A Conversation with Karen Genauer, the creative mind behind Triangle Loft, on running the business
Triangle Loft’s perplexing ambiance hits you as soon as you step onto the 5th-floor elevator of the Little Flatiron Building. The business creator behind Triangle Loft, Karen Genauer, describes the loft as an “exclusively inclusive” multifunctional creative space for New York’s local art scene. Undeniably, Triangle Loft lives up to this description. When you walk towards the historic building at the heart of the Meatpacking District, the Director of Security, Omar, stands outside what looks like an entrance exclusively for owners or people with special access to the building. No signs or flashy lights indicate that you have arrived at the door, only the warm and friendly smile of a protective-looking security guard that stands ready to invite you up to the fifth floor of the building. When you get off the elevator, Triangle Loft’s second “director of security,” Yofi, a tiny little dog, welcomes you with a couple of sniffs at your feet.
There is a particular magic to the space. The loft’s atmosphere is effortlessly relaxed and inviting. A wide navy sofa opens the area giving Triangle Loft a comfortable and homey feel. Each corner of the loft is filled with unique and eccentric art pieces. The paintings hang between each of the loft’s large ceiling-high windows and take after the street art and graffiti seen right outside the building. The funky colorful portraits showcase diverse muses as artists’ subjects that fill the space. A glass wall separates the conference room from the open lounge area. It is covered with painted geometric shapes which illustrate the unconventional nature of the working space that is a part of the loft. Triangle Loft has a unique character and personality that reflects its true nature as an inclusive home for all different types of local artists and their pieces.
I find Karen sitting at the bar, working on Triangle Loft’s daily business management. She periodically interrupts her laptop work to answer incoming phone calls. As I get ready to sit down and start the interview with Karen, she gets up and starts moving around the loft swiftly and naturally as she wraps up a few more tasks. I already see how she runs the space. Karen is spunky and audacious. Triangle Loft is her creative child– she has an undeniably primal and motherly love for the loft and her Triangle Loft team. As Karen moves around the room, her curly blonde hair tends to bounce freely and independently, just like her. Karen quickly shows that she is daring and comfortable with her opinions. She has an admirable self-assuredness and superpower in running things at Triangle Loft. As I watch her, I imagine her aura bright yellow like the sun, feeding energy and vitality to the loft with every stride. When Karen sits down for our discussion, she yells out her last bit of instructions to the men in the back of the space who are moving some equipment to the bottom floor of the building. She faces me with sharp, engaging eye contact, ready to speak.
Written by: Nada Elrhalami