Tenth Avenue Loading Dock and Lobby
New York, NY
Office tenants of this converted Beaux Arts manufacturing building began using the rear freight entrance more and more frequently following the extension of the #7 subway line to nearby Hudson Yards. We responded to this shift in user patterns by converting the freight entrance into a second pedestrian lobby, separating the still-active loading dock area from the newly adopted tenant access with a new glass and steel partition.
To minimize future maintenance and to honor the manufacturing roots of the loft building, the raw industrial character of the space was embraced; historic steel panels, masonry walls, and the original plaster ceilings were stripped of decades of paint and left to weather gracefully over time. A decommissioned 60” x 60” steel chute was repurposed into a light feature over the pedestrian entrance ramp. Contrasting against these distressed finishes are crisp new light fixtures and bright industrial yellow wayfinding graphics. The back of house entry now rivals the front entrance in number of daily users.