The Puck building is one of Downtown New York's most beloved architectural icons. Built in 1885 as a home for the legendary Puck Magazine and its printing plant, the building has had a long history as a home for creative entities in art and literature, such as Spy Magazine. Named after the impish sprite in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck is a joker and a playful trickster, a fitting mascot for the scathing wit and satire that would carry throughout the building's history.
Pentagram worked closely with Kushner Companies to design an identity for the six luxury penthouses on the roof of the historic building. The design needed to convey the essence and character of the building while also looking forward to the next chapter in the building's history. This was accomplished by creating printed materials that reflect the content in the original magazine as well as the neighborhood around it. Because of the exclusivity of the penthouses, the materials had to be sophisticated and understated. This started with the logo. The Puck Magazine logo was redrawn to be modern and elevated, and the silhouette of Puck himself was used as a second logo.
The identity also included printed materials; one is a detailed history of the Puck building by Glenn O'Brien, and the other is a profile of the Puck Penthouses and the current neighborhood. Owners manuals for the luxury features and appliances of the home are included with the books, as well as detailed and evocative floor plans, all packaged in a handmade leather satchel inspired by the one Puck himself carries on the two golden statues that stand on the building.
