Case Studies
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Category | Case Studies
FGM Architects – Capturing Attention with Oxibronze DecoMetal® Laminate
5/18/2021
A recessed lobby featuring the stunning Oxibronze pattern is helping FGM Architects (FGMA) attract clients & visitors to their new offices
Nestled along the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri is the famed Gateway Arch. The large, stainless steel arch is often called The Gateway to the West, attracting visitors from all over and welcoming those who are crossing from the Eastern United States to the West.
Less than three blocks from the Gateway Arch, FGM Architects recently opened a new regional office with similar goals in mind. But FGMA uses a different type of metal – DecoMetal® Laminate by Formica Group – to welcome their guests and attract the attention of those exiting the elevator banks on the 19th floor.
“Our new office is meant to serve as a statement piece for the firm to help refresh the FGMA brand,” said Laura Wheeler, an interior designer at FGMA who was tasked with designing the company’s new office space. “Because of the way the entry is located, we angled the storefront into our space and used the Oxibronze as a branding element that you can see immediately upon departing the elevator bank.”
“I have always liked the contrast and the balance of neutral colors, but warm tones; durable materials but with a softer aesthetic,” Wheeler said. “I loved the Oxibronze for this reason. It’s metallic, has a nice texture and movement to it, and is a warm tone with a higher level of durability.”
Beyond the beauty of Oxibronze, Wheeler says that it serves as a functional piece for the firm as well.
“In designing our space, we wanted to go with materials, brands, and finishes that we knew worked; surfaces that we used on other projects,” Wheeler said. “That way, it becomes a showcase of how the materials could be used when our clients visit. If we’re willing to use it in our own space, then they trust that we will make it look good in their space.”
In addition to the entryway walls, Oxibronze is featured on the reception desk as well. The new office space also features we uses White ColorCore®2 Laminates in the kitchen and Formica® Brand Blackened Legno laminate on some of the countertops.
“Formica is my go-to,” Wheeler said. “I feel comfortable with the patterns, it’s more of a refined aesthetic, and it’s still a trusted brand that I know won’t have any issues.”
Architect/Designer
Laura Wheeler FGM Architects
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