Previous page Sheer curtains adorn the symmetrical nail room and filter views from the street. This page Striking artwork by Olive & Otis serves as a focal point, its faceted surface shifting with variations in daylight. The custom furniture was designed by the architects.
Clients observe the urban activity outside, reflected in oversized mirrors located at each of the stylist stations, while pedestrians and vehicles get a voyeuristic panorama of the salon. One slips behind the reception desk and past the threshold wall to access the nail room, which is veiled from the street by sheer white curtains that softly filter daylight. The U-shaped seating configuration facilitates an intimate, communal camaraderie. At the end of the room hangs a striking
“I’m not a huge fan of whimsy,” said Baldridge. He is most satisfied with the cleverness of the plan, including the successful integration of the service programs. focal point, an undulating tapestry constructed of faceted wood fabric. “As this is an axial room, whatever was on that wall was going to be extraordinarily important,” said Bedrosian. The piece is one of twelve created by Olive & Otis, a local partnership formed by artists Michelle Bayer and Joyce Rosner. Inspired by microscopic topographies of the skin, they consider the pieces “a type of dermal mapping.” In other works, the wood membrane disappears, the internal scaffolding expressed in brass wire. The artwork is textured and rich,
providing a contrast to the controlled lines and smooth orthogonal planes of the architecture. which offers clients respite and separation from the outside world. One first accesses the locker rooms through a break in the cabinetry wall, passing through a heavy curtain into a dimmer, wetter world. The lockers serve as a buffer to the main lounge, which is similar in plan to the nail room, though it exudes its own ambiance. The lounge serves as a transitional space for the 12 service rooms encircling it. “I’m not a huge fan of whimsy,” said Baldridge. He is most satisfied with the cleverness of the plan, including the successful integration of the service programs. And perhaps surprisingly, the owner’s favorite part of the project is the back-of-house, due to its abundance of natural light, generous storage, and greatly improved functionality. The project, completed in December of 2012, marked Baldridge Architects’ departure from the design-build model. Said Baldridge: “It was a great fortune for us to work on this project. As a result, the commercial work that we’re getting to do now is very deliberate, and the craft that we care so much about is rewarded.”
At the heart of the plan lies the spa,
Jen Wong is director and curator of the University Co-op Material Resource Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
5/6 2014
Texas Architect 45