Design studio Neri & Hu launches furniture collection with De La Espada

View of grey, cream an brown living room with seating and gold low hanging chandelier

Shanghai design studio Neri & Hu's furniture collaboration with De La Espada made its debut in New York during ICFF in a special installation housed within the new luxury apartment building 345 Meatpacking by DDG

(Image credit: TBC)

By Pei-Ru Keh

last updated 29 July 2022

One of our favourite design couples, Neri & Hu (opens in new tab), has collaborated with De la Espada (opens in new tab) on a new collection of furniture, which they unveiled in New York during ICFF this week. The Shanghai-based duo has created 10 new pieces especially for the occasion, adding to an existing range, which will now all be produced by the Portuguese furniture makers.

The collection is everything we could have hoped for - a brilliant blend of Eastern sensibilities with De la Espada's expert,
contemporary craftsmanship. Some highlights from the varied range include a trio of tables that have been paired with geometric legs, an architectural two-tier desk or vanity table with a fold-up mirror attached, and a low-backed deep seat sofa, reminiscent of a Chinese opium bed.

Not ones to follow the design pack, Neri & Hu eschewed a launch in Milan's Salone del Mobile for New York, in tribute to their American roots. 'Launching in New York is somewhat like a homecoming for us, since we were both educated in the US, went to school close to New York and worked in firms in New York before returning to Asia to start our [architectural] practice,' explained Rossana Hu.

True to their multifaceted form, Neri & Hu also created a special installation within the new luxury apartment building 345 Meatpacking by DDG (opens in new tab), which doubled up as their exhibition space for the week. The installation, which was hosted by The Future Perfect (opens in new tab) (our New York design destination of choice), cleverly divided the space into a more intimate environment.

Visitors made their way down a dark corridor lined with pigeon holes, which they peeked through to see sketches, renderings and models of other Neri & Hu projects, before entering the main space where the new pieces could be viewed. Coupled with the sounds of Shanghai's busy streets that were piped into the space and the raw brick walls of the existing building, the exhibition format brought to mind the inner and outer courtyard format of traditional Chinese houses.

The new Neri & Hu collection for De La Espada is available from The Future Perfect (opens in new tab)

Dark brown low coffee table — Some highlights from the varied range include a trio of tables that have been paired with geometric legs. Pictured is 'Trio Oval Coffee Table'

Light wooden dining table with five dining chairs — The collection is everything we could have hoped for - a brilliant blend of Eastern sensibilities with De la Espada's expert, contemporary craftsmanship. Pictured are the 'Solo Table' and 'Solo Dining Chairs'

Two chairs on a purple rug with small coffee table in the middle — Visitors to the exhibition made their way down a dark corridor lined with pigeon holes to find sketches, renderings and models of other Neri & Hu projects, before entering the main space where the new pieces could be viewed

Dark brown chair and dark mirrored table — Coupled with the sounds of Shanghai's busy streets that were piped into the space and the raw brick walls of the existing building, the exhibition format brings to mind the inner and outer courtyard format of traditional Chinese houses

Dark brown wooden tray desk — 'Tray Desk' by Neri & Hu for De La Espada

Watch Neri & Hu's installation came into being in this timelapse film

Circular light wooden coffee table — 'Trio Round Coffee Table'

Semi Circular wooden high table — 'Trio Console Table'

Small circular oak coloured wooden coffee table — 'Trio Side Table'

Three long mirrors with wooden thin frame — 'Extend Mirrors'

Sofa with dark wooden frame, white and grey cushions — 'Opium Sofa'

Dark brown wooden tray desk with drawer and mirror — 'Tray Desk when it is opened'

ADDRESS

345 Meatpacking
345 West 14th Street
New York

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TOPICS

Neri & Hu China

Pei-Ru Keh is the US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru has held various titles at Wallpaper* since she joined in 2007. She currently reports on design, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru has taken a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars and actively seeks out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.