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cott Spector’s 34th Street offi ce overlooks the bustling intersection at Madison Avenue. And that seems appropriate, because the 45-person architecture fi rm he leads is bustling now, too. The fi rm — which was founded by his father and bears his name — is the executive architect on the $250 million Pelli Clarke Pelli redesign of the World Financial Center’s retail pavilion. The glass structure will include 177,000 square feet of retail, and will link to the World
SCOTT SPECTOR Trade Center transit hub. Meanwhile, the fi rm also just completed an interior build-out for high-end French liqueur purveyor Pernod Ricard at 250 Park Avenue, and in 2010, it wrapped up a massive archival storage space for Christie’s, the auction house. Among the 40 to 60 projects that Spector says his fi rm currently has underway is a new Volkswagen/Audi dealership on 11th Avenue. This month, Spector gave The Real Deal a tour of his own digs. B Y G UELDA V OIEN
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This decorative wrought iron railing speaks to the history of the building, 183 Madison Avenue. Before it was converted to an office, this second floor space was a lingerie shop, and the railings framed the lacy displays. “We love them,” Spector says.
10 This brick was a thank-
you from Volkswagen. It was a challenge to design a dealership that would sell both Volkswagen and Audi brand cars, he says — the two spaces “share many functions,” but he wanted to give them “separate identities.”
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This photograph of a New York City subway car was taken by
Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard takes up an entire wall in
Belgian artist Luc Dratwa and was a gift from Spector’s wife. While
the firm’s conference room. “I can’t tell you how many projects we’ve
the couple lives on Long Island, Spector avoids taxis when he’s in
been considered for,” because of his Michigan affiliation, Spector
the city. “I live on the subway,” he says.
says. For example, the firm designed the Fifth Avenue headquarters
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for Wellcare, a nursing home whose head of real estate attended This espresso machine is invaluable for meetings with European
the school. Alas, Spector has not worked with Michigan’s highest-
companies, whose employees often eschew drip coffee, Spector says.
profile real estate alums — the Related Companies’ Jeff Blau and
The Spector Group designed a massive showroom for Mercedes,
Stephen Ross — but “would love the opportunity.”
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below the Mercedes House luxury rentals on Manhattan’s West Side, and designed the Manhattan dealerships for fellow German auto
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manufacturers Volkswagen and Audi that are currently being built.
named Quirky. The firm crowdsources ideas for innovative items,
This unusual pen container was made by a company fittingly
and then manufactures them on a large scale. The Spector Group
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Spector attended the University of Michigan, as did his brother,
sister, wife, daughter and many of his employees. The die-hard
designed the company’s 606 West 28th Street space, which included
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an industrial-grade “testing kitchen” for new products.
Wolverine is an especially big fan of Michigan football. He prefers college sports to the NFL, but says he does admire New England
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (also a Michigan alum).
Takajo, which he attended as a child. His two sons now attend the
This was the last baseball Spector hit over the fence at Camp
all-boys camp in Maine.
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Spector has done a number of projects for NASDAQ, including
the 2010 renovation of the stock exchange’s corporate headquarters
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at 1 Liberty Plaza, as well as work for its offices in Washington, D.C.,
business professor at Northwestern University who is known as a
Beijing, and London.
negotiations expert. Spector says he uses her advice regularly. He’s
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These self-help materials were written by Victoria Medvec, a
even started imparting his wisdom in a monthly column for the This 20-foot-by-20-foot photograph of former NFL and
22 October 2013 www.TheRealDeal.com
Commercial Observer. PHOTOGRAPH FOR THE REAL DEAL BY CHRIS MARTIN