Florence Violet Mangan.
Florence Violet Mangan, 31
Senior architectural designer at Fogarty Finger Architecture
If Florence Mangan pursued a career in set design, she could have contributed to creating the fantastical interiors for Peter Jackson’s “Hobbit” trilogy. Many of the Auckland native’s friends studied in New Zealand’s design schools in Wellington and began working in Jackson’s costume design and visual effects workshops.
“I had thought about it,” she said. “I’m interested in interiors, the granular details of design, and the tactile aspects of a space. And I love watching movies. It’s something I always keep in the back of my mind.”
Instead, Mangan joined Crosson Architects after college, where she worked on the initial design and construction of a home. (“One of the big projects I worked on ended up winning ‘House of the Year,’ ” she said.)
In 2017, she moved to New York City and began working with Fogarty Finger to design interiors for high-end financial industry offices. At 80 Pine, a 40-story building in Lower Manhattan, she designed an 8,000-square-foot amenity space on the 22nd floor with coworking elements, meeting rooms, and a lounge with inspiration from her research on the history of the Fulton Fish Market and Wall Street. She also converted a setback into a 4,600-square-foot, 23rd-floor terrace. The project is set for completion in December.
Now Mangan is working on updating a 5,500-square-foot amenity space in Jersey City’s Newport Tower.
“It’s important for me to establish a strong narrative and anchor a design concept,” she said. “You can get stuck sometimes if you don’t have direction. We consider all development of the space right down to the furniture.”
Mangan has enjoyed living in her Greenpoint, Brooklyn, apartment and visiting the city’s many neighborhoods. The pandemic prevented Mangan from seeing her family and friends half a world away, but she finally got to fly back earlier this year.
“I was so happy that my family was safe and protected, but it was difficult for me,” she said. “I always thought I could jump on a plane if something happens, and I wasn’t able to do that, and it made me feel a lot more at home in New York.” —A.S.
