A LOOK INSIDE EMME APARTMENTS: A MODERN BUILDING THAT RESPECTS ITS HISTORIC SITE

Stepping inside Emme, the lobby area is sleek and modern and features a notable amount of negative space, allowing its artwork to take center stage. “We were constantly challenging ourselves to remove one more thing and let what was left shine through,” said Copper. Gerding Edlen commissioned Haymarket memorial artist Mary Brogger to design a sculptural piece comprised of twisted industrial wire suspended in a niche.The lobby’s seating area is adorned with an oversized orange and yellow painting visible from outside through a large, Mondrian-inspired picture window. The opening allows for an unobstructed view of the memorial and is joined by an additional plaque explaining the significance of the Haymarket event.The materials here are high quality: real stone floors, and plaster instead of drywall. The lobby incorporates elements from the Crane Company building that was partly demolished to make way for the apartment development. A beam from the old industrial structure is embedded into Emme’s front desk while the floor of the mail room features salvaged wood stained and arranged in a chevron pattern.Above, a glass catwalk connects the building’s management office, its large indoor and outdoor dog runs, and a lofted library and co-working space stocked only with books containing the word “light” in the title.