M. Shanken Communications, Inc. publishes distinguished magazines and newsletters covering the beverage and lifestyle industries, providing wine tasting reports, buying guides, travel and fine dining features, chef menus, and personality profiles. Their audience includes wine lovers, epicureans, connoisseurs, collectors, and business leaders. The company also produces a luxury lifestyle magazine focused on cigars, a trade publication for culinary professionals, and operates WineSpectator.com and CigarAficionado.com—lifestyle platforms for discerning mobile men.

After 26 years at 387 Park Avenue South, M. Shanken relocated its headquarters in 2013 to the iconic Worldwide Plaza. Seeking a design partner aligned with their luxury lifestyle identity, they engaged Design Republic, known for its work with William Grant and Stolichnaya in the wine and spirits sector.

Although M. Shanken does not represent a specific wine or cigar brand, its audience embraces the sophistication of fine wine and cigars enjoyed in exclusive, refined settings. Chairman Marvin Shanken envisioned a design reflecting the ambiance of upscale wine and cigar bars and private clubs, incorporating rich woods, luxurious leathers, and period lighting to evoke a casual yet affluent lifestyle.

Design Republic’s response balanced brand character with functionality. The entrance welcomes visitors with warm hospitality, featuring a herringbone-patterned stone floor in the elevator lobby, transitioning to wood flooring and a canopy at reception. A signature wine cellar, crafted from wall-to-wall Spanish cedar and enclosed in glass, serves as a focal point. An art gallery corridor displays antique posters dating back to the early 1900s, adding historical depth. The project also includes a mezzanine lounge designed as an exclusive space for entertaining celebrities and dignitaries.