Soros Capital Management

Creating a unique entry to this 5,000 square foot capital management office posed a challenge as it shares a floor with three other companies. A clear path into the space was created with a forced perspective, in the shape of a trapezoid, which funnels people from an interior access point into the space, culminating with an expansive view of Central Park. A series of vertical white lit planes, following an S-curve, separate the public reception and circulation from the trading spaces. A continuous bench stretches the full length of the park exposure, ending at the chairman’s office to the west and a conference room to the east. A graphic green belt expressed in the carpet brings the greenery from the park into the office.

Above the ceiling of the main trading space, a three dimensional grid of angled planes with different sized apertures repeat in a turned pattern providing baffled light. The openings allow one to feel the full twelve foot ceiling height fully expressing the shell of the space.

At both ends of this gridded plenum, the square panels turn down from the ceiling to the wall to complete a U-shaped enclosure. To simulate depth on the wall panels, a trompe l’oeil is employed through the uneven shading of panel facets, reminiscent of the chiaroscuro on the ceiling panels.

The private offices and meeting rooms surround the open trading floor and are enclosed with a curtain wall system. The private rooms are lined with what appears to be opaque white glass, reflecting images of the city into the spaces, but are in fact, magnetic writable wall surfaces.

The entry sequence, forced perspective, open central space, and sharp angles create long vistas across the widest dimensions of the office, bringing light and visual access to the city and Central Park into all parts of the space, making them available to all members of the organization.