Description
When BLDG MGMT designed Summit NYC, a luxury Midtown Manhattan residential tower, a purpose-built space for a public artwork was included in the design.
Beyond aesthetic considerations, the artwork would serve several key functions.
As an integral part of completing the grand entranceway, the work would create an emotional tie connecting residents to the building, in essence reminding them each day that they were home, while also being a cultural landmark on the streetscape.
Having looked at artworks both nationally and abroad, Lloyd Goldman, BLDG MGMT’s founder, kept returning to the public art of Australian artist Todd Stuart, because, in his words, ‘they fit the spaces that they were commissioned or purchased for.’
Goldman selected an existing sculpture by Todd Stuart that came close to capturing the essence of what was required, and a rewarding collaborative journey towards the penultimate form ensued.
The journey involved generating a detailed diagnostic of the site, followed by a round of conceptual proposals, provided with emplaced visualisations of different works to different scales. It involved Todd Stuart travelling to New York to personally inspect the site, and also to present his detailed proposal to the board, whose approval saw the artisanal construction phase begin.
Delivered on time and to budget, Summit of Manhattan is an example of how clarity of visual, written and face to face communication can eliminate distance and result in outcomes that far exceed expectations.
