I have heard through the grapevine that it is a sweatshop of sorts

I know several people who have worked there. All of them had strongly negative experiences, as they've described them to me anyway. One of them, a fellow who worked on the Tokyo International Forum in the mid-nineties, refers to his experience there as "my personal Vietnam."

If you are interested in working there, I would suggest talking to as many people who have worked there as possible. Get as full a picture as you can. Swing by their studios on Vandam St. if you're in the city, you can sometimes find an employee or two having a smoke outside and ask a few questions.

what are the people in the marketing department like? thanks.

I had a friend who worked there for a year. He said he learned a lot but, because it was such a stressful environment, everyone had bad breath. You might think I’m trying to be funny, but I’m not. Stressful workplaces can cause upset stomachs and poor digestion, leading to bad breath. Maybe this is what was going on at Viñoly’s office. The man himself is very charming though. You know he wears multiple sets of eyeglasses at one time right? He has made a trade mark of the I-just-robbed-the-Unicef-eyeglass-donation-box, and I’m-wearing-them-all-at-the-same-time kind of look. He’s funny. Plus, he plays the piano at work. As for the people in the marketing department, I have no clue.

Zoe- Does Vinoly always wear the multiple eyeglasses, or only when he his out in public??? I have seen him a few times, and he has always had them.