Alger
Designed by Husband Wife and S9 Architecture, the new headquarters of Wall Street hedge fund Alger in Manhattan’s Financial District elegantly rises to the occasion, incorporating French modernism, sci-fi touchpoints and Miesian influences.
The post-pandemic world has called new attention to the calibre of workplace design, with increased emphasis placed on spaces that are persuasive enough to entice a return to the office. Housed across three levels with views of the East River and the Empire State Building, Alger’s office exudes a sense of spatial fluidity and openness. The design – which harks to the precise and pragmatic workplaces of the 1950s and ’60s – is enlivened by various cinematic sci-fi elements and futuristic design notes such as smoked glass, coloured carpeting, tone-on-tone palettes, architecturally integrated lighting and curved plaster detailing.
The layout on the primary floor, which is defined by a series of enclosed offices surrounded by open work areas at the perimeter, was greatly inspired by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Carlo Scarpa’s exploration of pavilion-style architecture, as well as of a decidedly modernist, grid-like approach to floor plans.
“The great Californian modernists had amazing relationships with light and air, specifically with the placement of mass and glass, and focusing on how both could be broken up to allow for a breezy, casual organisation,” says Brittney Hart of Husband Wife.
The use of sheer curtains, expansive glazing and louvred internal windows break these volumes down while maintaining an element of privacy, and wide corridors and extended sightlines increase fluidity. Terraces on the second and third floors provide valuable access to greenery and fresh air.
Alger’s art collection provides the all-important final flourish. Significant works of varying scales and eras have been curated and arranged to animate the subdued materiality and bring depth to otherwise muted moments. “We wanted the art to reveal itself at every turn, so we utilised intersections of the pathways between internal offices to force views of each piece,” says Justin Capuco of Husband Wife, adding that they “encouraged colours and subject matter to contrast with the neutral modernist palette to create a more interesting and layered space”.
Large-scale pieces accentuate lofty rooms, while elsewhere, smaller works suggest intimacy. For instance, a black-and-white photograph by Hiroshi Sugimoto levels up the cobalt blue conference room, while a whimsical piece by Swiss duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss in the CEO’s office immediately disarms and lightens the mood. Hart cites a painting by Daniel Graves in the reception area as a pivotal piece; its intensity and presence set the project’s “elegant, monumental and aspirational” tone.
At Alger, this thoughtful curation converges with a medley of high design moments and an overarching consideration for the human experience, creating a paradigm for the future workplace – one that’s well designed and worth the commute.
Architecture by S9 Architecture. Interior design by Husband Wife. Build by Tristar Construction. Landscape design by MPFP.
