When LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Co. decided it was time to move out of its New York office, it was both a step up and a step down. The branding and production company’s previous space was a hip spot in Tribeca modeled after a speakeasy and accessed by a secret door. The new recently leased space is more traditional—with expansive views and more room for the growing business of developing film and television projects—but in the comparably dull setting of a corporate office tower.
“It’s an extremely vanilla early-’90s skyscraper with zero personality whatsoever,” says Sara Agrest, design director for Spectorgroup, which was hired to redesign the new office’s interiors. Authenticity was the top-line goal for the client, but the building itself was lacking. “We were scratching our heads when we started, like, how do we create this authenticity and this vibe in this ivory tower?” Agrest says.
Spectorgroup’s solution was to embrace the SpringHill Co.’s multidisciplinary work across the realms of entertainment, culture, fashion, sports, and technology through its sub-brands, like the streetwear label Uninterrupted and the tech consultancy the Robot Co. Each brand and focus area is given its own unique section of the office floor, with workspace and decor tailored to the varied work of developing media projects or designing footwear.
To give each space its own character, Agrest says the design draws inspiration from the act of changing channels on an old pre-remote control TV set, where analog dials had to be turned to see another channel and there was often static in between. “And then suddenly something comes in clear,” Agrest says. She wanted the experience of walking through the office to feel like going from static to focus. “As you sort of switch through the channels, you get these extremely different experiences.”
Elise Ben-Yair, chief people and culture officer at the SpringHill Co., explains via email that the channel-and-static concept encapsulates the multidisciplinary work they do. “We have so many creative streams in our company that require agility and nimbleness. From film, TV, and our digital series, to the work we do to support our clients’ brand strategies: There are different creative processes (e.g., channels) but a resonant (static) vision of empowering culture,” she says.
The concept is also evident in the interior architecture. Black ceilings spread through the halls and common spaces, representing the static between channels. The channels are dedicated rooms and workspaces for each arm of the company. The Robot Co. has small meeting rooms and private workspaces decorated with cubbies to display artwork and pop culture objects that reflect emerging technologies. The production-focused side of SpringHill is more about collaboration spaces, with large shared seating at tables that look out on the panoramic harbor view.
Instead of secluded private offices, CEO Carter and chief marketing officer Paul Rivera requested offices that could serve dual roles. “They didn’t want these extremely corporate shrines to being an executive. They wanted a space where people could come in and pitch ideas and be collaborative,” Agrest says. “They’re both really designed as lounges.” The designers even re-created the barber shop set of the SpringHill Co.-produced HBO talk show The Shop, with a four-seat space that serves as a quirky meeting room.
Agrest says designing this office was one of the more collaborative experiences in her 30-year career. “When we presented the channels idea, they loved it. So we did a mood board and sent it to them, and then they did a mood board and sent it to us, and then we did a mood board, and we were going back and forth,” she says. “I hadn’t really worked with a client that way. . . . You can just see the creativity bursting at the seams.”