MJ Residence

Inspired by the clients’ knack for storytelling and the grandeur of the building, CIVILIAN’s Ksenia Kagner and Nicko Elliott looked to a medley of different eras and design movements. Some inspiration touchpoints include Stockholm and Amsterdam’s early movie houses, Danish modernist designer Poul Henningsen’s architectural and chromatic gestures, and interwar New York – a tip of the hat to the project’s historic Broadway address. These references conjure images of cinematic romanticism offset by a rudimentary Dutch modernist edge, and CIVILIAN’s design response exudes exactly that.

For Ksenia, the project was also an opportunity to “create an elevated and layered space that supports the work Sandbox is doing to uplift documentary film talent,” she says. And while that was the primary focus, the project presented another underlying plot point: “We also felt it was important to be responsive to the changing priorities of the modern workplace, creating open, multipurpose spaces that nurture interaction and foster a sense of community.”