Herman Miller partnered with Creative Office Pavilion to host the Magis Puppy Design Challenge at the Herman Miller Park Avenue Flagship in Manhattan. A benefit for Social Tees Animal Rescue, 19 of New York's top architecture and design firms including Gensler, HOK, Mancini Duffy, Perkins Eastman, CallisonRTKL, TPG Architecture and more, came together in a spirit of friendly, canine-focused competition.
In the weeks leading up to the event, each entrant used their creative talents to reimagine their very own Magis Puppy, the cherished plastic dog statuette originally created by designer Eero Aarnio for Magis' children's line in 2004. Each firm's Puppy faced a panel of judges, which this year included Social Tees Animal Rescue director Samantha Brody, television personality Robert Verdi, designer Ellen van Dusen and We Gather founder Whitney Crutchfield.
Vocon's plush "Cat" was awarded Best in Show, MKDA's wax-coated "Puppy Tussaud" received Best Handler; Corgan's "Nopuchi" was named Top Dog for its take on the iconic glass-top Noguchi table and Nelson's space-themed "Rover" received the 2019 People's Choice award. The night commenced following a live auction, in which all 19 Puppies found their forever homes with the highest bidders – raising a total of $4,000 for Social Tees.
This Magis Puppy event series is unique to the United States, bringing local A&D communities together for fun, creativity, and a worthy cause. Herman Miller, as the exclusive distributor of Magis in North America, collaborates with regional partners to host similar events in various cities, including Chicago, Boston, Tampa, St. Louis, Seattle and Washington D.C. in addition to New York City.