New York, NY—Inspired by John Soane's house as museum and room as a container of light and objects, the foyer of this private apartment became an opportunity to explore interior spaces with compound curvature, their spatial and optical effects, and to engage historical precedent conservatively and radically.

The client, an accomplished ceramist, wanted a space to show his extensive ceramic collection. Inspired by his interpretation of Roman amphorae, we suggested a domed space rather than the existing stepped ceiling and straight walls. We were also asked to work within the constraints of an existing neoclassical style apartment, where the foyer acted as the primary entrance space and circulation node for the rest of the residence. The room-based organization characteristic of neoclassicism ran counter to our modernist inclination to open up the spaces of the apartment. Upon further consideration, we recognized this as an opportunity to explore and to extend the possibilities of neoclassicism by engaging the convention of the domed foyer.

Realizing that the ceramics extended into the space, we projected the domed surface downward along the walls to form a vessel-like concavity that would hold and protect his collection and at the same time act as a reflector on the work.

Principals: Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto

Design Team: Michael Overby, Hilary Simon, Ryosuke Imaeda, Jasmine Lee, Boliang Pan, Xian Lai