MUNICH RE in AZURE

Visit the article by Paige Magarrey of AZURE Magazine online here:

Munich Reinsurance_Bay Street Office 16 - FINAL PHOTOS

 

 

The early hour of the photo shoot allowed Tom to capture several frames of a quiet office before people would start to stream in from the elevators.  As the sun rose over the lake the sky vibrated in tones of fuchsia and cobalt, and the balconies of the apartment building visible behind the CEO's desk were cast in silhouette, echoing the black and white shapes in the Michael Burges piece in the foreground.  The view of City Hall from above was both majestic and serene at dawn, with the Bay Street traders already rushing to get coffee below.

Photography by Tom Arban.

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We are headed to Munch Re for a 6 am photo shoot with the very talented photographer Tom Arban.  Thank you Tom!

Munich Reinsurance_Bay Street Office 13 - In Progress

REGINE SCHUMANN

MICHAEL BURGES

Works by Regine Schumann, Juergen Paas and Michael Burges were hung today by Galerie Lausberg at the Munich Re offices.  Stunning!  We also considered a beautiful white piece by Kuno Gonschior but in the end decided on the Burges to place over the green Bensen Pool table and Keilhauer Canal chairs - with the oblique lighting it is so kinetic and ethereal, a perfect match.

What fortune to be able to find and incorporate cutting edge art of this caliber as part of the office design.

Munich Reinsurance_Bay Street Office 13 - In Progress

DIETER BALZER 'HYBRID'
 

JUERGEN PAAS 'SKETCHBOOK'

The reception area at Munich Re on Bay Street is nearing completion; full height lacquered pivoting doors will be installed, the glass wall behind the desk will have sandblast film applied, and the stone base around the desk is being completed.  

Galerie Lausberg has generously allowed us to view pieces in situ and we spent the afternoon hanging the favorites; we have selected pieces that are strikingly (and deceptively) simple with vivid colours, crisp layers and geometry - all are rigorous and impeccably made.  We have strived to achieve a sense of order, subtle richness and generosity to the space with the new furnishings, millwork, ceiling, artwork and materials.  

Dieter Balzer's 'Hybrid' is spectacular; we love that it is doubled in the glass Bensen Pool tables.  Juergen Paas' framed sketchbooks - documents as a meditation on colour archiving - are wonderfully direct and yet mysterious with their hidden pages, heavy zinc frames and primary colours.  Elsewhere we are hanging Hans Kotter's vivid 'Chromatic Plants' in the main boardroom, three of Regine Schumann's amazing 'Colourmirror Soft' acrylic boxes behind the Florence Knoll Oval table, and - very exciting - one of Michael Burges' 'Virtual Space Work' boxes behind the CEO's chair in her office.  

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The whole reception area has been gutted and the new ceiling framing, sprinklers and electrical feeds are underway.  What a significant improvement, already.  We can't wait to see the new reception desk (Grigio Piove stone folded over sapele), the new glass wall, the custom lacquered credenza and tall pivoting lacquer doors installed.  We are working with Bernd and Brian from Galerie Lausberg to select a new showing of artwork for the CEO, so we will be hanging something amazing to test drive as soon as the walls are complete!  The Canal sofa in rich charcoal leather and two white leather chairs are coming before the end of the month, and the glass tables in black, lime green and milky sandblast are arriving in Toronto next week.

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Layer by layer Munich Re's Bay Street Office is coming together.  Galerie Lausberg hung three pieces today, by Franco DeFrancesca and Robert Schaberl.  The pieces work well with the charcoal and lime walls; the vibrant colours are wonderfully vivid and modern against the crisp background palette of white, dove grey and mahogany.  Each art piece has a resonant relationship to another strong element in the space - a colour, shape, or texture.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Munich Re as a client; they have a unique corporate mandate to invest in truly cutting edge art and architecture.  They have commissioned the likes of James Turrell, Jenny Holzer, Gerhard Richter, to name a few.

Thank you to director Brian Torner for his personal tour of the Galerie Lausberg and introduction to so many fantastic artists.

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The new back painted glass doors with thin aluminum frames on the wall mounted unit look very sleek, a great improvement.  It is a perfect foil for the beautiful Florence Knoll white marble meeting table in front of it.

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Demolition is now nearing completion on the 27th floor.  The entire 25th, 26th and 27th floors of this (fully occupied) Bay Street office are going to be renovated in synchronized phases over the next three months, after a great deal of careful planning and design.

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The washrooms have been redesigned with crisp white walls, slate floors, charcoal counters and new fixtures including beautiful ceiling mounted lights that are doubled in the mirrors.

Munich Reinsurance _Bay Street Office 7

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What pleasure - viewing and artwork candidates in situ.  Pieces were brought by curators of the Galerie Lausberg for viewing and consideration.  Stunning works by Franco DeFrancesca, Kuno Gonschior, Thomas Deyle and Robert Schaberl were all finding homes on crisp white and charcoal walls.  Our personal favorite remains DeFrancesca's Lenticular Meth.

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The Florence Knoll white marble and chrome table and Saarinen executive chairs in vibrant red are perfect in the meeting area of the CEO's office. We are sourcing artwork for the walls; Franco DeFrancesca is a favorite.

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The elements are coming together for the CEO's office at Bay Street.

The drawer fridge provides a moment of delight as the lacquered drawer slides open with a chirp to reveal the hidden space inside for chilled refreshments. The Brent Comber drum provides organic shape and texture, and the dove grey carpet looks like silk carpet in some lights, and resembles concrete in others. The golden interiors of Tom Dixon's pendant lamps will hang over the eagerly anticipated Florence Knoll table in white marble and chrome, to arrive soon, paired with Saarinen Executive chairs in bright red.

Many thanks to Parallel Construction for great work.

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Furniture selection for the CEO's office includes the USM Haller system for two credenzas, colorful Lotus chairs, Florence Knoll oval table in natural white oak, the MDF Italia desk with back-painted glass, and three gorgeous Tom Dixon Beat lamps with beaten golden interiors.  The carpet is to be a silvery grey with a silk sheen.  One wall will have a custom millwork closet in white gloss lacquer, for coats, storage and a mini-bar.

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The BassamFellows teak circular table and Piiroinen Nurmesniemi armchair would pair perfectly for the CEO's meeting area.

Munich Reinsurance_Bay Street Office 2

A simple refresh for the common spaces includes light dove gray carpet down main aisles, charcoal gray millwork with sandblasted glass, selected vibrant green walls as a focal points and artwork by Marianne Lovink and Brent Comber to introduce natural materials and organic shapes to an otherwise rectilinear space.

Munich Reninsurance_Bay Street Office

Art selection and design consultation is beginning for an office on Bay Street.  The Hanging Garden by Marianne Lovink, the exquisitely talented artist, would be perfect for a feature wall by the reception lobby.  Her wall mounted sculptures that cast crisp, organic shadows, are being considered for other focal points.

www.mariannelovink.com