Completed in 1936, the Rockefeller Apartments is an 11-floor + penthouse cooperative residential building located at 17 West 54^th Street and 24 West 55^th Street in Manhattan. The complex’s two tawny brick towers were designed in the International Style by Wallace Harrison and J. André Fouilhoux, who were also involved in the design of nearby Rockefeller Center. Signature design elements include semi-cylindrical window bays and a landscaped interior courtyard that is an oasis of quiet in midtown Manhattan. The Rockefeller Apartments were designated a New York City Landmark in 1984.

BFA approached the renovation of the lobbies and hallways as historic preservation initiatives with a measure of design latitude. At some point in the past, the residential hallways had been carpeted, during which process tack strips and tenacious adhesives severely damaged the original terrazzo floors. All the carpet was removed, and the boldly patterned black and white terrazzo was meticulously restored. For walls and doors, we selected paint colors inspired by the historically documented original palette, but a shade lighter and brighter. We relamped the original light fixtures, which had been restored in a prior phase of work, with new, higher wattage LED bulbs.