HOK designs Nina Footwear Corp's. headquarters in Union Sq.

The New York office of HOK, one of the nation's leading architecture and design firms, recently unveiled the completed Nina Footwear Corp's. new headquarters at 200 Park Ave. S. Previously located at 730 Fifth Ave., Nina Footwear relocated its operations to a two-floor office duplex consisting of 33,000 s/f. HOK was commissioned to transform the space into showrooms, executive offices and design studios. The project's design was led by HOK New York's Rick Focke, interior design director of HOK, while Mitch Sahagian acted as project manager and Jason Diaz was the project architect. Nina Footwear Corporation designs and sells brands well recognized in the fashion industry including Delman and I. Miller. In recent years, the shoe company expanded its Nina brand by introducing Nina Kids, for children, and Nina Dolls, for teenagers. "Our design of the space was inspired by Nina's desire to give each of the company's brands its own showroom and separate design studio, while fostering interaction among employees - something their past space could not accommodate," said Focke. A central staircase between the two floors assists in the interaction of employees while a new reference library, used for designers and marketing staff, fosters creative collaboration. The new office also includes an extensive shoe archive, cataloging 4,000 pairs of vintage shoes with room for an additional 9,000 pairs. The design moves away from a traditional enclosed office atmosphere featuring open workstations in white and silver tones. The few executive offices along the south-facing wall incorporate clear and frosted glass partitions allowing more natural sunlight to filter through to the overall space. Other design elements include exposed ceilings; expansive windows; a neutral palette of cool whites and rich browns that help highlight the shoes; back-lit walls for shoe displays; and portable shelving units that can be removed to create a modeling runway. "HOK's design has drastically improved the way we conduct business," said Scott Silverstein, chief executive of Nina Footwear. "The new office creates synergy between each unique brand Nina has worked so hard to establish."