Van Cleef & Arpels
New York, New York
Grand Staircase, Exterior Facial Panels, Center Ceiling, Light Fixture, Glass Guardrails–Bronze, glass, black walnut
Design/Engineer, Engineer, Consult, Fabrication, Installation
We custom fabricated and design-engineered a beautiful grand staircase for French jewelry retailer Van Cleef & Arpels’ flagship store in New York. The curved staircase is made of bronze and black walnut and features a sculpted architectural bronze undercarriage. To achieve this impact we used parametric modeling, similar to origami, to laser-cut and create folds in the bronze for the undercarriage. We then found a way to curve the folded bronze, a feat of geometry that was especially challenging. We used the same folded bronze technique for the architectural bronze detailing above the boutique’s front windows and the dramatic 60-foot surround in the conference room. The staircase’s custom glass guardrails are also our work.
