Image Object Space Selected Projects
Darrick Borowski
front cover: Concierge, Greenwich, UK back cover: Concierge, Dublin, Ireland
Selected Projects in Architecture, Design & Branding Darrick Borowski
Brand Experience Projects for O2 UK at The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) Greenwich, UK 2005-2007
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader Project Manager
A series of interactive/responsive environments within the re-purposed Millennium Dome.
published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2007 (Global Design Research UK)
Sited within the Millennium Dome (renamed The O2), The Brand Experience Project for O2 is a journey through a series of interactive/responsive environments within the new development’s entertainment district. Concierge, Create, Chill and the Concept Store celebrate the possibilities of technology and a newly accessible connectivity for all. The project strives to manifest the brands’ playful spirit as a ‘breath of fresh air’ encouraging visitors to “see what you can do” which is the brand’s well known call to action.
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The projects’ program and formal vocabulary were a result of an exploration of the client’s most basic service to the public - connectivity - and the established tone of voice of the brand’s marketing campaigns. The brand’s visuals portrayed the ‘bubble’ as hero and protagonist in fantastical narratives. This idea served as a jumping-off-point for the project’s playful portrayal of the brand
1. Concierge
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2. Concept Store
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3. Create 1 2
Entry 5m
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4. Chill
Concierge at The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) Greenwich, UK 2005-2007
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader Project Manager published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2007 (Global Design Research UK)
Concierge is a twenty meter high, color changing, effervescent light sculpture. The installation is a visitor’s first encounter upon entering The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) Below, O2 Angels gather to serve as the personal face of O2, answering questions, providing directions to venues and handing out VIP invitations. The tall vessel form encircles the first of the dome’s twelve structural masts, and is suspended via a steel tube ring, from node points in the tensile structure above. From this ring, strands of steel cable are fitted with series of illuminated spheres.
The spheres are custom molded in polyethylene, chosen for its easy molding and light scattering properties. Inside each sphere, a bespoke 6 sided LED fixture is suspended, holding R G B and White LED’s to achieve the widest gamut of color mixing.
Each sphere is individually addressable, like pixels on a screen, and can play back abstracted video clips or scheduled algorithmic light sequences. The intention is to ultimately outfit Concierge with sensors to detect cel phone activity and to become increasing animated with an increase in activity. Currently the installation’s activity is scheduled in concurrence with events in the arena.
Create at The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) Greenwich, UK 2005-2007
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader Project Manager published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2007 (Global Design Research UK)
Within each of the three pods that unfurl from Create is a video stage where O2 guests can dance themselves into music videos provided by the controller consoles. The composited video is displayed on large video screens in the “petals” above for the whole plaza to watch. Guests choose from a selection of music videos to perform to, or they can be directed by a friend who chooses for them and adds effects as they perform. The finished clips are sent via SMS to the performer’s mobile phone for download, playback and sharing.
The form was constructed of stacked CNC’d plywood plates which were cut from a 3d model. Once assembled, the surface was subsequently finished with a translucent whitened wax.
Chill at The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) Greenwich, UK 2005-2007
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader Project Manager published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2007 (Global Design Research UK)
A color changing inflated fabric skin is perched atop a sensuous landscape of upholstered felt and stacked plywood to create an absorbing multi-sensory space.
Within its three inflated color-changing domes, Chill accommodates for live performances, silent discos via wireless headphones, listening cocoons with unique radio ‘channels’ and the Audio Landscape, a terraced felt hillside, dotted with glowing headphone jacks. Each jack allows visitors to plug into different music streams using provided headphones.
Concept Store at The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) Greenwich, UK 2007
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader Project Manager
ARE Fixture of the Year (guru bar) ARE Fixture Award (experience tables) ARE Green Awareness Award
published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2007 (Global Design Research UK)
Manifesting O2’s call to action, the O2 Concept Store invites visitors to “See what they can do” via interactive Experience Tables, where customers create ringtones, edit and print photos, and play games and videos on the latest devices. The Experience Tables are merchandised as in-progress creative workspaces with handsets, laptops, and props scattered as they might be on your desk at home. Through context, technology is made understandable and even familiar.
The bar, formed of stacked reclaimed wooden railroad ties, houses phone recharge lockers and cash tills, and serves as a central point for all customer service and purchasing activities.
At the rear of the store is the lounge, where customers can relax and The inflatable walls are backlit and fully programmable via multi-color meet with O2 staff in a comfortable low-pressure environment. The LED arrays. Each module is outfitted with a motion sensor, allowing furniture is an eclectic mix, and the space is bathed in patterned light it to respond to visitors. simulating sunlight through a forest.
