Christies, New York

Exclusivity is the privilege of the connoisseur. This concept was foremost in the minds of the Axis Mundi team when the venerable Christie’s auction house tapped them to design two private galleries and two skyboxes overlooking the auction floor, amenities offered Christie’s most select coterie of collectors so they can view and bid on art while remaining invisible to public and paparazzi alike. It was essential that the scheme and materials telegraph a kind of access reserved for the elite. The skyboxes were swathed in architectural envelopes of luxurious American black walnut and zebrawood. Furnishings are by that paragon of modern chic, Jean-Michel Frank. The private galleries boast polished terrazzo, a material that elevates the de rigueur concrete we’re used to seeing. Walls—on which blue chip art is in constant rotation—are gallery white, but feature floating reveals and anodized aluminum trim that impart a sense of precision craftsmanship. Elegant and extravagant in an understated way, these skyboxes and galleries exude the sophistication demanded by an art venue of this caliber, with a clientele to match it.

Design Team: John Beckmann, Richard Rosenbloom and Nick Messerlian
Total Area: 2,200 sq.ft.
© Axis Mundi Design LLC