CASE STUDY

Blackstone is one of the world’s largest investment firms. When its Innovations & Infrastructure team, which designs cutting edge technologies for Blackstone’s employees and investors, moved out of the firm’s Park Avenue headquarters in New York City, it wanted a very different look and atmosphere for the new space. Blackstone wanted to abandon a traditional look and create a space with a more casual, fun environment that would attract top talent and enable more collaboration among employees. They wanted the atmosphere of a startup with an aesthetic that would inspire creativity.

Blackstone’s Chief Technology Officer, William Murphy, wanted the new space to facilitate innovation yet feel comfortable like home. To create this environment, M Moser Associates designed an office that could quickly adapt to many different situations. Open work spaces would eliminate silos and promote collaboration.

© PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Laignel

In keeping with the nontraditional, innovative design approach, a 18.5 ft. wide x 8.5 ft. high Renlita S-1000 Floataway counterweight balanced glass door was installed between the large conference room and the open “common space” which acts as a bridge between a traditional office design and the new open-style floor plan experience. When lowered, the Renlita creates a fully enclosed conference room while still allowing natural light to enter the common space. With the press of a button on the wall mounted touch screen, the motorized Renlita automatically opens for cross-team collaboration, quick meetings or even happy-hour events. The single panel S-1000 Floataway tilts upward operating much like a garage door while opening. Since minimal headroom is required, it provides the perfect solution to accommodate the height specification of the space.

© PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Laignel

THE CHALLENGE
Transporting the 18.5 ft. x 8.5 ft. door to Blackstone’s 22nd floor proved to be a formidable challenge. Normally, the Renlita S-1000 arrives as a fully assembled single panel. Lifting the door from the outside with a crane would have been extremely costly and was not an option. The freight elevator was the only option for getting materials to the office construction site. However, the freight elevator was not large enough to accommodate the assembled Renlita.

THE SOLUTION
ModernfoldStyles partnered with Renlita’s engineering team to design an S-1000 that was customized and delivered as 3 separate sections that easily fit in the freight elevator. The door was then assembled in the field on the 22nd floor of the new 601 Lexington office.

Danny O’Connor, Project Director with JRM Construction Management said, “The installation of the Renlita door is one of the more sophisticated looking projects I’ve worked on. The ModernfoldStyles’ team was very organized and the installation went smoothly.”

© PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Laignel

Because the steel-cladded, 16-glass paneled Renlita S-1000 remains fully visible when open, it provides the industrial look Blackstone wanted balancing the formality of the conference room with the casualness of the common space. The Blackstone Innovations & Infrastructure new office now epitomizes the forward-looking, collaborative space the company had envisioned.