Beirut-based Raëd Abillama Architects reveals first US project, Abi Chelsea
‘A legacy of bold and gracious living since 1472', chirps the marketing blurb for Abi Chelsea, the first project in the US by Lebanese practice Raëd Abillama Architects. Quoting some 300-years of heritage in excellence may sound incredulous, but for Raëd and his brother, the art collector Karim Abillama, their family’s 600-year legacy in shaping the cultural pulse of Lebanon and beyond is as alive today as ever.
The Abillamas emerged in the 15th century as emirs of Metn, owning vast swathes of land in the mountains between Beirut and Damascus. While fiercely proud of their Lebanese heritage, which serves as a particular source of inspiration for Raëd’s architectural aesthetic, the Abillamas’ contribution to art, architecture, and culture is an international and collaborative affair.
Fixtures by British design studio Floss Creatives and iconic Danish modernist brand Vipp – as well as the local lighting design studio PSLab (perhaps best known for their long-term collaboration with Aesop) feature throughout Raëd’s built work, which includes residential, cultural, and commercial projects. ‘The quality of small brands sourced worldwide and the poetry of traditional Lebanese architectural motifs merge to create a home that is equally traditional and modern,’ he says of his architectural vision.
Raëd also custom-builds furniture for clients; influenced by his time as an undergraduate at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied under an IM Pei accolade, his creations exude a lucid and elegant modernist charm. Because of their geometric purity, he is particularly fond of stairs.
Meanwhile, Karim’s art collection – housed in an 18th-century villa meticulously renovated by his brother – boasts such modern and contemporary heavyweights as Andy Warhol, Richard Serra, Yayoi Kusama, and Elmgreen & Dragset. From Carsten Holler’s gigantic mushroom sculpture that pounces on visitors first entering the house, to Thomas Houseago’s poolside headless Giant – ‘I didn’t find him, he found me', grins Karim – and the furniture-climbing Meme men of Antony Gormley, there is a playful, thoughtful, and at times subversive means of presentation that pairs perfectly with the interiors selected or designed by Raëd himself.
With Abi Chelsea, RAA is bringing the Abillama touch to New York, balancing and indoor and outdoor living that celebrates the beauty and intimacy to be found in everyday life (the penthouse will be particularly zen, with a 139 sq m terrace – twice the size of the average NYC new-build apartment). By focusing as much on emotional affect as material purity, Raed’s treatment of architecture as a total work of art might just provide the oasis of calm that New York needs.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the website of Raed Abillama Architects
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Monospinal is a Japanese gaming company’s HQ inspired by its product’s world
A Japanese design studio fulfils its quest to take Monospinal, the Tokyo HQ of a video game developer, to the next level
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Fenix and Federica Sala Challenge Designers to double up
Curator Federica Sala and innovative interiors material brand Fenix's Design Duo Double Feature project brings three design duos together to create dual-purpose furniture
By Ifeoluwa Adedeji Published
-
Interni Venosta is a new furniture brand by the Dimorestudio founders
Launched at Milan Design Week 2024, Interni Venosta is Dimorestudio Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci's new brand, crafted by Tuscan manufacturer Fabbri Services and paying homage to 1970s Italian design
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
A low-energy farmhouse provides a rural escape in North Carolina
This low-energy farmhouse is a net zero architectural re-set for a Californian client, an East Coast relocation for a more engaged and low-key lifestyle
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A Petra Island house rises from Frank Lloyd Wright's original drawings
Based on Frank Lloyd Wright drawings, the cantilevering Petra Island Massaro House, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, is now open to visitors
By Craig Kellogg Published
-
An Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly nods to its history
An Upper West Side apartment in New York, born out of the reimagining of two neighbouring units, is refreshed by General Assembly for a young family
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
New York's Leica store echoes the brand's blend of heritage and innovation
Leica store throws open its doors in New York's Meatpacking District, courtesy of Brooklyn based Format Architecture Office
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Hudson Valley Residence is a low-lying retreat that seamlessly blends into the horizon
Designed by HGX Design, Hudson Valley Residence is a scenic home offering unobstructed views across the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly design
Boise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
At the Hilbert Museum of California Art’s expanded home, art and architecture converge
The Hilbert Museum of California Art expands its home, courtesy of Los Angeles architecture studio Johnston Marklee
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Pearlman Cabin by John Lautner is an organic Californian mountain retreat
John Lautner’s midcentury Pearlman Cabin, tucked away in the Californian mountain resort of Idyllwild, is a striking example of organic architecture
By Mimi Zeiger Published