The United Legwear and Bodywear Company designs and sells athletic socks and sports wear from an open warehouse in midtown Manhattan. The co-existence of the offices, design studios and showrooms within a single space necessitated a plan organization that addressed the contradictions emerging from the requirements of each part of the program – the design studios require open space and access to light, the offices require acoustic privacy and access to light while maintaining some relationship to the studio areas; the showrooms should feel open, but should in fact have controlled acoustics and lighting; user circulation should be extensive but hidden from the buyers’ view.
In order to maintain a tight construction schedule the design calls for off-the-shelf storefront and lighting systems. These systems are used in both conventional and a-typical configurations to create the degree of privacy appropriate for each program area. The galvanized spiral ductwork is left exposed to weave though the storefront system creating visual continuity between the studio and showroom areas.
