Ray Phoenix cuts a modernist-nodding, green-tinted figure under the Arizona sun
Johnston Marklee completes the new building, the third project to open by the ambitious, New York-based lifestyle and residential brand Ray
Ray Phoenix rises, its gently green-tinted glazing wrapping elegantly around a crisp modernist architecture-nodding volume. The project is the third to be completed by Ray, the lifestyle and residential brand founded by Dasha Zhukova Niarchos (whose chic NY headquarters in the Seagram Building we visited in 2024), following Ray Philly and Ray Harlem. This time, the scheme was co-developed with Vela.
Explore the newly completed Ray Phoenix
The smart-looking building, made of green metal and glass and internally expanding its palette to concrete, green tile and more, was designed by Johnston Marklee and Associates (a Wallpaper* USA 400 firm) in partnership with Lamar Johnson Collaborative. It spans 401 apartment units and 26 floors, and, true to the Ray brand – which champions a healthy blend of indoor and outdoor, art and architecture, private and public – it also features generous ground-floor retail spaces and amenities. Importantly, it was conceived as a building 'designed for all', its authors flag.
Part of Ray's concept includes a mission to craft buildings interweaving design and art, where the creative features can be seen and enjoyed by as many people as possible. Ray Phoenix contains pieces by artists such as Alex Israel, Francesco Vezzoli, Carlisle Burch and Rocki Swiderski – placed across the building and often accessible to residents and the public alike. These all constitute commissions woven into the building fabric seamlessly, and developed alongside the architecture – as opposed to implemented post-building completion.
'Ray Phoenix is rooted in an elemental design approach that draws from the desert landscape, weaving different textures and subtle contrasts into a building that feels both grounded and distinct to the city’s skyline,' said Sharon Johnston, FAIA, founding partner of Johnston Marklee & Associates.
'The building’s design is democratic by nature, with a consistent grid uniting the living units in the tower with the communal spaces, garden deck, and amenity floors at the base. Working in partnership with Ray, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, and Grace Fuller Design, each decision was made with intention, in consideration of Phoenix’s environment and climate, and guided by an egalitarian spirit that supports a community centred around wellness and creativity at every level. The result is a building we are proud to unveil, honoring the city and people of Phoenix.'
The building draws on its Arizona setting in its common areas especially – in particular, the ground floor, which is most permeable and visible as well as accessible from the street level. Nods to local nature, monumental art and desert modernism abound, drawing on references from the work of masters such as Luis Barragán and Donald Judd. Landscape designer Grace Fuller Marroquín curated the lush planting throughout, inside and out, such as the sunken planters in the lobby lounge.
'Phoenix’s creative landscape made it a compelling place for Ray,' said Zhukova Niarchos. 'There’s a unique energy here shaped by the desert, by light, and by a city that is still defining its cultural identity, which creates real opportunity to build something meaningful together with the communities here. We were especially drawn to Roosevelt Row Arts District as a growing hub for artists and experimentation.'
