The Naeem Khan Showroom in New York was to serve as both an office for owner Naeem Khan and as a gallery for his line of colorful dresses. Designers at Currimbhoy & Co. (New York) transformed the 2500-square-foot location into an open, loft-like space that glows with natural sunlight. Designers added a touch of India to the surroundings. The most dramatic element — a 48-foot serpentine sandstone screen that extends the middle of the showroom — was hand-carved in India and sculpted from a 2-foot-thick block of stone, with a patterned, lace-like appearance. Like the ancient Mughal palaces that inspired the design, the screen's delicate motif allows light and air to pass through, emitting patterns of light and shadow on the floor, walls and the dresses hanging on the far wall. The curved folds within the screen are ideal for placing numerous mannequins clothed in Naeem Khan dresses.
An ivory and cream palette provides a neutral, elegant backdrop to the high-end product. Ivory Venetian plaster adds texture to the perimeter walls, and cream paint on the floors defines the boundaries of the space. Unbleached muslin curtains in the shape of fans are used throughout. And a row of cream-colored, distinctly shaped lights, extending the length of the screen, plays upon the dresses and complements the light colors.
Client: Naeem Khan Showroom, New York — Naeem Khan, owner Architect/Design: Currimbhoy & Co., New York — Tarik Currimbhoy, principal-in-charge; Bill Dondiego and Janucz Maars, stone screen installation General Contractor: TriMillennium, Hillsborough, N.J. Suppliers: Ingamaro, New York (decorative lights); Hiralal, Jaipur, India (carved stone screen)
Photography: Peter Paige, Upper Saddle River, N.J.