David Rockwell has designed hotels, restaurants, museums, sets for numerous Broadway shows and even the venue for the 93rd Oscars. But the renowned architect had never designed a space for magicians. ‘They are unusual, eccentric people,’ muses the Wallpaper* USA 400 honoree. ‘We don’t think anyone has ever designed for them.’ That has officially changed with the opening of The Hand & The Eye, a 36,000 sq ft venue dedicated to magic, set within Chicago’s McCormick Mansion, a stately Renaissance Revival edifice that dates from 1895.

The Hand & The Eye will leave you spellbound

Originally built as a private residence for one of the city’s most affluent families, the structure later became Pierre’s Continental Casino, then Kungsholm, a Swedish restaurant (complete with puppet opera). Following a fire, the restaurant's owner renovated and expanded the building, creating much of the limestone-clad ‘castle’ seen today, complete with quatrefoils adorning the exterior walls. Its longest resident, from 1974 to 2020, was Lawry’s The Prime Rib, a steak house.

There are few vestiges of the building’s prior lives beyond the exterior, as the mansion is not a designated historic landmark. A grand staircase (which took over four months to restore) remains from its casino days, as well as a brick wall from the original mansion. ‘We inherited a building with an incredible provenance of twists and turns and built-in eccentricities,’ says Rockwell.

It took about five years, but the result is a deliberate maze of lush, layered interiors that feels part exclusive club, part theatrical set, part design sleight of hand. ‘The residential scale of the rooms, and the numerous height changes of the floors, make for a meandering complex where multiple experiences and shows can take place at the same time,’ Rockwell explains. ‘No two rooms feel the same. Each space unfolds with a different mood and scale.’

The Hand & The Eye operates as both a private members’ club and a performance venue open to the public through ticketed admission. Guests navigate the experience through a three-hour journey guided by a concierge, moving between performances, bars and lounges, and, if one so chooses, a meal served on custom Ginori 1735 tableware.

The Hand & The Eye pays homage to Chicago-style magic, which is performed close-up in intimate spaces that encourage and enable interaction between the magician and the audience. Magic takes place throughout the building – whether in a small theatre, while seated at a bar or via spontaneous encounters. Rockwell stressed that the design is not a participant in any magic trick: there are secret doors and other elements of surprise, but the tricks are all created and performed by humans, and the design was tailored to the magicians themselves.

‘We learned so much about how magicians aren’t just hyper aware of their immediate surroundings and the people in front of them, but also of their physical surroundings,’ Rockwell notes. ‘In addition to the raked seating in the theatres, we worked closely with them to embed magic into every corner, creating areas where magicians and guests could have smaller, intimate moments in addition to the larger performance theatres.’

This translates into details most will not notice, which includes tables with adjustable height settings or removable centre panels that let the magician perform at the ‘heart’ of a table. Details that guests may notice include the floral ceiling in one of Rockwell’s favourite spaces, the Red Herring Room, made using layered UV-printed polycarbonate panels; the blue velvet panels in the Monarch Room (custom creations featuring 6,600 beaded pearls that took eight months to make); a wall of vintage security boxes and keys in The Vault; and the wall coverings in some restrooms that feature playing cards.

While seemingly random, the commission was very intentional and brought together a motley crew of men of a certain age who all shared a passion for magic. As a child in New Jersey, Rockwell became fascinated with the art. ‘I started doing magic tricks at younger kids’ birthday parties. I had a hamster – Herman the Great – who was part of my act,’ he recalls. ‘The apex of my magic career was when I built the Saw the Lady in Half trick. I did saw a lady in half. But in the rearview mirror, I see that the working drawings and building the trick was what really attracted me.’ He adds that he’s always been friends with magicians, has pondered hiring them as consultants for projects, and was involved in developing a Houdini musical that never made it to Broadway.

Rockwell was tapped for the project by his friend Glen Tullman, a healthcare entrepreneur, fellow Chicago Bears fan, and magician since the age of eight (‘He’s better than I am,’ admits Rockwell). Tullman offered Rockwell the opportunity to create something completely new from scratch, a departure from the firm’s usual work. ‘It’s a total first for Rockwell Group, and I love that it brings together performance, magic, dining and discovery in a way that reflects our long belief that architecture can choreograph wonder,’ Rockwell says. For a man who once performed tricks with a hamster named Herman the Great, the opportunity feels less like a departure than a full-circle moment.

The Hand & The Eye is located at 100 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

This article appears in the August 2026 Issue of Wallpaper*, available now in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

The W brand has recently undergone a glow-up, trading its party-hard past for a more sophisticated identity, without losing its sense of fun. The new W Florence and W Budapest, along with the revamped W New York - Union Square – the global flagship – best express this evolution.

When the W New York – Union Square first opened in 2000, it quickly became a hit with both New York City’s fashion set and international travellers. Multidisciplinary design studio Rockwell Group was behind the original incarnation and was asked to come back to bring the property into the 21st-century. 'The renovation presented us with a rare opportunity to revisit a project that we designed 25 years ago,' firm founder David Rockwell tells Wallpaper*.

Since debuting its eye-catching revamp, the property has already re-established itself as a cultural beacon: Christian Siriano held his NYFW after party on-site (Coco Rocha and Heather Graham were in attendance), and A$AP Rocky turned the penthouse into his private crash pad for the Met Gala. The W's bold return marks an exciting moment not just for the hotel, but for Union Square, a neighbourhood in the midst of a renaissance.

Wallpaper* checks in at W New York - Union Square

What’s on your doorstep?

Occupying the 1911-built Germania Life Insurance Building at the northeast corner of Union Square, the W New York - Union Square is one of the most central and well-connected hotels in the Big Apple. The landmark building overlooks all of Union Square, putting guests within steps of the Greenmarket (every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday), plus a spate of new restaurants – notably Narkara (Thai), La Dong (Vietnamese), and Le Basque (vegan French and Spanish fusion). It's walkable to Flatiron, Greenwich Village, the East Village and the West Village. If you want to get around town like a New Yorker hop on the subway; basically every line runs through the nexus that is 14th Street.

Who is behind the design?

Rockwell Group led the design charge for the first iteration of the W New York - Union Square. Over the past few years, the New York studio has been busy renovating the Union Square icon. 'The W brand was originally born out of the energy of its birthplace, New York City. In a nod to its roots, our design concept for the modernisation was inspired by Union Square Park and the city itself,' Rockwell explains.

The renovation exudes the vibrant energy that’s long attracted travellers looking for a higher-octane holiday. However, this iteration looks and feels more grown-up, appropriately punchy yet with a sophisticated side. The glossy lobby sets the tone with strong geometries, an abstract rug and a bloom-draped curved staircase. Each space has its own personality, with jewel tones, period details and contemporary art as connective threads. 'The material and colour palette draw from the seasonality around us – the lush colours and textures that change from month to month,” Rockwell adds.

The room to book

The property has 256 playful rooms and suites. All have floral carpets, midcentury seating, chessboard accents and signature W beds with custom mattresses (which no doubt, loyalists appreciated for the guarantee of a good doze). The black-and-white stripe tiles in the bathrooms nods to city crosswalks, while the wall sconces evoke subway lights. For the Big Apple, even the standard category feels spacious.

When the goal is jaws dropping to the floor, the expansive, light-filled penthouse delivers with two bedrooms with ensuite baths, a powder room and a dual-zone living area divided by a centrepiece bar. The colour palette plays with the changing seasons through expressive art, area rugs, and ombre walls that transition from rich gold to a calming green.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Like the rest of the hotel, its primary restaurant, Seahorse, weaves past and present into a tapestry that’s whimsical yet distinctly New York. 'John McDonald, of Mercer Street Hospitality, and I felt that the restaurant should feel like a neighbourhood classic that is intimately connected to Union Square. The dining room blends references to the building’s Beaux-Arts style architecture, the city’s maritime history, and the mainstays of modern life,” Rockwell says.

The wood paneling mirrors the hull of a ship; the 40-foot-long surrealist mural, hand-painted by Brooklyn artist studio En Viu, depicts the force and fantasy of the sea. Guests can tuck into the curved banquettes for a seafood feast or post up at the mirrored bar for a few oysters and a glass of chilled white wine.

The Living Room – a grand, historic, double-height ballroom dating back to 1911 – was previously used for private events. Rockwell reimagined it into a chic, communal space for conversation, cocktails, and community-oriented programming, emphasising original period details such as the ceiling rosettes, while adding modern touches like a gilded chandelier over the botanic-inlaid bar and custom furniture that’s regularly rearranged for flow. Off the Living Room is a cosy lounge-meets-workspace, where serpentine benches, polished lacquer, and mantel floral display provides an atmospheric backdrop for morning coffee and responding to emails.

The W New York - Union Square also boasts the only rooftop bar in Union Square – a pretty big flex, especially in the warmer months when the retractable roof opens up. The brand-new 17th-floor space serves expertly crafted cocktails and crowd-pleasing bites alongside skyline views.

Where to switch off

What the hotel lacks in a formal spa, it more than makes up for in a gym. The state-of-the-art fitness center is stocked with Technogym equipment and even includes a Peloton studio. If it's wellness you’re after, head across the hall to the small sanctuary-like room with a pair of hydromassage beds – the first 10 minutes are free and guests can pay to extend the relaxing experience.

The service

There’s a strong culture of hospitality at the W New York - Union Square. Many of the staff have worked there since it first opened. Guests will feel in exceedingly good hands.

The verdict

The W New York - Union Square is back and better than ever. For a design-led base in the middle of Union Square – with stylish spaces to hang out, standout on-site F&B, instant access to a bevy of restaurants and bars, and connectivity to virtually everything in the five boroughs – you simply can’t beat it.

Any first time visit to Mexico City includes a pilgrimage to the Frida Kahlo Museum, known as Casa Azul. The home is where the artist lived with her husband Diego Rivera, and where the details of her life story and her surrealistic work have become symbols of resilience, feminism, and political activism. But a new house museum opened by Kahlo’s descendants attempts to plumb deeper, revealing a more intimate portrait that transcends the image of La Sufrida (the sufferer) and highlights the Kahlo family influence on the painter’s personal and professional life.

The new Museo Casa Kahlo, located just blocks from Casa Azul in the Coyoacán neighbourhood of Mexico City, has been over 20 years in the making. In 2008, Frida’s niece Isolda Khalo, the daughter of the artist’s sister Cristina, died. Isolda’s daughter Mara Romeo Kahlo and her two children began the task of cleaning out the house purchased in 1930 by Frida’s parents, Guillermo Kahlo and Matilde Calderón. Though Frida did not grow up in the house, called Casa Roja, she visited frequently.

