Aragon Construction recently completed work on a 46,198 s/f build-out for British Airways at 2 Park Avenue.
The Midtown skyscraper - which will also be home to other participating airlines in the Oneworld Alliance - marks British Airways' return to Manhattan after 25 years at the Bulova Building in Jackson Heights, Queens. The 11th floor project was completed in partnership with global architecture, design, planning, and consulting firm, Gensler.
"British Airways' new home is an 'aerodynamic workplace' where the culture and experience of great travel comes to life in the workplace environment," said Amanda Carroll of Gensler. "Our objective was to create an aviation inspired environment that would unify, celebrate and strengthen the Oneworld partnership." Accordingly, the design optimizes visual connectivity between spaces, emphasizes the importance of collaboration resources and seamlessly integrates wireless technology to support a mobile work environment.
"Our team worked tirelessly to deliver a space that was unique, but accessible, and ensure that we were able to meet and exceed the demands of British Airways and the entire Oneworld Alliance," said Alex Getelman, president of Aragon Construction. "This was an important move for British Airways and we were so proud to have been involved."
"Aragon did a phenomenal job in delivering BA and our Oneworld partners a fantastic working environment," said Vincent Melito, director of property and facilities, Americas, at British Airways. "They were extremely efficient in completing a very aggressive project schedule while executing tight control over the quality of the product. We could not be happier with the results."
The design features a clean, sophisticated color palette with unexpected pops of blues, reds and purples that stand out against the bright white surfaces and stainless steel materials featured throughout. Glass partitions, mesh curtains and a low paneled furniture solution instill the office with an open feel, while polished concrete, exposed ceilings and glossy black millwork further accentuate the space's modern character. Layers of curtains between spaces, and classic modern lounge seating add softness and texture in contrast to the minimal lines of the planning.

The design inventively utilizes flight terms to denote various parts of the office including the "Club" - a comfortable mobile lounge for the staff - the "Concourse" - home to the major collaboration spaces - and "Hubs," offering staff additional areas to communicate and collaborate with co-workers. Additionally, a unique rotating art program seamlessly incorporates aspects of the aviation industry and the local New York culture into the design scheme.
The East Side property offered the international airline everything it was looking for in a new home and proved to be the perfect choice for a return to Manhattan. "It's a beautiful Landmarked building with a great location in Midtown," said Randy Apfelbaum, vice president with Jones Lang LaSalle, who managed the owner's representative team on the project. "The project team worked tirelessly together to complete a great project within an aggressive schedule. It truly is an example of teamwork at its finest." Tags: