-By Katie Weeks, Photography by Mikiko Kikuyama

With the opening on the More North Gallery, those looking to soak up Nordic culture in Manhattan should consider venturing south. To TriBeCa, specifically, where the gallery sits behind an industrial black steel overhang characteristic of the neighborhood's warehouse past. Underneath that dark canopy, however, a sculpted white wood tree hints at something different inside.

It seems appropriate that the gallery, which opened its doors last May, is in lower Manhattan rather than among the bevy of galleries in Chelsea, farther uptown by the Scandinavian House on Park Avenue, or amid the bustle of Midtown's art museums. It is, after all, more than a traditional gallery. In developing the space, More North's principal partners and owners Monika A. Heimbold, Lena Bjorck Kaplan, and Linda Nordberg sought to create a hybrid program that would celebrate all things Nordic, from Icelandic art to Swedish glass work, Finnish lamps to Danish tables. The space would showcase art exhibits, but also would have a retail component. And, in another break from the traditional, the owners, who met as trustees in the American Scandinavia Foundation, also sought to welcome children, specifically including a dedicated space for tykes.

Taking the programmatic needs into consideration, New York-based KOKO Architecture created a refined interior scheme that offers a deliberate procession on the first floor, moving from the storefront entry and the chaos of the street to a more contemplative and quiet gallery area nestled in the rear.

The building's historical status prevented any dramatic façade changes, which meant the elevated platform entrance had to remain. But as soon as visitors pass through the entry, the vibe is distinctly Scandinavian. The clients sought a spare aesthetic that would reflect the Nordic cultures without succumbing to cultural clichés. "We wanted it to be icy, but not cold," Nordberg says. KOKO focused on the refined simplicity of Scandinavian design, outfitting the long space with white concrete floors and folded metal shelves along the walls of the entryway that carry on back toward the gallery area. The spare palette allows More North's goods, be it vintage furniture or a new art collection, to shine.

Entering through the doors, visitors are treated to a vignette perched atop an island of stones, but what may catch the eye most upon arrival is a cluster of birch trees that rise up from the basement level through the first floor and up into the ceiling plane. Following the trees past a wraparound 3Form railing that gives off the vibe of sheet ice and down the stairwell, where each step is labeled as a countdown in degrees like that of a thermometer, leads visitors into to the children's area. Forgoing the traditional gallery mode of operandi that encourages looking but not touching, More North's basement stores colorful Scandinavian toys out for play, and clothespins along the wall that are ready to hang children's art. For pint-sized visitors seeking their own space, a blue wooden wall features openings in the shape of silhouetted trees to transform old closet space into playful nooks where kids can tuck inside, while up overhead (and out of reach) glass Ittala Toikka birds peer down from modern nests.

"The attitude toward children is very different in Scandinavia. Many of their museums have playgrounds with them, encouraging people to bring their children," explains Adam Weintraub, AIA, principal at KOKO. However, he notes, the playful vibe of More North's lower level also had to be sophisticated enough to match the more adult tones above. "We had to make a kids space that's serious enough to be paired with a gallery," he says. "It's not a toy store."

Back upstairs, visitors progress past a backlit cashwrap and lounge area toward the official gallery space, where two folded panels of white, paper-thin metal extend out from the wall to signal a change in pace. Creating this gallery alcove was a challenge in itself as the rough space's brick walls weren't exactly ideal for hanging art. To overcome this issue, Weintraub and his partner, Mishi Hosono, AIA, clad the room with 1/2-in.-thick plywood. Further wrapped in that continuous, paper-thin white metal, the room has an origami-like feel of being a shell within the bigger shell, providing a setting in which to admire the ever-changing art without distraction.

who
Project:  More North Gallery. Client: Monika Heimbold, Lena Kaplan, Linda Nordberg. Architect: Koko Architecture + Design. General contractor: SINA Construction. Lighting designer: Lux Populi. Photographer: Mikiko Kikuyama.

what
Paint: Benjamin Moore. Laminates, veneers: Corian, 3-Form. Flooring: Get Real Surfaces, Abet Laminati, Hastings Tile. Lighting fixtures: W.A.C. Lighting, Birchwood Lighting, Poulsen, Artek. Door hardware: Sugatsune. Railing: Custom Design Koko Architecture, Fabrication SINA Construction, 3-Form. Seating: Fritz Hansen, Artek, Knoll. Upholstery: Kvadrat. Tables: Fritz Hansen, Artek, Knoll. Display fixtures, architectural woodworking, cabinetmaking: Custom Design Koko Architecture, Fabrication SINA Construction. Signage: Tika Buchanan Design. Security system: DGA Security Systems, Inc. Plumbing fixtures: Toto, Vola. Sound Systems: Bang & Olufsen.

where
Location: New York, New York. Total floor area: 3,000 sq ft. No. of floors: 2