DESIGN DISPATCH

1 Wall Street’s Red Room Secures Landmark Status, and Other News

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The Bank Room at 1 Wall Street. Image courtesy of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission

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The historic Banking Room at 1 Wall Street has been designated an interior landmark.

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated the Bank Room at 1 Wall Street, known as “The Red Room,” as an interior landmark—a win for preservationists. Originally designed by Ralph Walker and featuring mosaics by Hildreth Meière, the historic Art Deco interior space will undergo a full restoration using original tiles. The building, which now houses residential units and retailers, will see the Red Room opened to the public once again, rented by French luxury retailer Printemps.

Digital spatial asset platform Treasury debuts in partnership with Zaha Hadid Architects.

San Francisco–based startup Treasury Spatial Data has launched a digital suite to serve as the “Getty Images of premium spatial assets,” addressing the growing role of spatial computing in the design industry. The platform enables users to discover, license, share, and commission spatial assets while protecting them from machine learning and generative AI. Co-founded with Zaha Hadid Architects and Spaceform, and partially funded by Google’s AI investment fund Gradient, Treasury aims to foster creative collaborations across architecture, art, and film.

A rendering of the Centre Pompidou in Jersey City. Image courtesy of OMA

Officials are sparring over funding for Jersey City’s delayed Centre Pompidou outpost.

New Jersey officials are debating finances for the delayed Centre Pompidou outpost in Jersey City, now slated to open in 2026. The project, set to receive $58 million in state funding, faces scrutiny due to a projected $19 million annual operating shortfall, prompting concerns from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). While the NJEDA reviews updated revenue models, Governor Phil Murphy and local officials are highlighting the cultural and economic benefits, despite potential increased property taxes and financial challenges.

A Christie’s live auction of Vivienne Westwood’s wardrobe raises $587,000 for charity.

Vivienne Westwood’s personal wardrobe items and prints raised £465,192 ($587,000) at a Christie’s London auction, benefiting charities including The Vivienne Foundation, Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Greenpeace. The auction, which included 95 lots spanning four decades, saw high participation from Millennials and Gen Z, with top items such as a taupe silk taffeta corset gown and an ice blue satin Cinderella dress exceeding estimates. 

Tesla recalls the Cybertruck for the fourth time to fix windshields and loose trim pieces.

Tesla is recalling its new Cybertruck for the fourth time in the U.S. to address issues with loose trim pieces and failing windshield wipers, affecting around 11,000 vehicles. The front windshield wiper motor can stop working due to excessive electrical current, potentially increasing crash risks, while a trim piece along the truck bed may detach, posing a hazard to other motorists. Tesla will fix both issues at no cost to owners, who will be notified by letter on August 18.

Today’s attractive distractions:

Oslo’s new tourism ad is enticing visitors… by telling them not to come.

Influencers are seeing some returns on Instagram’s broadcast channels

…but that still doesn’t mean most are even close to making ends meet.

A Chinese folk art in which artists sing with boar tusks is facing extinction.

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