Sweeterfat revives Gaetano Pesce’s Chiat/Day office design in FiDi

Sweeterfat has brought Gaetano Pesce’s legendary 1994 Chiat/Day office design back to life in its original Financial District setting with Return to Office, an exhibition that celebrates one of the most daring experiments in workspace design.

Originally conceived for the advertising firm’s New York headquarters, Pesce’s design broke away from corporate conventions. The office was fluid, sculptural, and unapologetically personal with resin-coated furniture, vibrant textures, and movable partitions that blurred the lines between art, technology, and labour.

Equipped with Macintosh PowerBooks and movable workstations, it was a precursor to the digital mobility that would later define 21st-century offices.

Many of Pesce’s original pieces survived demolition thanks to a private collector who rescued them in 1998. After decades in storage, they return to public view: citrine conference tables supported by resin glob legs, Broadway chairs rendered in vivid hues, and locker doors adorned with psychedelic motifs and hand-cut faces that once reflected the individuality of each employee.

The exhibition contrasts the raw industrial setting—bare beams and concrete floors—with the playful, immersive energy of Pesce’s work. His philosophy centred on individuality, humour, and emotional engagement. Furniture wasn’t merely functional but communicative and filled with tactile irregularities that invited people to touch, explore, and react.

According to Sweeterfat co-founder Noah O’Leary, each artefact in Return to Office serves as both a historical document and a participatory object. Visitors are encouraged to move through the space as if inhabiting Pesce’s vision, rediscovering an era when creativity took precedence over corporate conformity.

Experience the revived Chiat/Day office and explore how Pesce’s visionary approach to work continues to inspire contemporary design by reading the full story here.