‘We knew there were stories in the house and things for an archive,’ recalled Isolda’s granddaughter Frida Hentschel Romeo. ‘But as we discovered so many treasures, we knew these things belonged in a museum.’

They found, among other items, original glass negatives belonging to Guillermo, a German immigrant who became an architectural photographer and documented the city’s most important landmarks and buildings for the Mexican government. He was also a painter, and Hentschel Romeo said it was Guillermo, not Rivera, who first taught Frida how to paint and how to view the world as an artist.

The museum, which opened to the public on 27 September 2025, showcases other discoveries, like previously unseen letters written by Frida, a prolific family correspondent, including homesick missives she sent from the United States while abroad with Rivera. There are also early sketches, a small portrait of Rivera, as well as personal effects, like pieces of Kahlo’s pre-Hispanic jewellery, perfume bottles (Schiaparelli’s Shocking, of course) and embroidered blouses, evidence of her early appreciation of Mexican folk art and a preference for traditional Mexican clothing.

Until 2023, the house was occupied by Frida’s family. Then, with the assistance of publicist Rick Miramontez, chairman of the newly formed New York-based Fundación Kahlo, and the financial patronage from father-and-son Mexico-based businessmen Victor Aboumrad Tame and Victor Aboumrad Chedraui, the house was transformed from a residence into a museum.

Miramontez reached out to the Rockwell Group’s David Rockwell, who spent his formative high school years in Guadalajara, a time he attributes to inspiring his architectural career. Rockwell helped design the museum and worked alongside the family, poring over old family photos to recreate the original courtyard as an homage to the Kahlos’ hospitality; the house had a reputation for being open to all, including to Frida’s art students, known as Los Fridos.

The restored courtyard showcases pots and vessels from artisans throughout Mexico – green glazed pieces from Oaxaca, red clay planters from Guadalajara – and they all contain native plants. The central focus, a large grapefruit tree placed in a hand-carved cantera stone pot surrounded by cast-iron park benches reminiscent of the neighbourhood parks Frida frequented, was also a nod to one of the house’s most significant features: as a child, Mara Romeo Kahlo remembered paintings on the kitchen walls. When preservationists came to examine the space, they discovered a kitchen renovation in the 1960s had inadvertently preserved these murals, including one of a single branch of a grapefruit tree heavy with fruit, dotted with white blossoms, and occupied by colourful birds. According to museum director Adán García-Fajardo, they are believed to be the only murals Frida painted and were completed sometime after 1931 and before 1947.

The museum also offers multimedia installations, including sensory experiences, like in the kitchen, where visitors can smell the warmth of café de olla, traditional Mexican coffee seasoned with cinnamon.

Perhaps the house’s most intimate space is a basement sanctuary where Frida took refuge. It was a room of her own where she could paint, write or listen to music. Rockwell reimagined the space with lighting designed to emulate candles. ‘The intention is to encourage visitors to lean in and look at the small details, like her books, letters and her collection of butterflies and insects,’ he says

If Casa Azul was the place filled with politicians and famous artists, it was also the place where Frida had to be a public figure. Casa Roja was where she was allowed to be herself, take solace with her family, and escape from the tumult of her relationship with Rivera.

‘The story of Frida has been told by Rivera and by other voices than her family,’ said Hentschel Romeo. ‘She’s portrayed as Frida the painter, the wife of Diego. We’re trying to tell the history that, long before she met Diego, she had the artistic influence of her father and the strength and independence her mother instilled in her. We’re not trying to reclaim her story – we just want to tell the complete story.’

museocasakahlo.org

The Wallpaper* USA 400 celebrates Creative America in all its dazzling breadth and diversity. Our snapshot of the people who are shaping the country’s creative landscape in 2025 spans community builders, tastemakers, business leaders and more. It’s all a testament to the abundance of stellar talent that’s defining the discourse here in the United States – and the world more broadly.

Here are the names to know in America now.

Wallpaper* USA 400: a guide to Creative America in 2025

Creatives working in fashion, architecture, visual arts and more: the rising stars getting us excited for the future.

ADAM CHARLAP HYMAN AND ANDRE HERRERO
Principals, Charlap Hyman & Herrero

AIDEN BOWMAN AND JOSH METERSKY
Self-taught designers and founders of lighting studio Trueing, which takes inspiration from their art history and engineering backgrounds

ASTRAEUS CLARKE
Furniture and lighting designers, based in Brooklyn

AUGUSTA HOFFMAN
Interior designer

CASEY KENYON
Interior designer

CATHERINE HOLSTEIN
Founder of womenswear label Khaite, known for its balance of masculinity and femininity, strength and softness, structure and fluidity

CHASE HALL
Artist who applies coffee to cotton canvas (both inextricably linked to Africa and slavery) to explore ‘the impossible absolute of biracial identity’

CHRIS MAGGIO
Photographer, his work playfully reinvents the genre of Americana and subverts internet culture

CHRIS WOLSTON
Artist and designer who has collaborated with with the likes of Fendi, Phillip Lim and Dior

DANIEL PATRICK GILES
Founder of Perfumehead, an olfactory label that challenges traditional perceptions of fragrance

DAVID FARRUGIA
Founder, Uniform Object

DEAN LEVIN
Artist-designer and architect

DEVIN WILDE
Ceramic artist creating geometric works in clay

DONNI DAVY
Make-up artist, founder Half Magic

ENY LEE PARKER
Ceramic designer and artist

ETHAN HIDALGO
Furniture designer, founder of Studio Hidalgo

FREDERICK TANG
The founder of the eponymous architecture studio creates contemporary chic that’s not afraid of colour

HEATH WAGONER
Designer

IDO YOSHIMOTO
Artist and arborist whose work focuses on forms and objects from the natural world

ISABEL ROWER
Ceramic artist

JAYE KIM
Ceramic Artist

JEAN AND OLIVER PELLE
Founders of design studio Pelle, which merges art and engineering to create expressive lighting, furniture and design objects

JEREMY ANDERSON
Visionary ceramic artist, taking the material to unexplored creative expressions

JOHN MAY & ZEINA KOREITEM
Founders of architecture studio Millions

JOMO TARIKU
Ethiopian-American artist and industrial designer defining a new design language of modern African-themed furniture (featured in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie set)

KATIE STOUT
Artist and designer who creates furniture and objects that use traditional craft techniques and materials, but which are shaped by an urge to subvert utilitarian forms with unexpected results

LEAH RING
Designer/founder of Another Human

LIAM LEE
Creates biophilic furniture using colour-saturated felt

MARQUEL RASHAAD WILLIAMS
Designer

MARTINE GUTIERREZ
Artist and performer

MAX WORRELL AND JEJON YEUNG
Founders of architecture studio Worrell Yeung, creating architecture that looks effortless and transforms the lives of its users (see Worrell Yeung’s refresh of a Charles Gwathmey home)

MILES GREENBERG
Performance artist

MINJAE KIM
Korean-born designer whose work explores ideas of identity and belonging (Kim has previously shown alongside his artist mother, at Matter Projects)

MISHA KAHN
Blurs boundaries between sculpture and design with a wildly imaginative approach (as seen in our interview ahead of Kahn’s 2020 Friedman Benda show)

NATALIE SHOOK
Designer

NICHOLAS OBEID
Furniture and lighting designer

NOAM DVIR AND DANIEL RAUCHWERGER
Partners, BOND

NOEL HERNANDEZ & VIKTORIA BARBO
Co-Founders, Ollin

OLALEKAN JEYIFOUS
Nigerian-born, New York-based visual artist and designer whose work reimagines social spaces that examine the relationships between architecture, community and the environment

PETER B STAPLES
Founder of lighting design studio Blue Green Works, known for its sensual yet masculine approach to form

RIFF STUDIO
Thoughtful, young, research-based architecture and design studio

RYAN LEIDNER
Founder of young and dynamic eponymous architecture office with a flair for creating residential spaces that commune with nature

RYAN TWARDZIK
Founder and designer of Unform Studio

SAM KLEMICK
Founder of Studio Sam Klemick, furniture design practice that utilises salvaged materials and deadstock/vintage textiles

SARAH BURNS
Furniture Designer and founder of Old Jewelry Store in New York City

SOPHIE LOU JACOBSEN
French-American designer whose focus is on simple objects and rituals that elevate the user experience

STUDIO S II
Erica Sellers & Jeremy Silberberg’s Brooklyn studio crafting interiors, furniture and lighting

TASKA CLEVELAND
Interior designer

UTHARAA ZACHARIAS AND PALAASH CHAUDHARY
Indian-born founders of studio Soft-Geometry

ZACK NESTEL-PATT
Founder, Ah Um Design Studio

Entrepreneurs and CEOs at the helm of the country’s leading design companies, from globally renowned furniture giants to small brands making waves in the design world.

BEN SOLEIMANI
Founder, Ben Soleimani

BEN WATSON
Chief creative officer, MillerKnoll

DAVID CALLIGEROS
Founder, Remains Lighting Company

GABRIEL HENDIFAR
Artistic director and CEO, Apparatus

GARY FRIEDMAN
CEO and chairman, RH

GREGG BUCHBINDER
Owner and CEO, Emeco

HOLLY HUNT
Founder, House of Hunt

JANICE FELDMAN
Founder, Janus et Cie

JERRY HELLING
President and creative director, Bernhardt Design

JON SHERMAN
Founder, Flavor Paper

LINDSEY ADELMAN
Founder, Lindsey Adelman Studio

NARGIS AND NASIR KASSAMALI
Founders, Luminaire

NICK AND RACHEL COPE
Co-Founders, Calico Wallpaper

SIAMAK HAKAKIAN
Partner, DDC

TONY MANZARI
President, Edelman, Knoll Textiles and Maharam

TYLER HAYS
Founder, BDDW

The creatives who have infiltrated the world of show business: architects and designers contributing to the aesthetics of popular culture, from cinema and theatre to museums.

