Bando x Seidel Meersseman Design Ethereal and Museum-like Showroom for Ciot

 

Ciot was relocating from a small Soho showroom to a large space in Brooklyn which was to serve as both a destination showroom and a working industrial facility. In addition to displaying the range of Ciot’s products, we were asked to create a comfortable working environment for designers and customers to linger and spread out with drawings and finishes as well as a suitable setting for occasional parties and events.

Architizer chatted with Robert Seidel, Principal at Bando x Seidel Meersseman (BxSM), to learn more about this project.

Architizer: What inspired the initial concept for your design?

Robert Seidel: As usual, the initial concept was derived largely from the space itself, a 19th-century former armaments factory featuring a spectacular skylit atrium, and from a very straightforward need to show off Ciot’s product line in the best light. And with a complex program including offices, a conference room, loading docks, and a drive-in entrance for contractors, the planning process was very involved. The showroom is ethereal and museum-like, with white walls used to loosely divide the space, taking advantage of natural light while largely obscuring the industrial shell within. The plan encourages meandering, with a large central bar anchoring parties and events. In the slab gallery the space was left very much as we found it; we painted the walls a dark charcoal to keep the visitor’s focus on the slabs, while also highlighting the trusses and the new crane, both white.

What do you believe is the most unique or standout component of the project?

The combination of working industrial facility and showroom. We have always enjoyed our occasional experiences of the industrial side of the stone business – quarries, manufacturing facilities, and slab warehouses – so we were thrilled to have the opportunity to integrate some of this into the showroom experience and celebrate it.

What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?

The atrium which houses the slab gallery is an immense, spectacular space, and we knew that it would necessarily be the centerpiece of the project. On entering Ciot from Second Avenue the visitor is given only a glimpse of the slab gallery before entering the showroom; arrival to the slab gallery is through an anteroom that brings visitors into the space on the central axis for maximum impact, where a wide central aisle populated with tables and chairs and plants invites them to relax and admire the gorgeous slabs

What drove the selection of materials used in the project?

We began by building a relatively quiet, neutral background that could serve as a flexible backdrop to Ciot’s expansive and ever-changing range of stones, wood floors, tiles, and mosaics. White walls and ebonized oak millwork walls combine to provide both dark and light backgrounds for various displays, and a gray marble floor runs throughout the showroom. With that neutral palette in place, we took the opportunity to use many of our favorite stones for furniture pieces and millwork installations. Some of these stones we’ve wanted to use for years, so this was great fun.

What is your favorite detail in the project and why?

Custom stonework is always a pleasure, and we were overjoyed to be able to finally use several exotic stones we have long admired for furnishings and architectural features.

In what ways did you collaborate with others, and were there any team members or skills that were essential in bringing this Award winning project to life?

Rachel Eichorn of Shimstone Design Studio designed the lighting, and Chris Dameron of Dameron Architecture served as Architect of Record. Both Rachel and Chris are longtime BxSM collaborators, and they’re both amazing, talented, and terrific to work with. We were also very excited to work with Deborah Moss and her team at Moss + Lam, who created the strange and delightful hanging rock sculpture in the entry.

Ciot’s design and fabrication teams were also instrumental in the project, not only engineering and fabricating the custom stone furnishings but also designing the stone artworks displayed throughout the showroom.

We would also like to acknowledge Kay Nolan, Fernando Mammoliti and the rest of the team at Ciot, all of whom were enthusiastic and supportive every step of the way.

How have your clients responded to the finished project?

As is their way, they threw a big party.

How do you believe this project represents you or your firm as a whole?

We are always especially flattered to have clients like Ciot who, by the nature of their business, have worked with very many interior designers and know the industry inside and out.

How do you imagine this project influencing your work in the future?

We are more in love with stone than ever.

Team Members

BxSM Team: Kota Bando, Principal. Robert Seidel, Principal. Caroline Meersseman, Principal. Christopher Mattiucci, Team Leader. Catherine Lee, Lead Designer

Consultants

Rachel Eichorn, Shimstone Design Studio. Christopher Dameron, Dameron Architecture. Deborah Moss, Moss + Lam

For more on Ciot, please visit the in-depth project page on Architizer.

Ciot Gallery