166 2nd Avenue
166 2nd Avenue was designed by famed architect Emery Roth in 1929. Roth was a highly sought-after architect in the early 1900s and was responsible for creating some of New York City's most iconic buildings. With this said, creating an elevator design that is respectful of the building's history yet relevant to modern interior design trends can be challenging. However, when properly executed, the results can be marvelous. In 2021 we teamed with Unitec Elevator, BLDG Management, and their Architectural Design Project Manager, Gonzalo Fernandez, to modernize the two-passenger elevator interiors at 166 2nd Avenue.
“At 166 2nd Avenue, Italian porcelains, architectural metal, and luxurious bronze were used.”
The elevators offer a unique and refreshing riff on the Rail and Stile design - a technique used to make doors, cabinets, and furniture. Traditionally, this technique utilizes wood, veneer, or laminate materials. However, at 166 2nd Avenue, Italian porcelains, architectural metal, and luxurious bronze were used instead. All the elevator panels are divided into upper and lower sections and engineered using the raised-removable system. The side walls feature slabs of a beautiful beige (Stone 01) Stontech 4.0 porcelain by Florim on top. The lower side walls feature that rail and style design we mentioned. The borders are faced with the same Stontech 4.0 found above. Rimex architectural metal T22 in Prestige Gold acts as the field section.
In contrast, the back walls feature a captivating Calaccatta Black, Stontech 2.0 porcelain by Florim. The Stontech 2.0 is the border and field for the upper panels, with bronze inlays creating the divisions. The lower panels feature Stontech 2.0 as the border and Rimex T22 as the field, making an elegant distinction in color. All of the wall panels are wrapped with bronze binders. The fronts, base, reveals, handrails, and ceiling are also furnished with bronze. The floor is composed of black Terrazzco tiles.
The completed design of the elevators at 166 2nd Avenue is a respectful nod to the building's history while still relevant to today's interior designers' trends. Using high-quality, unique materials in the design makes for a refreshing and stylish take on a classic technique. The attention to detail and craftsmanship is evident in the final product. We are proud to have been involved in such an iconic project.