DAVID ROCKWELL
Architect and designer, creator of sets for Oscars ceremonies and Broadway shows

FRANK OCEAN
Artist, founder of Homer

HERON PRESTON
Artist, fashion designer, DJ

RAMISHA SATTAR
Chappell Roan's creative director

TERRENCE O'CONNOR
Photographer and creative director

VICTORIA BRYNNER
Founder, Stardust Brands

WILLO PERRON
Canada-born designer known for his collaborations with Rihanna

Hailing from the realms of music and cinema, these stars’ creative excellence and entrepreneurship capably stretches to jewellery, fashion, art and more.

COLE ESCOLA
Comedian, actor and playwright

DONALD GLOVER
Actor, comedian, rapper, singer, writer, director, and producer known as Childish Gambino

MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN
Founders of fashion label The Row

MEGAN STALTER
Comedian and actor

PALOMA ELSESSER
Model

PHARRELL WILLIAMS
Record producer, rapper, singer, with fashion and design collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Adidas and Pentatonic

RYAN MURPHY
Television writer, director, producer, design enthusiast, owner of many architectural gems

SETH ROGEN
Actor, ceramicist, co-founder of cannabis lifestyle brand Houseplant

SOFIA COPPOLA
Film director and screenwriter, serial creative collaborator, including a collection with knitwear brand Barrie and a range of lip balms with Augustinus Bader

TYLER THE CREATOR
Rapper, singer, record producer, and fashion designer

The curators preserving and promoting creative culture, from heirs enthusiastically promoting the family’s artistic legacy to new-generation curators of the country’s leading institutions.

ALEISHALL GIRARD MAXON AND KORI GIRARD
Co-directors, Girard Studio

ALEXANDER MAY
Creative consultant and curator, founder of Sized

ALEXANDRA CUNNINGHAM CAMERON
Curator of contemporary design, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

AMANDA HUNT
Head of Public Engagement, Walker Art Center

ANDREA GLIMCHER
Art advisor

ANDREW BOLTON
Head curator, Anna Wintour Costume Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

ANTWAUN SARGENT
Director, Gagosian New York

BEATRICE GALILEE
Co-founder and executive director, The World Around

CARLOS VALLADARES
Filmmaker and critic

EAMES DEMETRIOS
Board chairman, Charles & Ray Eames Foundation

FLORENCIA RODRIGUEZ
Curator, Chicago Architecture Biennal

HOLLAND DENVIR
Founder of LA Design Weekend

JEFFREY DEITCH
Art dealer and curator

JOE SHEFTEL
Art advisor

JOHN MCILWEE
Architectural preservationist; founder, J McILwee & Associates, Inc

JONATHAN OLIVARES
SVP of design, Knoll

MARIAH NIELSON
Director, JB Blunk Estate and Blunk Space

NICOLA LEES
CEO and artistic director, Aspen Art Museum

PAOLA ANTONELLI
Senior curator of architecture and design, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, and a Wallpaper* October 2020 Guest Editor

RICHARD VILLANI
Creative director, Tom of Finland Foundation

SONYA TAMADDON
Curator

SUZANNE DEMISCH
Gallerist

THELMA GOLDEN
Ford Foundation director and chief curator, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York

WAVA CARPENTER AND ANNA CARNICK
Co-founders of Anava Projects, a creative agency driven by a strong belief that good design can and should make a positive social impact

The ‘no introduction needed’ of creative America: the artists, architects and designers who have helped shape the landscape.

ANNABELLE SELLDORF
Founder of Selldorf Architects

ELIZABETH DILLER AND CHARLES RENFRO
Architects, partners at Diller Scofidio + Renfro

FRANK GEHRY
Architect

FRITZ HAEG
Artist, owner of Salmon Creek Farm

INEZ & VINOODH
Photographers, behind Wallpaper’s portfolio of 50 of America's top creatives driving the current discourse on American culture and its dynamic evolution

JASPER JOHNS
Artist

JENNY HOLZER
Artist

JIM OLSON AND TOM KUNDIG
Founders of architecture firm Olson Kundig

JOHN WATERS
Filmmaker, writer, actor, artist

JOHNNY ROZSA
Photographer and artist

JUDY CHICAGO
Artist, feminist icon

JULIE BARGMANN
Landscape architect, educator, founder of DIRT (Dump It Right There)

KEN LEWIS
Managing Partner, SOM

MARC JACOBS
Fashion designer

MARILYN MINTER
Artist

MURRAY MOSS
Founder of design gallery Moss and design consultancy Moss Bureau

NICK CAVE
Artist known for his fantastical Soundsuits and works that create space for the marginalised

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
Filmmaker

RALPH LAUREN
Fashion designer

RALPH PUCCI
Founder of Ralph Pucci

RICK OWENS
Fashion designer

ROBIN STANDEFER AND STEPHEN ALESCH
Founders of interior design studio Roman and Williams

SHEILA BRIDGES
Interior designer, founder of Sheila Bridges Design Inc

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU
Partner, OMA New York

SONIA ERAM
Owner, Mameg

STEVEN HOLL
Architect

THOM BROWNE
Fashion designer, founder of Thom Browne

THOM MAYNE
Architect, founder of Morphosis

TOD WILLIAMS AND BILLIE TSIEN
Architects

TOM FORD
Fashion designer

TORY BURCH
Fashion designer

Setting the creative agenda, from interior design and architecture to fashion and jewellery, these are the influencers behind some of the country’s most noteworthy projects, from buildings to jewellery.

ADA TOLLA AND GIUSEPPE LIGNANO
Founders of architecture studio Lot-Ek, whose client list includes the Guggenheim and Google

ADAM SILVERMAN
Sculptor

ALEX PROBA
Founder, Studio Proba

ALEXANDRA AND MICHAEL MISCZYNSKI
Founders of interior design studio Atelier

ALEXIS TOMPKINS AND LEANN CONQUER
Partners, Chroma

ANDRE MELLONE
Founder of Studio Mellone, whose work includes interiors for the likes of Jason Wu and Thom Browne

ANNA KARLIN
Designer

ATHENA CALDERONE
Founder, EyeSwoon and Studio Athena Calderone

BEN MEDANSKY
Ceramic artist

BENJAMIN BLOOMSTEIN AND AARON AUJLA
Artists, designers, founders of design studio Green River Project, whose work includes meticulously crafted furniture and interiors for fashion label Bode

BRETT WOODS AND JOSEPH DANGARAN
Founders of architecture firm Woods + Dangaran and devotees of midcentury modernism (their Desert Palisades house won Best Private House in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023)

BRIAN SAWYER AND JOHN BERSON
Founders of interdisciplinary firm Sawyer Berson

BRIGETTE ROMANEK
Interior designer

BROOKS WALKER
Principal, Walker Warner Architects

CATHERINE BAILEY & ROBIN PETRAVIC
Owners of Heath Ceramics, the tableware and tile company

CHARLIE FERRER
Interior designer

CHRISTIE WARD AND STAVER GRAY
Founders, Ward & Gray

CHRISTINE & JOHN GACHOT
Interior designers behind projects such as Jac's on Bond and Pebble Bar in New York, and high-profile residential projects, like this stunning Montana retreat.

CLIVE LONSTEIN
Interior designer

COLIN KING
Stylist, Artistic Director at Beni Rugs

CRAIG BASSAM AND SCOTT FELLOWS
Founders of lifestyle brand Bassam Fellows

DAVID BERS
Architect

DAVID BUCOVY
Architect

DAVID CAFIERO
Interior designer

DAVID SETH MOLTZ AND KAVI AHUJA MOLTZ
Founders, DS & Durga

DAVID, SUZIE AND RACHEL LUCAS
Co-founders, Lucas Design

DENISE WILLIAMSON
Founder, 180 the Store

DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN
Photographer

DYLAN DAVIS & JEAN LEE
Designers, founders L&G Studio

ELENI PETALOTI AND LEONIDAS TRAMPOUKIS
Founders of design studio Objects of Common Interest (former Wallpaper* Design Awards winners and judges)

ELIZABETH ROBERTS
Architect

ELLIOTT BARNES
Interior designer who honed his craft with Andrée Putman before setting up on his own

ENRICO BONETTI AND DOMINIC KOZERSKI
Co-Founders, Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture

ERIC HOFFMAN
Founder of Hoffman Creative, creating designs for Pamela Shamshiri, Steven Volpe and more

FERNANDA DOVIGI
Interior designer, founder FMD Design

FERNANDO SANTANGELO
Uruguayan-born, New York-based designer; contributed to the design of NYC’s Nine Orchard hotel

GABRIEL ABRAHAM
Founder, Atelier de Troupe

GABRIELLE SHELTON
Sculptor and designer, co-founder of Shelton Studios metal fabrication studio

GIANCARLO VALLE & JANE KELTNER DE VALLE
Founders Studio Valle de Valle

HARRY NURIEV
Founder of Crosby Studios, creating immersive design installations

HUMBERTO LEON
Fashion designer and restaurateur

INI ARCHIBONG
American-Nigerian designer whose furniture and lighting work is guided by heritage and spirituality

JACQUELINE AND DAMIEN HARRISON
Founders of landscape design studio Harrison Green

JAMES CHERRY
Sculptor, lighting designer

JANE MAYLE
Fashion designer, founder of Maison Mayle

JOHN DERIAN
Designer, founder of Decoupage

JOHN SHARP
Landscape designer

JONATHAN CROSS
Ceramicist whose work is created using ancient wood-firing techniques

KELLEY PERUMBETI & MICHAEL YARINSKY
Founders of Office of Tangible Space

KELLY BEHUN
Interior designer behind California home of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz

KELLY WEARSTLER
Interior designer for the hotel industry, residential, commercial, retail and hospitality spaces

KIMBERLY VON KOONTZ
Landscape designer

KULAPAT YANTRASAST
Founder and creative director of Why Architects, the go-to design studio for museums

LEO MARMOL AND RON RADZINER
Founders of architecture firm Marmol Radziner

LEONG LEONG
Architect brothers Dominic and Chris Leong

LISA EISNER
Photographer-turned-jewellery designer

LITTLE WING LEE
Interior designer, founder of Studio & Projects

LUCIEN REES ROBERTS
Interior and landscape designer

MALLERY ROBERTS MORGAN
Interior designer

MATT MURPHY
Designer

MATTHEW FISHER
Stone artist

MATTHEW LEVERONE
Interior designer

MICHAEL MALTZAN
Architect whose work spans everything from housing for the homeless to glitzy museums