Brand Experience Projects for O2 Ireland at The O2 Point Theater Dublin, IE 2008
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader
A series of VIP hospitality spaces for the redeveloped Point Music Theater in Dublin.
published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2009 (Global Design Research UK)
The O2 Dublin Brand Experience opened to sold-out audiences following an 80 million Euro redevelopment of Dublin’s historic venue formerly known as the Point Theatre. The venue pampers O2 customers within fantastical themed environments including the Blue Room, Indigo Lounge, and Concierge entry experience. The building, a re-purposed shipping depot from the 1880’s, has been refurbished to host concerts with a capacity of 14,300. The project brief was to design and build a series of hospitality spaces for O2 music fans that would reflect the brand’s playful tone of voice and reinforce its connection to music.
The response to the brief was to propose an escalating sequence of VIP spaces from a Concierge installation at the entry to floating “bubble-snugs� in the customer-only VIP bar, to a top floor V-VIP executive lounge with a roof deck overlooking the docklands and the city of Dublin.
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3 Ground Floor Plan
1. Concierge
2. Blue Room
Top Floor Plan
3. Indigo Lounge
Concierge, Dublin at The O2 Point Theater Dublin, IE 2008 Concierge, Information and Will-Call area for a 14,000 seat music arena.
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2009 (Global Design Research UK)
The journey begins at the O2 Concierge – an exclusive entry experience, featuring personalized concierge services under a celestial lighting installation. O2 customers can get assistance finding their seats, special bonus treats from O2 Angels, and pick
The tensioned steel cable mesh serves three functions. First it provides the structure and defines the form. Secondly it provides power to the custom RGB+W LED fixtures,
up passes for themselves and friends to the Blue Room. Above, a dynamic, color changing LED mesh serves as a beacon, sets the mood and entertains guests before the show.
which were designed and fabricated to draw positive power over the X-axis and negative over the Y-axis. Finally it serves as data network. The DMX signal that controls the
color and timing of the lights is multiplexed and sent over the mesh to each individually addressable pixel.
Blue Room at The O2 Point Theater Dublin, IE 2008 The sponsor ‘s VIP Customer bar for a 14,000 seat music arena.
The design of the ground floor takes a cue from the historic building shell, a re-purposed stone shipping depot from the 1880’s. The wainscoting, benches, bar and drink rails are all built up of reclaimed heavy timbers and assembled to evoke a distilled interpretation of a traditional Irish pub. Guests ascend the glowing staircase to the lounge area above, to enjoy their drinks while floating over the crowd in translucent glowing ‘bubble snugs.’
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2009 (Global Design Research UK)
The Blue Room is an exclusive bar where O2 customers and their guests are invited to escape the concessions in a fantasy-land of glowing bubbles, hovering over a rich wood clad bar area.
O2 Blue Room
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1m
5m
O2 Indigo Lounge
Indigo Lounge at The O2 Point Theater Dublin, IE 2008 V-VIP Lounge for a 14,000 seat music arena. 0
1m
5m
Corporate guests who are lucky enough to score the coveted entry passes, continue the party at the Indigo Lounge – a top floor V-VIP Bar with panoramic views of the city and Docklands below. The space is conceived as a relaxed, pampering, minimalist garden, elevated high above the city. A central bar of molded GRP emerges from the glossy resin floor, framed above by subtle color-changing LED bubbles. The sculptural lighting elements ascend into an aperture in the suspended wooden ceiling. Live asparagus plants will grow to become privacy screens, creating smaller more intimate meeting spots
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Design Team Leader published: GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2009 (Global Design Research UK)
Projects for American Apparel Retail Rollout US, Canada, UK, Ireland, China, Japan, Australia 2004-2009
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Account Management Location Scouting, Fixture Design, Project Design/ Construction Management published: Frame Magazine, Arch Record Building Types Study, VM+SD and GDR Creative Intelligence Report 2005
Toronto Montreal Calgary Minneapolis Cleveland Manchester Glasgow Edmonton Kansas City Chicago Cincinnati Liverpool Frankfurt Memphis Nashville Miami Washington DC London Berlin Seattle Austin New Orleans Philadelphia Boston Brighton Paris Munich Mexico City Key West New York City Dublin Tempe Cambridge San Francisco Providence Malibu Savannah Los Angeles San Juan San Diego
American Apparel is a socially progressive verticallyintegrated manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of ‘basics’ apparel. In the five years since JPDA opened their first store, American Apparel has gone from a wholesaler known by artists and screen printers for its ethical labor practices to a globally recognized bleeding edge cult brand. With over 225 locations in 19 countries, and still growing, American Apparel is now considered the fastest growing retailer in American history.
