Construction at one of New York's most eagerly anticipated residential completions, Thomas Heatherwick's Lantern House, has been gathering speed. The project, commissioned by Related Companies in 2015, sits in Manhattan's Chelsea, prestigiously close to the green, open spaces of the High Line. Now, the developers have releaved the lush amenity interiors designed by interiors specialists MAWD – adding options to the city's luxury-residential landscape.
It was crucial for the eye-catching architecture and clever interiors to work together in harmony, explains MAWD co-founder James White. ‘The High Line runs – quite literally – through the space,' he says, ‘bisecting the two towers, [while its] steel beams drive down through the lobby. Anything other than an authentic, layered integration with the surrounding neighbourhood would have been misguided, so we maintained a warm, neutral colour palette across various textures, focusing on quality and character.
‘For example, throughout the amenities we’ve integrated BenchMark mixed-blend bricks matched with the exterior façade, paired with grey polished Eramosa stone flooring in a chevron pattern and custom bronze patinated metals. The result is a layered richness that feels harmonious and cohesive.'
MAWD's other co-founder, Elliot March, adds: ‘Excellent design isn’t about spaces; it’s about people.' The team drew inspiration from the local community – and the residents themselves – rather than specific architectural styles or periods. It was important for the designers to create spaces where people will live, move, work and play – and which they will eventually make their own.
Combining an urbane, cosmopolitan attitude with a local approach, and the lifestyle and liveliness of the West Chelsea neighbourhood was key to the solution. Flexibility was equally important – as a result, the co-working areas transform into entertaining spaces at night.
‘Lantern House was always destined to become one of NYC’s most eye-catching buildings,' says March. ‘Our challenge was to translate the iconic exterior into an aesthetically aligned, comfortable interior. We wanted to design timeless, luxurious and comfortable interiors that complement the architect’s vision and the residents’ lifestyles, as well as the setting on the High Line. It is always a privilege to design someone’s home, especially when it’s as unique a project as this one.
INFORMATION
-
RIBA Stirling Prize 2025 winner is ‘a radical reimagining of later living’Appleby Blue Almshouse wins the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025, crowning the social housing complex for over-65s by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, the best building of the year
-
A24 just opened a restaurant in New York, and no one knows it existsHidden in the West Village, Wild Cherry pairs a moody, arthouse sensibility with a supper-style menu devised by the team behind Frenchette
-
Yinka Ilori’s new foundation is dedicated to play and joy: ‘Play gave me freedom to dream’Today, artist and designer Yinka Ilori announced the launch of a non-profit organisation that debuts with a playscape in Nigeria
-
Explore Tom Kundig’s unusual houses, from studios on wheels to cabins slotted into bouldersThe American architect’s entire residential portfolio is the subject of a comprehensive new book, ‘Tom Kundig: Complete Houses’
-
Ballman Khaplova creates a light-filled artist’s studio in upstate New YorkThis modest artist’s studio provides a creative with an atelier and office in the grounds of an old farmhouse, embedding her practice in the surrounding landscape
-
The most important works of modernist landscape architecture in the USModernist landscapes quite literally grew alongside the modern architecture movement. Field specialist and advocate Charles A. Birnbaum takes us on a tour of some of the finest examples
-
Jeanne Gang’s single malt whisky decanter offers a balance ‘between utility and beauty’The architect’s whisky decanter, 'Artistry in Oak', brings a sculptural dimension to Gordon & MacPhail's single malt
-
This perfectly cubed house sits atop a hill in Hudson ValleyForma’s ‘House on a Hill’ resembled a black wooden box – all straight lines and sharp angles against the rolling backdrop of New York State
-
Thomas Heatherwick's 2025 Seoul architecture biennale calls for ‘radically more human’ buildingsThe 2025 Seoul architecture biennale launches in the South Korean capital, curated by Thomas Heatherwick, who argues for creating buildings in tune with emotion, 'the thing that drives us'
-
An idyllic slice of midcentury design, the 1954 Norton House has gone on the marketNorton House in Pasadena, carefully crafted around its sloping site by Buff, Straub & Hensman, embodies the Californian ideal of the suburban modern house embedded within a private landscape
-
Herzog & de Meuron and Piet Oudolf unveil Calder Gardens in PhiladelphiaThe new cultural landmark presents Alexander Calder’s work in dialogue with nature and architecture, alongside the release of Jacques Herzog’s 'Sketches & Notes'. Ellie Stathaki interviews Herzog about the project.