MIRANDA BROOKS
Landscape designer

NANCY PEARCE
Designer

NICOLE HOLLIS
Interior designer behind Hawaii’s Kailua-Kona resort

OLIVER HASLEGRAVE
Founder of interior architecture and design firm Home Studios

OLIVER M FURTH
Interior designer

PALI AND JEJO CORNELSEN
Designers

PAMELA SHAMSHIRI
Founder of Studio Shamshiri, has designed homes for musician Paul McCartney and actor Anne Hathaway, and was a Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023 judge

PETER MARINO
Interior designer for high-end fashion boutiques

RAFAEL DE CÁRDENAS
Designer who has concocted visions of modern elegance for clients such as Cartier, Nike and Glossier

ROBERT HIGHSMITH, RYAN MAHONEY AND STEFANIE BRECHBUEHLER
Founders of design studio Workstead

ROBERT STILIN
Interior designer who mixes contemporary architecture with textured materials and vintage furniture

ROGAN GREGORY
Designer of sculptural pieces, represented by R & Company

ROMAN ALONSO AND STEVEN JOHANKNECHT
Founders of multidisciplinary studio Commune Design

RUBEN CALDWELL, JOU-YIE CHOU AND LEIGH SALEM
Founders of interior design studio Post Company, whose projects include Catskills wellness resort Inness and New York restaurant Raf’s

SANDRA NUNNERLEY
Interior designer

SARAH ZAMES AND COLIN STIEF
Founders, General Assembly Studio

SCOTT NEWLIN
Designer

SEAN ANDERSON
Interior designer

SHARON JOHNSTON AND MARK LEE
Founders of architecture firm Johnston Marklee

SONIA BOYAJIAN
Jewellery designer

STEFAN BECKMAN
The fashion industry’s favourite set designer

STEPHANIE BEAMER, CRYSTAL ELLIS AND HILLARY PETRIE
Founders of furniture design studio Egg Collective

STEPHEN BURKS MAN MADE
A global practice uniting craft, community and industry through its hands-on workshop-based approach while always advocating for greater diversity in design

STEPHEN KENT JOHNSON
Photographer

STEVEN HARRIS
Architect

STEVEN VOLPE
Founder of Studio Volpe, whose work includes elegant residences from Manhattan to LA, as well as Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Mrkt in San Francisco

SUCHI REDDY
Founder of architecture and design firm Reddymade

TED MUEHLING
Industrial designer who creates jewellery and decorative objects inspired by organic forms

TESSA WATSON
Creative director and stylist

THOMAS WRIGHT AND JOSEPH FRATESI
Founders of multidisciplinary design and manufacturing firm Atlas Industries

TODD NICKEY AND AMY KEHOE
Co-Founders, Nickey Kehoe

VANESSA ALEXANDER
Founder, Alexander Design

VICTORIA SAMBUNARIS
Landscape photographer

VICTORIA SASS
Interior Designer; Design Director, Prospect Refuge

VIRGINIA SIN
Founder, SIN ceramics

Leaders of design research, start-uppers and business leaders whose creative brilliance is paired with a strong focus on technology and sustainability.

ANDREW KUDLESS
Principal, Matsys Design

BRADLEY BOWERS
Designer using technology and advanced material research to create furniture, lighting and objects

GERMANE BARNES
Architect researching architecture’s social and political influence

GIORGIA LUPI
Data designer, Pentagram partner

JEANNE GANG
Architect, founding partner of Studio Gang, behind the American Museum of Natural History extension

JONY IVE
Former chief design officer at Apple, founder of design studio LoveFrom

JULIA WATSON
Designer, activist, academic, leading expert of Lo–TEK (nature-based technologies for climate resilience)

KATE ORFF
Founder of landscape architecture and urban design practice Scape

MARIE VERONIQUE
Beauty entrepreneur

RJ SCARINGE
Founder and CEO of electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian

TYLER HOBBS
Generative artist, creative coder, painter

VANESSA BARBONI HALLIK
Founder, Co-CEO, and Executive Chair of sustainable fashion brand Another Tomorrow

YVES BEHAR
Founder and principal designer of Fuseproject, a brand development firm working across industrial design, transport and technology

Owners of small boutique hotels and behemoths whose properties stretch beyond the US: the names to know in American hospitality today.

ANDRÉ BALAZS
Properties include Chateau Marmont in LA, The Chiltern Firehouse in London and Sunset Beach on Shelter Island

ARI S HECKMAN
CEO and Co-Founder, Ash

BARRY STERNLICHT
Chairman of Starwood Hotels, which has 1 Hotels, Baccarat and Treehouse Hotels in its portfolio

BRAD KORZEN
Founder and CEO, The Kor Group and Proper Hotels

BRAD WILSON
Managing Partner, Ace Hotel Group

HOMI VAZIFDAR
Founder of Canyon Equity, whose portfolio includes Amangiri and Six Senses Costa Rica

IAN SCHRAGER
Properties include Public New York, Edition hotels in New York and Miami

LIZ LAMBERT
McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality (Partner); Lambert McGuire Design (Partner); and Bunkhouse (Founder)

NADIM ASHI
Properties include the Four Seasons at The Surf Club in Florida

Musicians, filmmakers and sound artists, multidisciplinary creatives telling stories and working beyond objects and places.

CHRISTINE SUN KIM
Deaf sound artist working predominantly in drawing, performance and video, using musical notation, written language, American Sign Language, and the body

DAVID BYRNE
Musician, artist and filmmaker

DOECHII
Rapper and singer

ERYKAH BADU
Singer, songwriter, record producer, actor

HONEY DIJON
DJ and Producer

KIM GORDON
Visual artist, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, now as a solo artist and formerly for alternative rock band Sonic Youth.

LORI SCACCO
Musician and composer

MOSES SUMNEY
Musician

PATTI SMITH
Singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author

SOLANGE
Musician; Founder, Saint Heron

ST. VINCENT
Grammy award winning artist, musician, songwriter with signature guitar line

STEVE LACY
Musician

SWIZZ BEATZ
Producer and collector

Personalities working in a variety of fields, using art and design as a tool to raise awareness and amplify the voices of the oppressed.

ADAM ELI
Activist

ALEXIS BITTAR
Jewellery designer, filmmaker

CATHERINE OPIE
Fine-art photographer, educator

CHEROKEE JACK
Model, Indigenous activist

DANIEL CHEW, TEN IZU, KIRSTEN KILPONEN AND TIN NGUYEN
Members of Concept Foreign Garments New York (CFGNY), a fashion and art collective exploring what it means to be ‘vaguely Asian’

DEANNA VAN BUREN
Co-founder and design director of nonprofit architecture and real estate development firm Designing Justice + Designing Spaces, working to end mass incarceration through place-based solutions

DERRICK ADAMS
Visual and performance artist, curator, work focuses on themes of Black identity and culture

EMILY BARKER
Multidisciplinary artist, activist, work focuses on topics relating to disability, discrimination and capitalism

INDYA MOORE
Actor, model and social activist

JOSH KLINE
Artist, curator, explores how emergent technologies are changing our lives

LEILAH BABIRYE
NYC-based sculptor Babirye uses her work to respond to the anti-homosexuality legislation in her home country, Uganda

MICKALENE THOMAS
Visual artist, studies the Black female body as a vehicle of power, eroticism, agency and inspiration

NAN GOLDIN
Photographer, activist

NANCY KRICORIAN
Writer, humanitarian and activist

QUANNAH ROSE CHASINGHORSE-POTTS
Model, Indigenous activist

ROBERTO LUGO
Potter and activist

DEVONN FRANCIS
Queer first-generation Jamaican-American artist exploring his heritage and culture through art and food

Artists, collectives and restaurateurs who have brought global flavours to the US, using food as a creative medium to connect people.

DONNA LENNARD
Restaurateur

IGNACIO MATTOS
Founder/chef of Mattos Hospitality, comprising restaurants Estela, Altro Paradiso and Lodi

JON GRAY
CEO and co-founder of Ghetto Gastro, culinary collective from the South Bronx, and a Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022 judge

JORDAN KAHN
Chef and creative director, with a penchant for expressionist desserts, and three Culver City restaurants (Destroyer, Meteora and Vespertine) offering deliciously avant-garde dining experiences

KEITH MCNALLY
Restaurateur, owner of several New York restaurants including Balthazar

KWAME ONWUACHI
James Beard award-winning chef

LAILA GOHAR
Artist working with food as a creative medium

RITA SODI AND JODY WILLIAMS
Founders/chefs of The Commerce Inn

SEAN SHERMAN
Chef

SIMON KIM
Restaurateur, owner of COTE Korean Steakhouse and COQODAQ

Designers and artists whose practice has become the basis for a larger scope, serving local networks and connecting people.

ALEX SCHATZBERG
Yoga instructor and entrepreneur

ANN STEPHENSON
Poet

BEN GREENE
Speaker and inclusion consultant

CATOR SPARKS
Life coach

DARRELL THORNE
Performance artist

DAVID GODSHALL
Co-Founder, Terremoto

ELIZABETH BAUDOUIN AND NATALIE SHIRINIAN
Filmmakers, founders of Not All Films and NES Creative

ERIN BESLER
Co-founder, Besler & Sons

JAY EZRA
Founder, Del Vaz Projects

JENNY NGUYEN
Founder, Hello Human

JONATHAN LYNDON CHASE
Artist

KAZEM NADERI
Founder, NAD Projects Inc.

LAUREN HALSEY
Artist, employs architecture and installation art to reveal the realities of urban neighbourhoods

MALI AND ALAN BACON
Founders, Butter art fair

MAXWELL L ANDERSON
President, Souls Grow Deep

MICHAEL FORD
Architect; Founder, Hip Hop x Design

MICHAEL K CHEN
Architect

NORMAN TEAGUE
Designer, maker, educator, focuses on connecting with local communities

PETER DO
Fashion designer, brand is rooted in community and dedicated to supporting New York’s garment district

RAUL LOPEZ
Founder of fashion brand Luar

RICK LOWE
Artist, champions people and communities through social practice-based art projects

RITESH GUPTA
Founder of Useful School, a virtual learning platform that puts people of colour front and centre

ROB AQUINO
Community builder and nightlife producer

SARA ZEWDE
Founding principal of design firm Studio Zewde, which focuses on landscape architecture, urbanism and public art

SEAN YASHAR
Founder, The Culture Creative

SHANE DAVIS
Co-founder and creative director of Public Records, a multi-faceted music, social and exhibition space for the community, and co-founder of new design studio for worldwide hospitality/residential projects, Public Service

SHEENA ZADEH-DALY
Founder of beauty brand Kosas, which offers inclusive shades in its make-up ranges

TAMARA HOUSTON
Author, entertainment producer, founder of heritage development enterprise Icon Mann, managing partner of a mobile design and educational installation, the Pavilion of the African Diaspora (PoAD), which she curated alongside Ini Archibong

WILLY CHAVARRIA
Fashion designer, explores and amplifies the Latino voice

Gallerists and collectors putting great design under the spotlight, bringing historical design, contemporary makers and emerging talent to the world.

