Lafayette Street, NYC

Modern office interior with floor-to-ceiling custom blackened steel partition walls dividing a lounge area furnished with beige tufted sofas, mid-century wooden armchairs, and a white rectangular coffee table, from a corridor lined with polished concrete floors and a round wooden table holding a plant, while large windows on the left flood the space with natural light and offer expansive views of a cityscape with varied architectural styles and colors, including brick and stone buildings under a clear blue sky.

Interior Steel

At Open Architectural Windows and Doors, we specialize in creating bold, architectural steel and glass solutions that redefine modern interiors. One of our latest projects — a stunning office space on Lafayette Street in the heart of New York City — reflects the finest craftsmanship, engineering precision, and custom design.

A High-End Office Making an Architectural Statement

Located in one of Manhattan’s most prestigious neighbourhoods, this office space required a design that seamlessly blended modern elegance with a timeless industrial aesthetic. The client approached us with a vision: to create a floor-to-ceiling custom steel interior partition that would visually divide the space while maintaining natural light and a sense of openness.

A True Blackened Steel Finish

What truly sets this project apart is the unique blackened steel finish. Unlike traditional powder coating, this finish was achieved through a meticulous acid-etching process, which reacts with the surface of the steel, resulting in a deep, raw, and organic, uneven finish. No two panels are alike, and the exact effect is virtually impossible to replicate — resulting in entirely one-of-a-kind units.

Close-up view of a steel frame corner joint with a mitered weld seam, likely part of a window or door structure, resting on a paved surface with visible wet areas and a piece of oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing in the background, showcasing a clean, unfinished steel surface with subtle grinding marks and a precise angular cut forming a right angle.

Five tall, rectangular steel panels with a matte, slightly reflective finish blackened stel in varying shades of grey leaning against a rough-textured, reddish-brown stucco wall, are arranged vertically on a weathered wooden floor, with subtle lighting and natural shadows adding depth and dimension to the surfaces, emphasizing the nuanced gradients and handcrafted aesthetic of each panel.

Ultra-Slim Steel Profiles and Modified Systems

For this high-end interior partition, we opted for ultra-narrow steel profiles to create clean, uninterrupted sightlines. Our team went beyond standard systems, modifying components and integrating custom panels to achieve the desired sharp, modern look. Every element — from framing to finishing — was refined to create a sleek, minimalistic aesthetic.

Interior view of a modern office or lounge area enclosed by glass partition walls with black metal frames, featuring a neutral-toned sectional sofa, a white rectangular coffee table, minimalist wooden chairs, and large windows allowing natural daylight to stream in, with an urban cityscape of mid-rise buildings and classic water towers visible outside, all beneath a raw concrete ceiling with exposed conduit and suspended black track lighting.

Custom-Made Hardware: Designed for Quiet Elegance

Every detail in this installation was tailor-made. We developed fully custom handles to match the architectural intent of the space. To achieve the desired result, our team used custom-shaped steel tubing in varying diameters, along with specially designed connectors — all carefully crafted to bring the original design to life. Magnetic locks ensure silent operation, and all visible hardware — including hinges, profiles, and panels — was finished in a unified tone to preserve the clean, continuous design language.

A modern interior space with polished concrete floors and clean white walls is intersected by a glass door with blackend steel framing and curved metal handles, opening into a room with a mid-century style wooden armchair featuring olive green cushions, large abstract artwork with vertical lines in black, red, and orange on the wall behind, while natural daylight floods through tall windows, casting reflections and shadows that highlight the industrial-chic aesthetic of the corridor and furniture.

Close-up of a custom-made blackened steel handle

Precision Installation in a Complex Ceiling Environment

From floor to ceiling, the entire steel partition system was installed with high level of precision. Above the partition, the space housed a dense network of HVAC, electrical, and IT infrastructure. Our team made precise cutouts in the steel units on-site to accommodate these systems — a level of detail only achievable through close collaboration with expert installers and a deep understanding of architectural environments.

Why Choose Open AWD?

This project exemplifies our ability to deliver custom architectural steel solutions for demanding, design-driven projects. Whether for commercial offices, landmark buildings, or luxury residences, our work is defined by its attention to detail, material quality, and design integrity.

To see more of our custom steel and glass partitions you can see on Nantucket Island Project and explore similar projects, visit our portfolio at openawd.com.