The latest in a series of building revitalizations by ESI Design for Beacon Capital Partners, 575 Fifth’s transformation features dynamic media experience and new branding identity.

NEW YORK, NY (October 20, 2016) – The lobby of 575 Fifth Avenue, the former L’Oreal headquarters, has received an elegant, high-tech makeover from Manhattan-based experiential design firm ESI Design that immerses visitors and tenants in the energy and grandeur of New York City.

The lobby and branding redesign are part of a $25 million capital improvement program for the 40-story building owned by Beacon Capital Partners, a leading office investor and manager, and MetLife, one of the largest insurance companies in the world. Sitting at the corner of East 47^th Street and Fifth Avenue, the building is located in one of the world’s largest commercial, entertainment, and media hubs.

After having served a single tenant, L’Oreal, for more than 30 years, the 2,350 square-foot lobby was reimagined by ESI Design to appeal to multiple tenants and to capture the vitality of the surrounding neighborhood.

The centerpiece of the redesign is a 192-square-foot band of dynamic media that wraps around walls and columns. It appears as a horizontal slice taken out of the building, as if allowing tenants to see through the walls and out to the metropolis beyond. The content echoes the vibrant rhythm of the streets, displaying vignettes from around the city, complemented by data-driven content such as weather, trending headlines, information on local events, and financial reports. High-end materials, including textured Bianco Carrara marble wall treatments, provide a sleek backdrop for the ever-evolving digital media experiences.

To give the building a fresh identity reflective of the growth and creative companies it is attracting, ESI designed a new original typeface featuring thin, open characters, complementing 575 Fifth’s sleek, contemporary feel. ESI designed the new building ID and branding in the context of how its presence would exist on the building and within the digital media. The logo echoes the band of LED displays in the physical space, with the horizontal ‘cut’ implying rising motion. The custom font is supplemented by similarly streamlined graphics throughout the property, bringing a modern sensibility to wayfinding and signage, and helping to characterize the entire building as a professional, corporate space.

“The transformation of 575 Fifth Avenue is symbolic of the fast-evolving neighborhood, leading a hectic section of midtown Manhattan on its way to becoming more refined and professional, and attracting a wider range of tenants,” said Michael Schneider, Senior Designer – Creative Technology at ESI Design. “The design slices through the lobby walls into the chaos of midtown and choreographs it into a cinematic dance of productivity and culture.”

“Beacon focuses on creating and adding value to office buildings by providing tenants the state-of-the-art infrastructure and amenities they require, as well as visual interest and distinct design they can be proud of,” said Chris Gulden, Senior Vice President, Beacon Capital Partners. “We plan to make 575 Fifth Avenue one of the premier office destinations in Midtown Manhattan.”

The dramatic update at 575 Fifth Avenue is the latest in a series of innovative designs that ESI Design has created across the country for Beacon Capital Partners. Recent standouts include a makeover of Denver’s Wells Fargo Center, where ESI installed floor-to-ceiling LED columns in the building’s eight-story glass atrium, and Washington, D.C.’s Terrell Place, where the company transformed common areas with 1,700-square-feet of motion-activated media. ESI Design has also reinvigorated landmark Beacon properties in cities such as Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.

About ESI Design

ESI Design has been a pioneer in experience design and audience engagement since its founding by Edwin Schlossberg in 1977. The firm specializes in imaging and creating immersive and interactive environments that help brands, corporations and cultural institutions engage with audiences and customers in innovative, more meaningful ways. A New York-based, multidisciplinary firm, ESI Design has created memorable experiences, exhibits, and environments for such clients as PNC Financial Services Group, Best Buy, Barclays, Staples, AT&T, Comcast, The Edward M. Kennedy Institute, The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., and Beacon Capital Partners. Connect with ESI Design: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Vimeo, and Instagram. (www.esidesign.com)

About Beacon Capital Partners

Beacon Capital Partners is a tenant-focused private real estate investment firm with a nearly 70-year legacy of successful real estate development, ownership and management. Beacon unlocks value by strategically investing in high-quality office properties in core urban markets with highly-educated workforces. Our hands-on approach transforms these properties for today’s tenants, with innovative design, state-of-the-art connectivity, modern amenities, and award-winning sustainability and risk management initiatives. From Fortune 100 firms to the leading innovative and growth companies, our tenants are proud to call our distinctive workplaces home.

Beacon has raised eight investment vehicles totaling over $12 billion in equity from a diverse investor group including leading endowments, foundations, public, private and foreign pension funds, financial institutions, and sovereign wealth funds. This equity capital has fueled 150 office investments, including joint venture partnerships, with a projected total value of approximately $30 billion.

For more information, visit www.beaconcapital.com.

Press Contact

Jenny Chang, jenny@pkpr.com
Corey Nord, corey@pkpr.com
PKPR, 212.627.8098
Images available on request.

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