ADAM BLACKMAN AND DAVID CRUZ
Founders of Blackman Cruz

ALEX TIEGHI-WALKER
Founder of Tiwa Select, a curatorial platform dedicated to craft and self-taught makers, with a New York gallery space (across the pond, Tieghi-Walker will curate the 2025 Brompton Design District in London this September)

AMAURI AGUIAR & BRYAN YOUNG
Founders of Verso

BENJAMIN CRITTON AND HEIDI KORSAVONG
Founders of gallery Marta, which champions emerging creatives from a diverse background

BENOIST DRUT
Head of design gallery Maison Gerard, which specialises in fine French art deco furniture

BIANCA CHEN & JOEL CHEN
Art and design curator (Bianca), and her antiques dealer father (Joel), who founded JF Chen Antiques

CHARLES CONSTANTINE AND CHRIS HELD
Co-founders, Dudd Haus

CLAIRE WARNER AND SAM VINZ
Co-Founders, Volume Gallery Chicago

DAVID ALHADEFF
Founder of Casa Perfect and The Future Perfect

DEIRDRE MALONEY AND MINYA QUIRK
Co-Founders, Shoppe Object and Afternoon Light

DOBRINKA SALZMAN
Gallerist

ED BE AND JARED BLAKE
Co-Founders, Lichen NYC, a design incubator and store

EMMA SCULLY
Founder of Emma Scully Gallery, which promotes applied arts through a curated exhibition programme

MARC BENDA & JENNIFER OLSHIN
Co-founders, Friedman Benda

GLENN LAWSON AND GRANT FENNING
Co-Founders, Lawson-Fenning

JEAN LIN
Founder, Colony

JEANNE GREENBERG ROHATYN
Founder of Salon 94 Design

JOHN RADTKE
Owner, Somewhere Someplace

KIM HOSTLER AND JULIET BURROWS
Founders of gallery Hostler Burrows

LIN AND MAGDALENA TYRPIEN
Co-Founders, Lyle Gallery

MASON VINCENT AND JACK REDPATH
Founders, Darling Studios

PAUL DONZELLA
Furniture dealer

REYES AND LILLIAN HARDY
Co-founders, Landdd

RODMAN PRIMACK AND RUDY F. WEISSENBERG
Co-founders of design gallery Ago Projects

STEPHEN MARKOS
Superhouse

TARIQ DIXON
Co-Founder, TRNK

YANCEY RICHARDSON
Gallerist

ZESTY MEYERS AND EVAN SNYDERMAN
Founders of R & Company, champions of collectible design from contemporary and modern names

The names defining American fashion right now, both on and off the runway.

ANN CARUSO
Fashion brand advisor and consultant

BRANDON MAXWELL
Fashion designer

CHRISTOPHER JOHN ROGERS
Fashion designer behind Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration outfit

DYLAN CAO AND JIN KAY
Founders of fashion brand Commission, inspired by memories of their mothers when they were women at work in Vietnam and Korea

EMILY BODE
Founder of fashion brand Bode, creating handcrafted clothing cut from antique fabrics, Victorian quilts, grain sacks and bed linens

FERNANDO GARCIA AND LAURA KIM
Creative Directors, Oscar de la Renta; Co-Founders, Monse

FRANCES HOWIE
Creative director, Fforme

HENRY ZANKOV
Fashion designer

JACK MCCOLLOUGH AND LAZARO HERNANDEZ
Creative Directors, Loewe

JOSEPH ALTUZARRA
Fashion designer

MICHAEL KORS
Fashion Designer

MICHAEL RIDER
Creative director, Celine

RACHEL SCOTT
Founder, Diotima

STUART VEVERS
Creative director, Coach

VERONICA LEONI
Creative director, Calvin Klein Collection

When these groundbreaking talents have a show, seek it out.

ADAM PUTNAM
Multimedia artist whose work puts the human body in dialogue with the spaces we inhabit

AMBERA WELLMANN
Artist

AMY SHERALD
Painter

ANNIE SCHLECHTER
Photographer

CINDY JI HYE KIM
Artist

CLARE CRESPO
Artist

DAHLIA ELSAYED
Artist

DOUG AITKEN
Artist

DYANI WHITE HAWK
Award-winning Native American artist

FIN SIMONETTI
Artist

IVANA BAŠIĆ
Artist

JACK PIERSON
Photographer and artist

JASON SCHMIDT
Photographer

JEFFREY GIBSON
Artist. His US Pavilion at the 60th Venice Art Biennale was the country’s first solo presentation by an Indigenous artist at the event

JULIAN WATTS
Artist, woodworker

LOUISE BONNET
Painter whose large-scale works in oil touch on multiple themes ranging from sex and beauty to tension and humour

MAMALI SHAFAHI
Artist

MARIA MOYER
Artist

MATTHEW PLACEK
Photographer and film director

PIA RIVEROLA
Photographer and artist

RACHEL ROSSIN
Artist

RASHID JOHNSON
Artist

RICHARD STAPLETON
Photographer

ROKSANA PIROUZMAND
Artist

SASHA MASLOV
Ukrainian-American portrait and documentary photographer

SHUO HAO
Artist

SHUYI CAO
Artist

SIMONE LEIGH
Multi-media artist from Chicago

THOMAS LOOF
Photographer

WENDY RED STAR
Apsáalooke contemporary multimedia artist

Rockwell Group, the architecture and design firm behind a suite of Nobu outposts, W hotels and theatre set designs, has collaborated with the world’s biggest cork supplier, Corticeira Amorim, to create a cork haven for Milan Design Week 2025.

Inside Casa Cork, the material is everywhere: there are tasselled cork tiebacks for the curtains, illuminated cork sconces designed by Rockwell Group and manufactured by Thomas Cooper Studio, and cork ‘parquet’ created by contrasting darker and lighter cork. A cork chandelier and bar are designed by Rockwell Group and Artemest (whose Milan apartment is another highlight of the week), and the fabrics, tiles and wall covers, all from 4Spaces, are made from the material.

Vignettes house all manner of cork curios from emerging and established designers and manufacturers, including the Campana Brothers, Tom Dixon and Made in Situ by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, which aim to showcase the material as one suited to collectible design as well as furniture. The eye is immediately drawn, however, to the exhibition’s dramatic centrepiece: a 3D-printed six-foot replica of a cork tree clad in virgin cork bark, created by Spanish workshop Factum Arte.

Why cork? David Rockwell is ‘obsessed’ with it, he says. ‘It's a material I've always loved. I had cork in my home as a kid, so it has deep memories, and the more I learn about it, the more interesting I think its applications are.’ Impermeable, buoyant, elastic and fire retardant, cork is unique, and even ages beautifully, ‘in a way that patinas like leather’. ‘To me, it is one of the best materials. It feels great. It's acoustically great. And it really is from the ground,’ he adds.

This goes to the heart of Casa Cork: cork is one of the world’s most sustainable materials. It comes from the harvested bark of the cork oak, meaning that the tree doesn’t need to be cut down. Plus, cork products can be recycled repeatedly and sequester CO₂ for decades. So why isn’t it used more? Rockwell ‘genuinely couldn’t tell you’.

‘I like to find areas where, as designers and architects, we can make a difference,’ he says. ‘So when I discovered that this material was available in the form of 2.9 billion unrecycled wine corks per year, I thought we could start to make people think about what to do with that.’

Less than one per cent of the 13 billion wine corks that are produced worldwide annually are recycled – to Rockwell’s mind, this is an incredible untapped resource. His studio has partnered, therefore, with nonprofit Cork Collective, which envisions a ‘closed loop’ system when it comes to cork, repurposing stoppers from over 40 restaurants, hotels and stores in New York and using them for community projects such as playground revitalisation.

‘Cork is an example of a circular economy because you can take the material, grind it, make a structure, and in ten years regrind it and make something else,’ says Rockwell. Casa Cork’s tree, therefore, becomes a metaphor for the tree of life, giving life not just to the exhibition and everything in it, but also to the planet with its miracle bark.

‘Sustainability is no longer an optional thing,’ continues the architect. ‘I think it's a cornerstone of all good design.’ Designers are ‘totally open’ to using sustainable materials, he says; with Casa Cork, he wanted to get them ‘interested’.

The exhibition achieves this by allowing audiences to ‘participate in it, touch it, feel it, understand it’; Casa Cork is not a traditional showroom, but rather an interactive, communal hub. You can have a coffee sitting on one of the cork chairs, order a drink from the cork bar, or attend one of the live discussions that will be held there this week. ‘At a place like Milan Design Week, when you're spending days looking at things, having a place that welcomes you, where you can have a conversation, presents a deeper way to learn,’ says Rockwell.

The installation also displays pieces from a student design competition, which serve to broaden one's mind about the possible uses of cork: 'Desculpe Desculpe' by Emily Kaline, for example, is a cork headpiece designed for gallery spaces that serves to narrow the wearer’s field of vision and insulate against noise. The 'Krystyna Luminaire' by Katarzyna Kubrak is a lampshade textured through the use of a virgin cork blow mould, which replicates the texture of virgin cork bark (and highlights its fire-retardant properties).

This collection, says Rockwell, poses ‘a chance to be a thought starter’. ‘I think designers don't always recognise how much they can do to take little steps to make things better. The community is amazing – I see more and more collaborations, groups trying to work together. I'm an optimist. I think as a designer you have to be an optimist.’

rockwellgroup.com
amorim.com
corkcollective.org

Check out more of our Milan Design Week 2025 must-sees

Signalling a new era for the brand in North America, the reimagined W Hollywood has experienced a recent top-to-bottom transformation, as part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of over 30 hotel brands, in partnership with Trinity Investments, a US-based hospitality-focused real estate investor, and fund-managed by Oaktree Capital Management, LP.

As general manager Nick Rimedio puts it: ‘The new era of W Hollywood offers more polish and less party.’ But that is not to say that the lobby or legendary rooftop events are a thing of the past.

