PROOF OF CONCEPT - Herman Miller at the Mirror House
This has been the year of working from home. Unforeseen, unplanned and unreal.
We have all had to adapt.
This Monday, we reopened the Mirror House to the public as a bookable, modern work oasis we’ve named: Herman Miller at the Mirror House. This pilot collaboration with the Stamford-based international furniture manufacturer and design leader showcases the harmony between the serene, light filled space of the Mirror House and the wonderful and ergonomic mid-century modern designs of Herman Miller. This Spring, the Mirror House, including all the beautiful furniture inside, will be auctioned off to raise funds for the NEW New Canaan Library.
We offered our members the chance to have a “home away from home” 9 to 5 office space, and we offered it free of charge. We are keenly aware of how Covid restrictions have caused disappointment among some of our loyal patrons who have not been able to work or hold meetings in the Library due to Covid restrictions; we understand for some that it has truly been a hardship.
Yet even we were surprised to see the bookings “sold out” within just a few hours, a clear indication of how eager so many in our community are to find a quiet and convenient corner of the world to work, a place that is not home.
Isn’t it obvious? People want beautiful, light filled places close to town to work. Of course, this high demand is magnified by the pandemic, but this past year has shown that work patterns have undergone some permanent changes and the days of daily commuting to NY and farther afield are, for many, over. We see this joint endeavor as proof of concept for our new library building plan, one which incorporates the community input that prioritized meeting spaces as a necessary feature of the new library. The new library building will deliver on that promise via the 9 glass enclosed meeting rooms that will bring the outside in and provide quiet places for people to work, collaborate and study.
Given the high demand, we plan to offer the Mirror House space for public use again in May and signups will be announced soon.
This is our proof of concept – the community is clamoring for light-filled, modern places to work. We are on it!