Taking its cue from the vibrant South New York Avenue and NoMa community in which it is located, the vibrant and artistic interior design aesthetic incorporated into SoNYa – a mid-block multifamily apartment community – is meant to integrate the building into the street and the neighborhood, rather than set it apart. South New York Avenue, after which the SoNYa is named, is chock full of graffiti and street art. There is a raw energy there that Hartman Design Group captured in everything from the lighting to the artwork selections to the materials like exposed ceilings and concrete finishes. All were intentionally selected and merged to create a wondrous sense of neighborhood both within and outside the flagship structure of this neighborhood where a cacophony of colors and textures and sights fills the senses.
Examples of this kaleidoscope of colors and textures are everywhere in the multifamily building, including its entryway – yellow and glass, and steel which reflects the connection between the exterior architecture and interior design. The street morphed into the SoNYa with its dark lobby floor resembling the pavement outside. The rectangular lobby lighting fixtures were chosen as they mirror the exterior window mullions encasing the structure’s windows in both shape and color. Even more exciting, when the light reflects just so, the fixtures produce a grid-like pattern on the ceiling emulating a map grid.
Other elements that bring the vibe of the community into the building include an extraordinary subway door, juxtaposed at the end of a seating booth in one of the communal spaces. Behind the crystal stairway, the leasing area hosts another showstopper: a mural of squares of images meant to resemble windows with white mullions encasing thumbnail portraits depicting the lives of those who live within.
Since art curation is a prowess of HDG, it made sense that many of the bespoke accessories and works of art were custom designed by HDG such as three images of the city with surprising punches of neon lighting integrated into the works to hint at the energy and vibrance of the community. Graffiti-style artwork and wall murals were chosen and thematically carried through as stripes on carpet and floor tiles and in a color-blocking concept used on the corridor walls.
SoNYa: 40 Patterson Street Northeast, Washington, DC
Size: 14 stories, 321 units, 280,000 square feet
Developer: Monument Realty
Architect: KGD Architecture
Interior Design: Hartman Design Group
Construction: Donohoe Construction