Wallpaper* checks in at: W Hollywood

What’s on your doorstep?

Located near the evolving ‘Vinyl District’ of Hollywood, this area has seen an entertainment growth spurt in the past decade with big-name neighbouring hotels opening – from Thompson to Dream and Kimpton Argyle – along with dining and drinking venues – from Mother Wolf by Evan Fune to Grandmaster Recorders. The W Hollywood is also a prime spot to stay if you want to take in a show at the Pantages theatre, which is located directly across the street, or do any sightseeing on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, hit the popular Sunday farmers’ market a block away, or relax in a rooftop pool cabana with panoramic views of the area.

Who is behind the design?

Appealing to the modern traveller seeking creativity and culture, the Rockwell Group was behind the redesign, which brings more glamour to the hotel. As guests arrive on the property, they are immediately greeted by the triple-height signature living room, which gives a nod to the surrounding hills, the textures, and the colours of Southern California.

‘We knew this needed to be a quintessentially southern California project,’ said Shawn Sullivan, partner at the Rockwell Group. ‘The golden, ever-present sunlight in Los Angeles was a guiding framework for our design. Wherever we could, we wanted the daylight to stream in and we introduced lighting design and mirrored surfaces in a way that mimicked the warmth and connection to the sun.’

The room to book

Across the 12 floors, holding 319 guest rooms and suites, the overall residential style sees Venetian plaster-inspired wallcoverings with metallic accents, amid blue, yellow, burnt-orange, and cream tones for the furniture and rugs. If a room with a view of the Hollywood Hills is more your speed, book one of the eight Deluxe King corner room suites.

There are also 12 suites featuring separate living and dining areas, including modular, three-piece vinyl cream sofas custom-designed by the Rockwell Group. Other perks include built-in wet bars and his-and-hers closets. In the bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and shower rooms, expect natural vegetable soaps, lotions, and potions by Skin Regimen from Italy, along with bamboo and natural dental hygiene products by Olas in New York.

Yet, the absolute showstopping room is The Oasis suite, which is great for a group or if you plan to entertain during your stay. The spacious living room and full dining area hold a round table for 12 guests and boast a large bar and kitchen leading the way to a game room with a pool table. A private outdoor terrace heralds a full living and dining area with a candlelit fireplace. The modern furnishings are accented by circular art pieces in the main living area by Eric Moore, that were curated by the art consultant for the project, Kevin Barry Art Advisory.

Minibar high?

For a quick in-room beverage, canned vodka spritzers from Ketel One Botanical in varying flavours, from cucumber mint to grapefruit and rose are stocked in the minibar, or just go for a full-size bottle of rosé wine by Charles & Charles from Columbia Valley, Washington. On the bar shelf, bottles of George Clooney and Randy Gerber’s Casamigos reposado Tequila can be found, including an artisanal Joven bottle of mezcal by the brand from Oaxaca. Sipsmith’s gin from London is also on offer and Elijah Craig’s small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The green-hued Living Room just off the main lobby is the main hub for dining from coffee to cocktails, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Behind the curved bar sits a retractable, bi-folding glass wall which opens to The Patio and The Garden, an all-day courtyard where the verdant theme continues with green velvet seating (they even have a ’green velvet’ drink with Gray Whale gin and St Germain), plenty of cosy nooks, native vegetation, mosaic terrazzo flooring, a conversation pit with a fireplace, and a celestial, mirrored installation.

The overall idea is for the culinary experience to feel more like a dinner party in the surrounding Hills than a traditional hotel dining experience. The nightly culinary and cocktail pop-up concept, ‘There There’, showcases the cultural diversity of Los Angeles. This includes a selection of Asian and Latin-inspired small plates and cocktails, along with weekend entertainment on indoor or outdoor stage platforms that might include live music or a DJ curated by Tay James.

Chef Dameon Evers has worked with chefs Gordon Ramsay, Michael Mina, and Thomas Keller, and he served as the executive chef at Le Cirque in the Bellagio, Las Vegas. Standouts on his menu include boneless and light fried chicken bites which can be topped with Kuluga caviar and sunchokes with shaved truffles, whipped parmesan, and buttermilk. Seafood options include sushi rolls and a crab Louie tostada or whole seabream in a coconut lemongrass curry with Tom yum yoghurt. End any meal with a white miso and green matcha cheesecake. For breakfast do not miss the ‘green market’ omelette with veggies from Girl and Dug.

The wow factor

The WET Deck will reopen for pool season in March of 2025 and you do not want to miss a sunset from this perch. There are iconic Hollywood views, but also two destination bars Sunrise and Sunset. Both are located near the pool and cabanas, along with two murals designed by the Rockwell Group and painted by Australian artist James Peter Henry that evoke the Southern California sunsets. Just past Sunset, the Loft is an enclosed sweeping panoramic view entertainment venue outfitted with a bespoke cutting-edge 3D spatial sound system by Tempo, which envelopes you in a sensory soundscape.

Where to switch off

While there is not a full spa on site, you can work out at the FIT gym with a view of Hollywood Boulevard, and a stunning geometric installation by James Peter Henry. On a monthly basis, speciality fitness and wellness classes are hosted including high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga sessions, sound baths, and cold plunge experiences, which are conducted in partnership with the hotel’s resident fitness instructors and influencers, Matt Tralli and Christian Castano.

If you need a little primping, there is a Blow Dry Bar on the ground floor operated by a third-party vendor as an extension of hotel services. And, if you need a boost, you also can request services from Kalologie Medspa, such as vitamin IV drips before or after a big night out, or other cosmetic injectables, lasers, peels, or body contouring.

Service with a smile?

The overall service is friendly and attentive – without being cloying or invasive. Sit at the bar and chat with the staff if you want to find out more about the neighbourhood and what is worth seeing within walking distance, or which celebrities have been spotted, such as Kerry Washington receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the hotel, which happened on my recent visit.

The verdict

Overall, this is still a fun place to party in Hollywood but now this property is operating at a higher level of service, with elevated dining and drinking options and amenities, including free Illy coffee in the morning on the patio off the lobby. The curved seating areas in the rooms make it easy to lounge while working or relaxing with a snack or drink. The beds are fitted with fluffy down pillows and comforters and are exceptionally comfortable, plus the Frette slippers are a welcome creature comfort after a long day of walking around Hollywood.

W Hollywood is located at 6250 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States; w-hotels.marriott.com. Rates: from 345 USD

Each summer, a plethora of new Greek island getaways emerge, making it challenging to discern which ones are truly worth a visit. Whether you’re drawn to the popular island-hopping destinations of Mykonos and Santorini or lesser-known gems like Syros and Rhodes, here’s a selection of the freshest openings to daydream about.

Stellar new Greek island getaways

Argini Hotel

The neoclassical municipality of Ermoupolis on Syros Island is home to the new Argini Hotel, a property originally built in 1853 for the family of Grigoris Paikos, a prominent figure during the Greek Revolution. As such, the current hotel owners, the local Polykretis family, have honoured the property’s storied past, elevating it with modern comforts and contemporary design touches from international brands like Gessi, Flos, Artemide, Panzeri, Tooy, Astro, Poltrona Frau and Buster + Punch.

Beautiful ceiling and wall frescoes grace the property’s 11 rooms; an experience guests have already mentioned is like ‘sleeping in history.’ ‘The Renaissance influences, mythical creatures and portraits of notable Greek Revolution personalities seen are the byproducts of collective efforts by 19th-century artists,’ the Polyktretis family explain. Spend the morning in the temple-like indoor pool – where there is also a Jacuzzi and hammam - or on the rooftop sipping cocktails by the plunge pool. Follow this with a bite to eat at Elexis, which serves a menu of traditional Greek plates with a modern twist, alongside rare labels from both local and international wineries.

Argini Hotel is located at Apollonos 11, Ermoupoli 841 00, Greece, arginisyros.gr

Deos Mykonos

A member of The Set Collection and established by the family-owned brand, Myconian Collection, the recently opened Deos hotel sits perched on a hilltop above Mykonos town that overlooks the Aegean Sea and the neighbouring islands of Delos, Syros and Tinos. Designed by GM Architects, the property slots into its surroundings with a contemporary Cycladic look; its sun-drenched white facades are complemented by lush indigenous landscaping and rustic stone walls made from locally sourced materials. Inside, a warm minimalist design showcases artisanal craftsmanship through natural textures and bespoke elements.

Each of the 42 rooms opens onto large scenic terraces with hot tubs or plunge pools – the perfect retreat after a long lunch at Epico, where chef Ilias Maslaris sends out dishes like Greek mezze platters or grilled octopus using the best homegrown, seasonal produce. While Mykonos town is just a 20-minute walk away, you will likely find yourself at the hotel bar, which overlooks the infinity pool, or the spa, which has an indoor pool, two treatment rooms and a menu of therapies using products infused with local botanicals.

Deos Mykonos is located in Mykonos 846 00, Greece, deosmykonos.gr

Lindian Village Beach Resort Rhodes

From its home on the southern coast of Rhodes, near the picturesque town of Lindos, the 188-room Lindian Village Beach Resort has just emerged from a top-to-toe makeover. The work of Greek architecture studio Makridis Associates, who took its cues from the nearby Butterflies Valley, a 600-acre nature park, the understated design, like a calming cocoon, is revealed through layers of natural textures, like linen and rattan, in earthy mushroom tones.

With a clutch of freshwater pools, a spa and its own private beach – not to mention a host of activities from water sports to cooking classes – you’re bound to build up an appetite for one of the eight drinking and dining spots, which covers everything from an elevated Greek restaurant to thin-crust pizzas at Era Ora Trattoria. We suggest dinner at Niku, which serves a Japanese-Peruvian menu, which can be washed down with cocktails crafted with pisco, sake, fresh ginger, and yuzu. Alongside all this is the hotel’s new Bee Revived initiative, an ambitious environmental restoration project that includes the adoption of beehives to revitalise the island’s ecosystem following last summer’s devastating wildfires.

Lindian Village Beach Resort Rhodes is located at Beach, Lardos 851 09, Greece, lindianvillage.gr

Numo Mykonos

Following its debut opening in Crete three years ago, Numo Hotels & Resorts has now launched its much-awaited sophomore property in Mykonos. Located to the east of the island, at Kalafati Beach, the 27-room property has been outfitted by design studio Hotel IM together with Amsterdam-based firm What The Studio, who captured Mykonos’ carefree energy from the 1960s and 70s. As a result, a minimalist Cycladic design, with its elegant curves and arches, serves as a canvas for modern materials like plaster and granite dust and bold elements from striped marble floors to brass accents.