Beijing Shanghai
Tokyo
Melbourne Sydney
American Apparel Flatbush/ Park Slope Brooklyn, NY 2006
American Apparel approached us to develop a strategy for a retail roll-out that would maintain the authenticity of the brand’s progressive personality while allowing for rapid expansion. We began by identifying neighborhoods that would target American Apparel’s audience – NY’s East Village, Lower East Side, Williamsburg and others in LA, London, Montreal. Locations with unique character or history would be a priority. Malls were to be avoided.
Store designs would respond to each individual space. Storefronts would try to retain (or bring back) as much original character as possible. Interiors would play up the original structure, if present, and expose infrastructure and services on the ceiling. Store fixtures would be simple metal racks and easily re-configurable modular wall displays.
AA 9th Ave, Hell’s Kitchen, NY (LEED Prototype) 2008 AA Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY 2005
AA Flatbush/ Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY 2006 AA Shanghai, China 2008
We proposed that stores would create “lifestyle” environments that balance the dense merchandising of goods with decorative elements including vintage furniture, large super-graphic photo murals, amateur photography, video and art books. In this way the stores would be more than a showcase for clothing, but a showcase for the brand’s personality.
AA Kensington, London, UK 2007 AA Carnaby, London, UK 2004
As the company and its audience grew, the brand and store environment have evolved. With the brand’s signature style becoming more recognizable, stores have become more graphic. “Grid-Wall” creates a datum grid around the space onto which merchandise, graphics, and mannequins can be mounted and quickly changed. Floor materials and lighting have become a bolder part of the spatial composition, adding color, direction and drama.
AA Covent Garden, London, UK 2007
AA Kensington, London, UK 2007 AA Covent Garden, London, UK 2007
Steps are being taken towards sustainability with the first LEED prototype built in New York’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ neighborhood in 2008. The store employs Solatube lighting, tiles of recycled glass, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and showers and bicycle storage for the staff. We hope to see this model repeated globally in the coming years.
As the momentum of the roll-out threatens to make the now ubiquitous brand predictable and undermine its roots, individuality and contextual appropriateness remain more important than ever.
NOHO, New York, USA – 2003
Brooklyn, New York, USA – 2004
Brooklyn, New York, USA – 2004
Brooklyn, New York, USA – 2004
Ontario, Toronto, CN – 2004
Los Angeles, California, USA – 2004
Beverly Hills, California, USA – 2004
Chicago, Illinois, USA – 2005
Boulder, Colorado, USA – 2005
Hollywood, California, USA – 2005
Brooklyn, New York, USA – 2005
Carnaby Street, London, UK – 2005
ShibuYa, Tokyo, Japan – 2006
ShibuYa, Tokyo, Japan – 2006
Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – 2006
Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – 2006
Columbia, South Carolina, USA – 2006
Cincinatti, Ohio, USA – 2006
Savannah, Georgia, USA – 2006
Philadelphia, PA, USA – 2006
Having established American Apparel’s retail presence in most of the established and trendsetting urban shopping districts across North America and Europe, we continue to look for new opportunities in emerging neighborhoods and select malls.
Most recently, we have spearheaded American Apparel’s expansion into China. From a satellite office in Shanghai, we have opened American Apparel’s first three China stores, with more underway.
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA – 2006
Brooklyn, New York, USA – 2006
Brooklyn, New York, USA – 2006
Brooklyn, New York, USA – 2006
Glasgow, UK – 2007
Covent Garden, London, UK – 2007
Covent Garden, London, UK – 2007
Covent Garden, London, UK – 2007
Oxford Street, London, UK – 2007
Oxford Street, London, UK – 2007
Kensington, Greater London, UK – 2007
Kensington, Greater London, UK – 2007
New York, New York, USA – 2008
Garden State Plaza, New Jersey, USA – 2008
Upper West Side, New York, USA – 2008
Sydney, AU – 2008
Harlem, New York, USA – 2008
Fashion District, New York, USA – 2008
Melbourne, AU – 2008
Melbourne, AU – 2008
Boerum Hill House
A derelict row house in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, unrenovated since the 1940’s, was rebuilt and re-imagined as a light filled container for art and living. The original structure was gutted and excavated, preserving only the façade, party walls, and the roof. A crumbling extension and a large portion of the rear wall were removed, creating a dramatic glass opening to the garden beyond, and bringing copious amounts of natural light into the artist’s studio space below.
Within the existing brick skin a new steel skeleton was inserted, allowing for a freeform composition of floating horizontal planes and vertical openings. The perforated floor plates encourage light and air to penetrate easily within the house, bringing a modern sensibility to a very traditional building envelope.
