In designing for the human body, the architectonic response extends into the realm of furniture. Our firm rigorously explores the sensual tectonics and ergonomics of interior and exterior furniture design. Our in-house woodshop allows us the luxury of studying the final product at a one-to-one scale and with great nuance. This intimate dialogue of making, both internally and with outside fabricators, further informs our design vocabulary at the architectural scale.
The Ventilla Library is a remodeled interior space in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Its design is inspired by the Renaissance “cabinet of curiosities” or Wunderkammer (“wonder-room”). These eclectic and heterogeneous chambers provided storage and display for artifacts united primarily by their personal relevance to the owner, and were often considered miniature representations of the cosmos. The Ventilla Library follows this model; it is intended as a space of refuge, a place of secrets and fantasy.
Photography: Peter Larsen, Marcus Hanschen, Dominique Vorillon