This is elevated by details like artisanal lighting fixtures from Crete and handmade Chamotte tiles by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina, all brought together by vibrant pops of colour that pull from the surrounding landscape. A small treatment room offers massages, reflexology and facials using organic ingredients and herbs and, like its sister hotel, the all-day restaurant at Numo Mykonos is helmed by chef Nikos Kourkoutas, who serves up a Mediterranean menu flecked with Mykonian influences – all against views of the island’s rugged landscape and the blues of the Aegean Sea.

Numo Mykonos is located at Kalafatis Mykonos 84600, Greece, numomykonos.com

Sandblu

Unravelling at the base of Thira Mountain on the southeastern coast of Santorini, Sandblu has finally opened its doors. A short five-minute stroll from the black volcanic sands of Kamari Beach, the resort’s 51 rooms and suites, each with balconies and some with their own pools, all have sweeping Aegean Sea views. New York-based firm Rockwell Group brought the outside into the pared-back light-filled interiors with a simple, clean-lined design featuring natural timbers in a neutral palette of white and sandy tones with hints of blue.

With four drinking and dining outlets, including a bakery with a selection of the flakiest pastries, as well as a wine bar that offers wine tastings and a speciality restaurant that serves modern Greek food, you definitely won’t go hungry at Sandblu. This along with three pools, including an indoor one at the spa - which also offers yoga and meditation classes - you’ll easily find yourself eating, sleeping and relaxing on repeat.

Sandblu is located at Kamari 847 00, Greece, sandblu.com

Santo Mine

Carved into the photo-perfect cliffs of Oia, Santorini, an old stone mine overlooking Ammoudi Bay, the resort, has found new life as Santo Mine, a stellar all-suite hotel. The latest to join local group Santo Collection’s growing portfolio, the property has been designed by Cretan firm Straight Line Architecture, which encompassed the region’s natural landscape throughout. As such, the simple soft lines and curves of the Cycladic architecture have been dressed with a palette of natural stones, ceramics and timbers inspired by the region’s volcanic soil.

Each of the 37 suites has its own private terraces, some with individual pools or Jacuzzis and all with dazzling Aegean Sea views. If you’re not lazing by the pool or indulging in a treatment at the spa, activities range from yachting and kayaking to helicopter tours –this all comes together as the perfect way to build up an appetite to eat at the hotel’s collection of restaurants. Start off with a sunset cocktail at Rhoē, which offers an all-day menu alongside bar snacks, followed by dinner at Ālme; a fine fish experience, where locally caught seafood is served with herbs and vegetables from the property’s onsite garden. The wine list is extensive too, given the hotel has its own wine cellar, where tastings can be organised on request.

Santo Mine is located in Oia 847 02, Greece, santocollection.gr

In David Rockwell’s Manhattan office, there is a room filled with dozens of models for the musical and theatre sets he has designed over the years. The shelves are lined with miniature worlds rendered at a half-inch scale: tiny cardboard cut-outs of the shoe factory in Kinky Boots; a remarkably realistic Streamline Moderne train carriage from the set of On the Twentieth Century; and matchbox-sized versions of the pool table that appeared in the production of The Nap. In the centre of the room stands a long table for meetings with directors and choreographers, and toward the back are the desks of the designers busily at work on new productions.

‘That room, for me, was like how you imagine Father Christmas’ workshop to be, filled with the most magical toys and gems that you’re ever going to find,’ says Simon Sladen, senior curator of modern and contemporary theatre and performance at the Victoria & Albert Museum, which has recently acquired the original set models for four David Rockwell-designed performances – the aforementioned productions, plus Hairspray. ‘When I first walked in, I was probably just a rage of jealousy that we would never be able to acquire all of those materials or have so many on display.’

David Rockwell standout stage sets

Rockwell, who launched his cross-disciplinary architecture and design practice in 1984 (and features in 2024’s Wallpaper* USA 400, a guide to creative America), has created more than 50 sets for plays and musicals, but the role of theatre in his work runs much deeper than any individual project; it’s integral to the way he thinks about architecture.

He doesn’t have a signature style, but he does have a signature ethos: to Rockwell, the core principles of theatre and good design overlap and involve the thoughtful consideration of narrative, movement, scale and intimacy in order to create memorable and empathetic experiences. Architects, after all, are builders of worlds, whether it’s the set for a performance dreamed up by a playwright or a hotel, office or restaurant. ‘Architecture and theatre are both defined by the people that inhabit and animate them,’ he writes in his 2021 book Drama.

‘We start by asking not how something is going to look, but how we want the audience to feel.’ Rockwell’s love of theatre – both real and metaphorical – predates his career as an architect. He was raised in suburban New Jersey, where his mother, a vaudeville dancer and choreographer, organised community theatre productions, and he participated in all aspects of them, from acting to playing in the orchestra and working on sets.

When he was 12, he visited New York City for the first time to see the original production of Fiddler on the Roof, after which he was hooked on Broadway. Soon after, his family moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, where he encountered a vibrant public life, particularly its restaurant scene

It’s no wonder, then, that his work has involved building spaces that foster conviviality. ‘There were things that connected those experiences, and one was a hunger and a love for live experience,’ says Rockwell. ‘And I felt very compelled by that.’

A continual feedback loop exists between his work for theatre and the rest of his creative practice. He thinks like a director when it comes to his hotels and restaurants, which include a 30-year collaboration with chef Nobu Matsuhisa and establishments for culinary heavyweights including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, José Andrés and Daní Garcia. Meanwhile, he thinks like an architect when it comes to sets, which is rare in the world of theatre.

There’s an element of realism to his designs and a keen awareness of movement that sets him apart from his contemporaries. Moreover, the audience is often let in on the scenic transitions that happen in a production he works on. For his Tony Award-winning set design for the 2016 production of She Loves Me, a musical set in a 1930s-era perfume shop in Budapest, Rockwell created an art nouveau-style building that opened like a jewel box.

‘Architects have a great visual and three-dimensional awareness of space, and not all theatrical designers work in that way,’ says Sladen. ‘They might work from a sketch of a visual picture or they might start with colour palettes. From the beginning, David is always thinking, “How is this going to work?”’

In Kinky Boots, a realistic-looking factory floor was transformed into a fantasy world using a change in lighting and by converting a conveyor belt into multiple moving treadmills on which the actors danced. ‘The models were critical for studying how things could rotate in space and how dance might integrate with that,’ says Rockwell. ‘You can’t really study it any other way than with a model; they don’t misrepresent the truth. In renderings, you can convince yourself of a lot of realities.’

Set models represent the private conversations between a stage designer and a production’s director, lighting designer, choreographer and costume designer. They are also kept on hand at rehearsals, allowing actors to build their characters, and are continually modified as they perfect their movement across the stage. Unlike models for buildings, which are designed to be displayed, set models are workhorses that the public never sees. Because of this, a model becomes ‘a little bit like the playbill’, Rockwell says. ‘It’s a collection of memories.’

Rockwell himself is a student of other theatre designers’ models, especially those of Boris Aronson, who designed the original set for Fiddler on the Roof. Aronson’s widow gifted Rockwell an original set model for the Tony-winning 1971 production of Company, which sits in his office. He’s also a frequent visitor to the Lincoln Center branch of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, one of the few locations that publicly displays theatre set models. Sadly, few wind up in collections because they rarely survive due to their delicate nature.

The ephemerality of theatre makes the genre especially difficult to collect. But its material remnants, set models in particular, are particularly evocative objects. The V&A often hosts special tours for people with dementia, and its theatre collection is a favourite destination. ‘Visitors will see a set model or a costume or a poster for a musical and they’ll start singing,’ Sladen says. ‘They know the words perfectly because that memory is so strong.’

Rockwell appreciates that more people will now be able to see and experience the models he has made following their acquisition by the V&A. ‘I’m intrigued and honoured and terrified all at the same time because they’re objects I love having,’ he says. ‘It’s sort of a step in letting go of the object, keeping the memory, and then being part of this collective memory.’

rockwellgroup.comvam.ac.uk

This article appears in the August 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available to download free when you sign up to our daily newsletter; in print on newsstands; on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS;and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Who could have imagined that indulging in fried chicken could transcend the realms of fast food convenience to become a quasi-spiritual experience? But Gracious Hospitality Management, known for its Michelin-starred Manhattan Korean steakhouse Cote, seems to have unlocked the secret with its latest offering, Coqodaq, in Manhattan’s Flatiron district.

Discover Coqodaq’s wings of desire

Designed by the Rockwell Group, this ‘cathedral of fried chicken’ – which also happens to offer America’s largest champagne selection to wash it all down with – welcomes sybarites on a sensory odyssey that commences with a bespoke hand-washing station equipped with luxurious Hermès hand soap (despite the glamorous surrounds, this is still finger food so make sure cleanliness is next to godliness).

Guests then step into a cavernous, art nouveau-inspired space, adorned with a rich colour palette and sumptuous textures. The 190-seat dining area features green leather banquettes, illuminated by glass and bronze ‘ghost’ arches that cast a glow on diners and food.

A mirrored wall at one end creates a dramatic infinity effect, while plaster wall panels have been treated with a contemporary-looking crackled texture in a subtle reference to the crisp skin of fried chicken. A seductive black soapstone and tambour wood bar runs alongside one side, backed by a luminous liquor shelf, and there’s also an informal dining area with a communal table, reserved for walk-ins, which connects the main dining room with the outdoor space.

‘The material palette was driven by a desire to surround diners in an envelope of warmth, creating a joyful place to be at any time,’ says Rockwell Group’s founder and president David Rockwell. ‘Simon Kim [CEO and founder of Gracious Hospitality Management] and I believe that the most important thing about restaurants is how they ritualise coming together for a shared, celebratory experience – and Coqodaq provides the perfect template for that.’

Heading up the kitchen is executive chef Seung Kyu Kim, whose Korean-American credentials mirror the cultural fusion celebrated at Coqodaq. Working alongside a world-class culinary team, Seung Kyu set out to envision a menu that would elevate the simplicity of crispy fried chicken to new heights, pairing it with accompaniments, such as pickled seasonal vegetables, or offering it alongside an indulgent raw bar comprising oysters, fish tartare and Petrossian caviar.