Boerum Hill Brooklyn, NY 2005
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Interior Specifications: Furniture, Fixtures, Materials + Finishes
Complete gut renovation of a three story plus basement townhouse
published: Brooklyn Modern, NY Daily News
East Village Live/Work Studio East Village New York, NY 2009 Gut renovation of a 500 sqft studio apt.
Living and working in just under 500 square feet, the client had been pushing the limits of what his studio would accommodate but he loved the neighborhood, and appreciated the environmental benefits of having such a minimal footprint. The problem was that the client was occupying the space without ever really living in it, nothing had a home. Our goal, we decided, would be to embed his lifestyle into the DNA of the place. Let his living patterns sculpt and mold the space to create an elegant and efficient environment.
firm: JPDA role: Creative Director, Project Designer + Manager published: NY Now Exhibition AIANY, Dwell Mag- Live/Work Issue 2010 (forthcoming)
The solution was ultimately to combine the kitchen, bath, sleeping loft and a new walk-in closet into an intricately sculpted wood-paneled central core. The space outside of the core area would remain as flexible as possible, with millwork finished in a high-gloss white to read as part of the shell and stand in contrast to the wooden service core.
A walk-in closet was created by meticulous detailing of the sleeping loft, employing a minimal steel structure to squeeze in the necessary clearance for Michael’s 6’-2” head-height. The sustainably sourced white oak boards that wrap the closet and core run uninterrupted as closet and bathroom doors, whose presence is given away only by the oil rubbed bronze handles.
The boards turn then, into the kitchen and become the doors and faces of the custom cabinetry, continuing the conceit that the whole volume was carved from a stack of wood. The kitchen countertops are thin slabs of a pitch-black “Eclipse” marble from Anne Sacks. The appliances are all stainless and 24” wide, mostly European - chosen for their efficiency - and include a stacked washer and dryer next to the fridge.
The wood-clad service volume contains the kitchen, bath and sleeping loft.
Storage defines the form of the space. Areas in red denote storage volumes.
The bath is tiled in 1”x4” porcelain mosaic from Brix as well as hexagonal marble mosaic on the floor. Black powder-coated bath hardware was special ordered from Dornbracht, as it was not available in the US yet.
The stair risers up to the loft conceal drawers which have now replaced the dresser. A custom built-in desk contains a pair of hidden pull-out ‘desktops’ to accommodate the client’s reliance on ‘visual filing’ methods.
Projects Publications & Awards
Architecture 2012 Edible Infrastructures
Graphics+Objects Film+Stage
Honors+Publications
Edible Infrastructures Book M.Arch. with Distinction Kungsangen Master Plan Annabelle Swiss Archdaily.com
2011
Center for Urban Farming, Bkln, NY Emtech Exhibition 2nd place Suckerpunch interntl design comp. Urban People Flows Simulator BOB Magazine ETH Pavilion remodelista.com Harnessing Material Expansion Architectural Digest France Chase & Sorensen Shop Architectural Digest China Financial Times Architectural Association Projects Review (Exhibition and Book)
2010
Chan-Poras Townhouse, Brooklyn, NY 40 knots / 80 hz Emergence Deconstructohedron Dedegumo Watch Atelier Reliance 3G Experience Wild Thing Retail Concept Dutch Colonial Reno, Millburn, NJ
2009
2008
2007
2006
Night Fever 2: Hospitality Design AIA Small Projects Award Dwell magazine apartmenttherapy.com mocoloco, core77, iso50, notcot, vectorave, unhappyhipsters, financial times online, mocha
24th Ave Houses, Seattle WA Brady-May Townhouse, Brooklyn, NY Loefler-Randall Offices & Showroom Shoemaker Residence, Brooklyn, NY East Village Studio, NY Labyrinth (competition) Art Fund Pavilion (competition) Mill River Porch (competition, shortlisted) UrbanShed (competition) Barre3 Yoga Studio, Bend OR Barre3 Yoga Studio, Vancouver, WA
NY Now Exhibition, AIANY GDRUK Creative Intelligence Report VM&SD Mar09 “cheap and cheerful” NY Daily News (Boerum Hill House) ‘Home Buying For Hipsters’ Seminars
