NEW YORK CITY—40 Worth Street, the block-long, 16-story office building has been repositioned as a destination building for creative firms, law offices and not-for-profits, with the Gap as the anchor tenant.

Fifield Piaker Elman Architects (FPE) was hired by Newmark Knight Frank to work with potential tenants in creating office spaces.

The designers worked on five floors of the building, starting with the public areas. They then assisted tenants such as the international cosmetics company The Maesa Group, the Legal Aid Society and the Innocence Project to fit their space requirements within each floor’s extended, 50,000-sq.-ft. print. The designers then tailored the design to the tenants' requirements.

Many of the office layouts reflect the changing workplace, beginning with the use of glass walls to underline visual connections. And while some tenants put a premium on private offices, more wanted an open work place with benching, flexible meeting areas and ample wiring for computer upgrades.

In addition to creating a consistent design approach, FPE coordinated the work of various contractors so that projects moved forward efficiently throughout the entire process.