Barney’s New York Grand Staircase
Architect: Yabu Pushelberg
Photos: ©Trel Brock, 2011
Working in collaboration with architect Yabu Pushelberg, Joseph Jaroff designed this elegant staircase for Barney’s Madison Avenue location to evoke both the gentle cascade of a waterfall and the sexy curve of a woman’s foot. Guests on the ground floor are drawn in by a custom glass railing that encircles the perimeter of the balcony. From there, the limestone-infused black basalt stairs spill downward, imitating stream-smoothed rocks, and flow alongside stainless steel brackets. The glass staircase serves as an invitation and enticement towards beauty and decadence, creating a flowing pathway between the remodeled main entrance and the establishment’s lower-level haven for cosmetics. The elliptical shape ensures that visitors will simultaneously experience the unfolding of the staircase and the luxury brands on display as they descend to the sales floor below. The completed structure, which debuted at the end of the summer of 2012, is part of the renewed energy being injected into Barney’s brand.
For over thirty-eight years, Jaroff Design under the leadership of Joseph Jaroff has provided design and fabrication of custom architectural glass and metal for the construction, architecture, interior design and art communities.
Joe received a BFA in Metalwork and Sculpture from RIT’s prestigious School for American Craft and studied Art History at Harvard University. During the time he was a student, Joe received several grants for public art projects including those from the National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council for the Arts.
After graduating, Joe moved to New York City to pursue an art career, supplementing his income with architectural metal and glass design and fabrication work for contractors and commissioned projects. This early work led Joe to the realization that he could fill an unrecognized need within the building and arts community through blending his skill sets of designer, fabricator, coordinator and project orchestrator.
Jaroff Design has developed and realized design solutions for projects by architects such as Tony Chi, Herzog & De Meuron, Richard Gluckmann, Peter Marino, Toshiko Mori, Polshek Partnership Architects, Ennead Architects, S.O.M., Phillipe Stark, Adam Tihany, Annabelle Selldorf, Andrew Berman and The Rockwell Group among many others.
Fashion Clients include showrooms and flagship locations for Armani, Issey Miyake, Alexander McQueen, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Stella McCartney, Barneys, Louis Vuitton, Van Cleef & Arpels, YSL and Chanel.
Fine dining clientele have seen JDwork at Asiate, Le Cirque, The Sea Grill, 11 Madison Avenue, Bruno’s Wine Club and, the Hudson Hotel Bar. Cultural clients include Jazz at Lincoln Center, MOMA PS1 and, New York City Center.