Ghiora Aharoni opened his multi-disciplinary studio for art and design in 2004 in New York, inspired by the principle of gesamtkunstwerk, the synthesis of multiple disciplines to create a total work of art.

That concept extends to his New York studio, where his team works side by side in an open-plan office. “The studio is an expression of our sensibility: purity of form; the combination of natural and industrial materials; craftsmanship; and technology,” says Aharoni, who chose USM Haller in graphite black to help establish flow and define the 1,500-square-foot space without detracting from the feeling of expansiveness. “It has the presence of a sculptural installation,” he says, “which forms an engaging counterpoint to other site-specific elements and furniture that I designed or chose for our studio.”

Providing a stark counterpoint to the airy environment, Aharoni placed the units in clean lines around the office to create distinct sections, without sacrificing the openness of the space. The result is a celebration of expansiveness, light, and materials. Equally importantly, the studio has become the inspirational environment he hoped for, encouraging the designers who work there to pursue the same level of excellence in their own work.

Inside the storage units, one can glean a more complete understanding of Aharoni’s gesamtkunstwerk. Behind any given door or inside any drawer, one will find an array of materials for the artist/designer’s many creative projects: antique Judaica, for a body of sculptures entitled the Genesis Series (pictured above)

You will see drawings for his design of an international tech firm’s U.S. Headquarters in Rockefeller Plaza, featuring golden yellow-colored USM Haller; vintage taxi meters from India that are part of his The Road to Sanchi sculptures, are currently on exhibit at Tagore Gallery in Chelsea; and even a selection of wines; and in Aharoni’s words, “all those other essential yet pedestrian things a studio needs but doesn’t need to see on a daily basis."