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With her work at Bell Works NJ reaching such success, Paola is taking her role as Lead Designer and Creative Director of the Bell Works brand to a sister project Bell Works Chicagoland at the former Ameritech Center which was an AT&T research facility in Hoffman Estates, IL. e atrium that sits in the heart of this Bell Works building is Paola's latest project, known simply as e Square. e name is a nod to German-born artist Josef Albers' work "Homage to the Square" which encompasses hundreds of paintings and prints of nested squares. is famous artistic series is replicated in the reception area carpeting and atrium tile pattern at Bell Works, NJ. Further reflecting Albers, along with his wife Anni, are the bright bold color choices of the furniture, a palette stemming from the artists' "Latin American Road Trip" series. e choice of Albers came from Paola's intense research on the historic Bell Labs building. "I don't look at design as just one thing, I look into the history of why something was designed," Paola explains. She found that the tile design that she was drawn to, a design by architect Gorlin, reflected the work of Albers who shared her passion for bold colors. Albers was also a key figure in the Bauhaus movement of the 1920s, a design approach that combined art and cra such that useful pieces could also be works of art. Paola had found the spark to ignite her theme for both Bell Works public spaces. "I see everything in color, it's part of my Latin roots. When I did research and learned about the Bauhaus movement with its focus on primary colors and functional pieces, I knew we could bring color to the project and pay homage to this art movement. en I learned about the psychology of colors and how they can improve moods and that made the choice of bold colors even more fitting." e whimsical furniture at Bell Works Chicagoland with its brilliant reds, blues, and yellows soens the concrete and metal that is the foundation of e Square. e furniture was a collaborative effort between Paola and furniture brand Lapalma. Paola's vision was to bring an element of the past to today and make it cool and functional. By collaborating with the architect, she ensured the pieces would relate to the building while Lapalma's contemporary minimalist design brought a modern touch. e iconic Lapalma Kipu pieces are a collection of poufs in varying heights, colors, and shapes that offer versatile seating options for intimate conversations or larger post-work gatherings. VUE ON | DESIGN VUENJ.COM 33

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