LITTLE BIT GOES LONG WAY WHEN UPDATING PUBLIC SPACES
By Ronald A. DeSouza, AlA
Specter DeSouza Architects PC
With the competitive nature of the commercial office market and the hesitation by owners and managers to invest a large number of dollars to upgrade their commercial properties, public spaces and entrances, we investigated numerous ways to update and improve public spaces without totally renovating the space.
Many if not all commercial building lobbies in New York have stone clad walls and stone or terrazzo floors. Both stone and terrazzo easily allow for their reinvention. For instance. when you fill and hone old polished travertine, it transforms into a softer, low-luster limestone, aesthetically very different from what it used to be. An example of this may be seen at 80 Pine Street and One Battery Park Plaza. Refinishing existing stone surfaces can change the overall appearance of the public space.