as a continuous, large format ceramic tile floor made from more than 50% recycled stainless steel, which results in a smooth and shiny surface that has visual depth. For the kitchen and bathroom counters, we used solid ¼" thick stainless steel planks with welded-in-place sinks. All custom-tailored built in cabinetry is separated from the floor, walls, and ceiling by a polished, stainless steal mirror that evokes a feeling of continuity and weightlessness.

 

Project Team: Espen Lunde Nielsen and Sean Gordon
General Contractor: Lee Irving
Carpenter: Jon Carlson
Mirrors: GlassWERKS
High-end touch-ups: Stephen Crawford