Conceived first hand as a block in which to sculpt, the project was coursed as a subtractive endeavor initially - followed by an additive process to restore balance.

Seeking a site narrative, the design team referenced tectonic lines from the north/south and east/west cut profiles, mirroring these and projecting them onto the ‘block’ as it were. The south and the east walls were thereby transected by these lines, drawing apart the block and coaxing out a sizable ‘wedge’ at the street level of these walls respectively.

The wedge produced void was glazed in frameless plate glass, exposing an expansive interior for the purposes of retail. The main entrance was detailed into this glazing, setback from the face and extending in plane as a remnant of the absent volume.

The wedge as a prism, tapers due north –reinforcing the project’s relationship to site and site to casual passer-by. The would-be focal point – a thick plastered portal conceals a stair flight to floor two.

Floor two, with additive aspirations, required a new crystalline ‘slab’ laid thick over the existing south and east wall lines.

Subtractive debuts.

Relieving into this slab with a high degree of geometric exactness produced faceted wells around the openings, thereby providing for varying tonal shades of sunlight against the ivory tinted plaster, illuminating the depth and crispness of the sculpted surface in elongated…. drawn out sweeps.

Stainless clad ‘brow’ boxes close-out these openings then migrate back to the outer slab surface. These ‘ornaments’ arrive at the final dressing of the block.