O2 Brand Experience, Dublin, IE O2 Indigo Lounge, Dublin, IE O2 Blue Room, Dublin, IE Paul Chan studio, Brooklyn, NY AA UWS, NY AA Hells Kitchen, NY AA Harlem, NY AA 7th ave, NY Beacons (competition) RIBA national wildflower centre (comp) O2 retail estate strategy, UK AA Shanghai AA Beijing AA China World Trade, Beijing AA Melbourne, AU
ARE Fixture of the Year (guru bar) ARE Store Fixture Award (exp tables) ARE Special Rec for Green Awareness Inside Magazine, Australian Design Rev VM&SD Dec08 (AA Hells Kitchen) ‘Brooklyn Modern’ (Boerum Hill House)
Apple iPhone UK launch Apple iPhone display fixtures Global Design Research Creative O2 retail estate re-design, UK O2 bistro table Intelligence Report O2 Concept Store at The O2 Frame Magazine Online O2 Brand Experience, UK Luminous Art Installation American Apparel Oxford St, London, UK AA Covent Garden, London, UK AA Glasgow, UK AA Kensington, London, UK National Jean Co, New York New Look retail rebranding, UK AA Forum Shops, Las Vegas, NV
O2 Brand Experience, UK (ongoing) AA Portobello, London, UK AA King St, Charleston, SC AA Hollywood Blvd, LA AA Evanston, Chicago
AA Williamsburg, Brooklyn AA Robertson St, Beverly Hills, CA AA Little Tokyo, LA AA Les Cours, Montreal
2005
Architecture
2004
2003
Graphics+Objects Film+Stage
Honors+Publications
Boerum Hill House Midwest Secessionists Dance Camera West Festival, AA Broughton St, Savannah, GA Panasonic.com (Fangohr) Getty Center, La , AA Park Slope, Brooklyn American Apparel Signage New Dance Cinema Festival, AA Smith St, Brooklyn Bouillabaisse, Identity NW Film Forum, Seattle AA Tribeca, New York American Apparel fixtures 2005 Architectural Record, AA Rittenhouse, Philadelphia Building Types Study AA Univ Of Penn, Philadelphia AA Columbus Circle, New York AA Shoreditch, London, UK
American Apparel Stores: Lesleynowlinphoto.com Rota (film - director/editor) City Of Seattle Mayor’s Office AA Chinese Theater, Hollywood Mexx, Promo (Neverstop) of Arts + Cultural Affairs: AA Lincoln Rd, Miami Sci-Fi Channel, Promo (Neverstop) Report To The Community AA Carnaby St, London, UK Designhurts - clothing line AA Queen St, Toronto American Apparel Fixtures 2004 AA Williamsburg, Brooklyn AA Robertson St, Beverly Hills, CA AA Little Tokyo, LA AA Les Cours, Montreal
Leslie Residence Designhurts Vega (trailer) Muller-Clark Residence The Bubble Lounge, promo Wash State Convention Center Occhio, identity Occhio, Seattle Love Zone, posters Love Zone, Seattle
2002
Kemery Residence Designhurts, illustrations Designhurts Dance Camera West Festival, Blu Nightclub Alibi Room, promo Smash House Getty Center, LA Digital Design For Arch (instructor) Cherrywine, album art Cherrywine video (storyboard) New Dance Cinema Festival, X3, Pac Science Center, Seattle Noche De Los Meurtos, promo Noche De Los Meurtos NW Film Forum, Seattle Bead + Body, Seattle JMcDonnell.com Highdefinitionliving.Com X3, lightboxes Bead + Body, identity Highdefinitionliving.com Lushous Jeans, identity
2001
Barer Residence, Seattle Foreign Sources (textile design) Caught, Wound, Held Circadia (Starbucks concept) Salon Des Refuse Seattle Center Competition
Travel Sabbatical (2 mos) in Europe - London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, ,Vienna, Florence, Venice, Marseille, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Paris
2000
2200 Westlake, Seattle The Commission Fireworks, Seattle Assembly Arts, identity, promo Fountains Café, Seattle Center Assemblyarts.com Accent Imports, Olympia, WA
Billboards The Parlor, Assembly Arts 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Assembly Arts
1999
Circuit City Rebranding /Prototype Circuit City, POP Assembly Arts co-founder VM+SD Store Of The Year Science Museum Of Minn Anti-WTO Seattle Performances Interior Design Magazine Silver At Citywalk, Orlando Wallpaper* Magazine Experience Music Proj Shop, Seattle Paper Magazine
1998
1997
Explore2, Pac Science Center, Seattle Manray Video Bar, Seattle Tavola, Seattle Taco Del Mar, Seattle
Rome Apothecary, Seattle Brenners, Identity Wanderlust Senior Thesis Show, iSpace, Chicago Brenners - Sitka, Alaska Earl Prize In Design, UIUC UIUC Digital Design for Arch (instructor) Jack Baker Retrospective, Exhibit Dean’s List
Darrick Borowski
Selected Projects