Page 70 - Fall_2017

ArchDC Fall 2017.qxp_Fall 2017 8/10/17 1:17 PM Page 68

Corridor with custom artwork incorporating a Toyota Tundra fender.

Aniekan Udofia depicting vibrant street scenes, a Japanese tea
service table fashioned from the engine of a Toyota Celica, and a
porcelain “rock” garden at the base of the spiral staircase (added
after the pictures reproduced in this article were taken). Especially
engaging is a wall sculpture along one of the office corridors
incorporating the fender from a Toyota Tundra pick-up truck.
Complementing the mostly white-and-gray color palette are
swaths of vivid red, Toyota’s signature corporate color. This accent
color seems to have been treated almost with reverence. It appears
only on glass or fabric, rather than paint, “so that it always has life
to it,” according to Goebel.
Asked about the client’s satisfaction with the results, Goebel
reported that, for the official opening of the office, the head of the
division personally prepared a flyer touting Gensler’s work. “He
basically made an ad for us,” she said, “because he was so proud
of the space.” Conference room and informal seating area, separated by glass partition.

68 TAKING THE OFFICE FOR A SPIN