Our brief for this lobby was to create an enticing presence on Astor Place for a cellar occupant, which was necessitated when a Big Box Retailer left 8-20 Astor Place during Covid, leaving 10,000 sf of unoccupied space on the ground floor and cellar at the corner of Astor Place and Lafayette Street.    The landlord had no problem finding a tenant for the desirable ground floor space, but how to attract a tenant for the cellar?

FPE used materials and lighting to create a light jewel box in space carved out on the First Floor with generous access to the cellar space, highlighted by a glass detailed open tread stair.

In addition, the entrance needed to be ADA compliant and be Landmark Commission approved.  Construction was completed in 2023.