72andSunny New York

Informality, variety, and fluidity characterize our design for the New York office of 72andSunny, a non-traditional advertising agency that eschews the top-down management model. In order to further break the mold, the international advertising firm left Manhattan for the top two floors of a former coffee mill in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood. We integrated this iconoclasm into our renovation.

Although the original building’s industrial history remains visible in its rough brick and glass exterior, to lighten the interior environment, we cut a 25×30 foot skylight into the roof. All year long, natural light now bathes the new penthouse’s open plan, where every nook and cranny can be used as work space.
Throughout the day, team members float between personal workstations, a variety of informal gathering spots, huddle rooms, the firm’s signature working walls, and a large communal kitchen.
Below the skylight, wide, bleacher-like stairs not only connect 72andSunny’s two levels, but also offer a light-filled spot for staff and clients to sit, work, and talk. Street grids and patterns on the floors create a link between the office and the agency’s other locations in Los Angeles and Amsterdam.
Inspired by 72andSunny’s casual energy, we filled the new office with domestic touches that make the employees feel like they are working from home. On the lower level, one hangout spot features plush arm chairs surrounding a fireplace. Above, the agency’s partners decided to turn over the best view in the office to another gathering area filled with daybeds and soft seating. To keep the young, hard-working staff fueled and motivated, the kitchen features wine and beer on tap as well as coffee.
Clustered work tables and standing laptop desks add to the 72andSunny space’s sociability and versatility. Only one office has a door, and it’s shared by the five agency leaders, all of whom work together at one big desk. The main boardroom’s sliding glass doors act as a sound barrier during important presentations or pitches, but remain open most of the time to make the space available for spontaneous team working sessions.
In keeping with FF&P’s commitment to integrating art into our work, we had artist Mike Parry work with us to create an art wall in front of 72andSunny’s elevators. Eight young apprentices from the non-profit Creative Art Works painted the mural. It’s expected that other local artists will eventually repaint the mural, thus bringing community creativity into the space and keeping it there.
A book designed by our firm and 72andSunny documents the entire process of how we worked together, from finding the site to enlisting young mural artists.

The experience was collaborative to its core, and reflects our ideal working approach. From start to finish, our client’s sensibilities challenged and melded with our own.