SURFHOUSE, a new luxury apartment building at 1150 Kingsley St. in Asbury Park, features a sleek lobby among its many social and amenity spaces. — Courtesy: Starfield Cos.
By Tammy Craig-Smith, President, The Alban Group
In the 1990s and early 2000s, apartment and condo lobbies were designed to impress. Rich woods, leather seating and oversized décor conveyed a sense of formality and permanence. At the time, these choices made perfect sense — they reflected the era’s appetite for grandeur. But as lifestyles have changed, so too has the lobby’s role, shifting from a statement space into a service-driven one.
From gathering halls to everyday stops
The shift hasn’t meant abandoning seating altogether. People still need a comfortable spot to wait for their Uber or Lyft or greet a guest. But today’s lobbies are less about creating grand gathering spaces and more about providing practical, thoughtfully scaled areas. Where once the goal was vastness and formality, now the emphasis is on light, flow and amenities that match daily routines. The furniture that remains is purposeful — sleek, durable and designed for short, functional use rather than hours of lingering.
The age of the amenity lobby
In 2025, no lobby redo is complete without addressing delivery. Amazon, Whole Foods and meal apps like Grubhub have changed the calculus. Walk-in refrigerators in larger lobbies are now as essential as a front desk. Smaller buildings are installing stylish refrigerated lockers — because no one wants their oat milk warming in a cardboard box for three hours. Some properties are even carving out dedicated hot food shelving areas, making space for the nightly parade of takeout bags.
What was once an afterthought — “Where do the packages go?” — is now a core design driver. Residents want seamless delivery, not a game of hide-and-seek with their groceries.
Goodbye gushy, hello glossy
Finishes have also caught up with modern tastes. Heavy, dark interiors have given way to lighter palettes, reflective metals and sustainable surfaces that can take a beating but still look sharp. Glass, steel and engineered stone are winning out over mahogany panels and oil paintings. The vibe is less “formal waiting room” and more “Google-esqe.”
The lobby as a first impression
Of course, some things haven’t changed. The lobby is still the building’s handshake — the first impression for a potential buyer, renter or guest. But instead of wowing with sheer size or plushness, the modern lobby wins points for thoughtfulness. It says: This building understands how you live. It anticipates your needs, even the ones you didn’t know you had (like that locker that keeps your sushi cool until you get home).
New ideas
Convenience is the name of the game when it comes to today’s lobby experience. But delivering that convenience in a way that feels seamless, stylish and functional is no small task. As Karen Jack, principal of Forbes-Ergas Design, explains, the modern lobby must juggle multiple priorities: “The order is function first, then flow. We have to account for ramps, stairs, the doorman’s desk and the reality that it’s no longer just a monitor and intercom. Technology like BuildingLink and KeyLink requires custom desks and integrated systems. At the same time, the façade and overall design must tie together aesthetically while concealing necessary features like storage, security and intercoms. The challenge is to create solutions that don’t look and feel institutional, but still meet the demands of residents.”
According to Jack, one of the biggest hurdles is persuading buildings to move beyond the “standard” way of doing things. “The real design challenge,” says Jack, “is finding a balance between the old and the new — preserving flow and elegance while meeting modern functional requirements. Today’s lobbies incorporate hidden monitor wells, sleek workstations and smart layouts that protect assets without sacrificing design. It’s a new kind of management style: one where technology and convenience live quietly behind the scenes, letting aesthetics shine out front.”
Looking ahead
As multi-unit construction continues to evolve, the lobby may remain the most telling symbol of changing lifestyles. In the ’90s, it was about prestige. In the 2000s, it was about space. During the pandemic, it was about avoidance. Now, it’s about convenience.
At the Alban Group, we like to think of lobbies as the building’s living room — only smarter, sleeker and stocked with a mini-fridge for your kombucha. Because in 2025, that’s what luxury really looks like.
The Alban Group
The Alban Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned construction firm specializing in high-end renovations for multifamily residences, condominiums, hotels and commercial buildings across New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area. With in-house expertise spanning demolition, carpentry, painting, wallcoverings, doors, hardware and project management, Alban delivers precision craftsmanship while minimizing disruption for residents and tenants. From lobbies and hallways to amenity spaces and façades, the firm is known for blending timeless quality with modern convenience — restoring the past while building the future.
