BRANDRUD required a 2000 SF showroom to feature its innovative line of patient room furniture at NeoCon 2003 - the annual trade show for contract furniture manufacturers. Beyond NeoCon, the showroom was to function as an ongoing presence in Chicago for this Northwest-based company. The BRANDRUD showroom was intended to showcase the philosophy and values of the company as much as the product itself. It was also to be completed within a limited budget of $65 per square foot. To this end, casework is treated as furniture (constructed by the client) which is contrasted against the rough concrete shell of the existing space. Upon entering, a 35-foot light box highlights a series of images intended to convey the core values of BRANDRUD. Opposite the Light Wall a semicircular bar defines The Pit. Two curtains - one opaque and the other translucent - provide a high degree of flexibility in the function of The Pit. At times private meeting space and at other times semi-private presentation space, The Pit will also serve as an office for the showroom throughout the year.