The Bucket List set menu comprises a choice of two types of fried chicken with various glazes (served, with dipping sauces, in a ceramic bucket designed by star ceramicist Jono Pandolfi), a perilla seed noodle dish, and a roasted chicken consommé with red ginseng.

Complementing the dynamic menu is sommelier Victoria James’ well-curated wine list, which features more than 400 rare and exclusive champagnes, while the offering of ‘coqtails’ includes a Boricha, a blend of watermelon juice, lime, coconut water and Irish whiskey, and a Coqodaq-uiri, featuring rum, pisco, lime and hallabong (a Korean orange-like fruit).

coqodaq.com, rockwellgroup.com

A version of this article appears in the April 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Welcome to our annual Global Interiors edition and the 300th issue of Wallpaper*. We are immensely proud to be celebrating our triple century, and this issue exemplifies our commitment to bring you the very best in contemporary design and bold new work. 

Our interiors team have assembled a rich selection of emerging talent from around the world. We kick off our global tour with a surreal journey into the picturesque landscapes of Lanzarote, which provide a hyperreal backdrop for a compendium of graphic furniture pieces by both new and established names. 

Other interiors that caught our eye this month include the Rockwell Group’s ‘cathedral of fried chicken’ in Manhattan, and Manuel Aires Mateus’ new concrete creation on the shores of the Mornington Peninsula. We travel to a contemporary country house set amid the rolling South Downs, visit a little-known treasure by John Lautner, the Pearlman Cabin in California’s San Jacinto Mountains, and delve into a house by Keiji Ashizawa in the Tokyo suburb of Aoyama.

We also present a diverse collection of stories, from the significant renaissance of modern African design visionary Jomo Tariku to artist and environmental activist Andrea Bowers’ new work for Ruinart and writer Jonathan Glancey’s visit to an iconic Italian church.

You can discover Design Holding CEO Daniel Lalonde’s vision for nine of the world’s best-known design brands, read about how Samuel Ross and Kohler came together to reinvent the commode, and visit the new headquarters of Studio Irvine, where Marialaura Irvine is carrying on the legacy of her late husband James Irvine, while also establishing a design agenda based on ‘a whispered dialogue’.

Our fashion team have curated their take on the quintessential trench coat, while we explore the making of Acne Studios’ first fragrance, open up Frank Gehry’s foray into handbags with Louis Vuitton, and learn how to make a move on the ultimate chess set.

And finally… it is with a heavy heart for the past, but much excitement for the future, that I sign off this, my final Editor’s Letter. It has been my great honour and privilege to work for Wallpaper* these last 16 years (having joined on issue W*101 in 2007), and I have so many wonderful memories. Thank you to all of my colleagues, past and present, for their unceasing commitment to this enduring and endlessly creative brand; to the inspirational artists, designers and creatives who have graced these pages and brought such joy and beauty to the designed world; to the craftspeople, makers, brands and galleries who champion creativity and strive to make a difference; and lastly, thank you most of all to you, our wonderful readers, who make Wallpaper* so much more than just a brand. It’s a way of thinking and a way of being.

With love to you all.

Sarah Douglas
Editor-in-Chief

The April 2024 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print from 7 March, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

On the newsstand cover (top left), steel chair, price on request, by Hyungshin Hwang. 

On the limited-edition cover (top right), ‘Galho’ coat hanger, BRL6,100 ($1,228), by Guilherme Wentz, for Wentz Design. ‘Species 3’ sculptural object, price on request, by Fredrikson Stallard. ‘Polarity Panel 3’ mirror, €16,500, by Rive Roshan, from Rademakers Gallery

Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson is the new restaurant at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) in Lower Manhattan. The space opens today (1 November 2023) as the final public piece of the 2003 masterplan to redevelop the World Trade Center site, offering all-day dining in a vibrant space helmed by Samuelsson (a chef who features in the Wallpaper* USA 300’s Gastro Greats section). 

Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson at Perelman Performing Arts Center

The restaurant has been designed by Rockwell Group, which also oversaw the interior design of the centre’s main entry and lobby level, where the space is located, to create a dynamic and energetic atmosphere that reflects the building’s cultural programme.

As a global hub for creativity, PAC NYC celebrates the artists and audiences of New York City and the connections to be made between music, theatre, dance, opera and film. Designed by Joshua Ramus of REX, the not-for-profit arts centre is dedicated to demonstrating the power of the arts to entertain, inspire and unite. This ethos is reflected in Rockwell Group’s interior design, which brings the entry experience, lobby level, restaurant, lounge bar and outdoor terrace together in spatial harmony. 

‘One of the driving ambitions for the lobby and restaurant was that it be used as a community space throughout the day and night,’ says David Rockwell. ‘This was really front and centre as we designed the interior – creating a flexible, communal environment; connecting guests with each other and in some cases performers, whether you’re there for a lobby stage performance in the afternoon or the last dinner party there post-show.’

United under a ceiling clad in undulating sapele wood ribbons, visible from the main entrance, PAC NYC’s public interior spaces invite visitors past a set of monumental exposed trusses towards the bar, lounge and outdoor terrace. A smaller set of ribbons rubbing east to west helps to orient visitors towards the elevators on the other side of the lobby. Embedded with integrated LED lighting and custom-designed grey and burgundy FitzFelt walls for acoustic insulation, the centre’s public spaces have been considered in full detail.

‘We realised early on that the ceiling was one element you would see, before you began your sequence in the building. We thought about the ceiling as this gentle yet strong embrace that draws guests up the stairs and then guides them thoughtfully throughout once inside,’ Rockwell adds. ‘All these areas are connected by the soft choreography of the ceiling, which runs north-south and picks up on the grid of the building. It’s almost like following the path of a stream.’

The same approach was taken for Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson, given the open series of spaces on the same building level, which barely has any hard lines. Inspired by the breadth of neighbourhoods and culinary traditions in New York City, Metropolis is a contemporary American restaurant, spread over a main dining room, private dining room and seasonal outdoor terrace. With Samuelsson at the helm, alongside executive chef Ed Tinoco, chef de cuisine Marcelo Marta Andrade and pastry chef Onika Ayana Brown, diners can expect towering farmer’s market platters of locally sourced fruits and vegetables, Flushing-style oysters that are served with lemon, shiso and XO sauce, as well as an aged Long Island duck entrée, adorned with four-year molé, foie gras and peaches. 

‘Arts and culture are the lifeblood of New York City, reflecting who we are as individuals and as a community.  We wanted to be a part of writing that chapter today in Lower Manhattan at PAC NYC,’ Samuelsson says. ‘Metropolis is our way of showing through food and drink what it means to be a part of this multilayered city, home to immigrants from around the world.  That's what I've always loved about New York, how restaurants are often the first place we feel welcome, invited in, and a part of something special.’

metropolisbymarcus.com
rockwellgroup.com

For the October 2023 issue of Wallpaper*, we selected the highlights from Euroluce at Milan’s Salone del Mobile 2023. Our edit includes new products from big shots such as Lasvit, Cassina and Flos, as well as independent studios such as Pelle and Ross Gardam, and was photographed using both digital and film techniques by our long-term collaborator Luke Evans. 

‘The process of composing and lighting the lamps in the studio was so exciting,’ explains Wallpaper* head of interiors Olly Mason. ‘By shooting them on film we were able to add this layer of process to the series, inverting the images of the lamps so that their lightness became shadow, and producing this optical contrast and surface texture.’ Mason then spent a day in the darkroom with Luke playing with light and darkness, exploring the printed qualities, softness and textures created through film and printing, to stunning effect.

Discover the brightest new lighting design

‘Polaris’ floor lamp, by David Rockwell, for Lasvit

This stellar floor lamp is part of Constellation, a collection by American architect and designer David Rockwell. The New York-based founder of the cross-disciplinary firm the Rockwell Group was inspired by one of his favourite local landmarks, the celestial mural at Grand Central Terminal, which features over 2,500 stars set against a turquoise backdrop. Hand-crafted in metal and glass, the ‘Polaris’ lamp is available in bespoke configurations. ‘What defined this collaboration for me was the sheer passion of Lasvit’s team of experts and the joy of creation we shared at each step in the process,’ says Rockwell. ‘Each lighting fixture serves a dual function: to dazzle the eye as a focal point and to unify any setting in which it is placed.’

‘Polaris’ floor lamp, price on request, by David Rockwell, for Lasvit
lasvit.com

‘Pool 02’ lamp, by Laurids Gallée

This limited-edition polymer resin light is made in the Netherlands by Laurids Gallée, an Austrian designer and Design Academy Eindhoven graduate now based in Rotterdam. Since launching his eponymous studio in 2017, Gallée has explored new ways to incorporate traditional and folkloric elements, and experimented with various materials. A recent focus on resin has seen him create a side table with a grid pattern, a monolithic ceiling light, a translucid bench and, in 2023, this ice blue ‘Pool 02’ lamp, which turns a warm yellow when switched on. Its fluid shape and soft ridges create an eye-catching effect that recalls the ever-changing way light is reflected on water.

‘Pool 02’ lamp, price on request, by Laurids Gallée
lauridsgallee.com

‘Dreispitz’ lamp, by Herzog & de Meuron, for Artemide 

This graphically pleasing pendant by Herzog & de Meuron (who have an exhibition at London’s RA until 15 October 2023) is available in understated black and silver, but also in a striking bright green version. Originally designed for the Swiss architects’ Helsinki Dreispitz (‘tricorn’) project, an archive and apartment building in Basel, it can support three different light sources that slide into its triangular base to form an almost clover-shaped profile. With a choice of four different lengths, and diffused or controlled lighting, it is designed to fit into any environment. It is also good for the environment, thanks to its high efficiency, intelligent industrial optimisation and the use of partially recycled, recyclable and easily dismantled materials. 

‘Dreispitz’ lamp, price on request, by Herzog & de Meuron, for Artemide
artemide.com

‘W225 Ion’ lamp, by Dirk Winkel, for Wästberg

This deceptively simple design from Wästberg, a Swedish brand with a focus on creating wellbeing through good light, is the result of years of research. Behind its understated lines, thought up by Berlin designer Dirk Winkel, lies a beautifully configurable system. It centres around a highly sophisticated miniature friction joint with cordless power connection, which is similar to those used in modern laptops and allows 360-degree rotation. A choice of arms in two different lengths, combined with various mounting options and two different optical systems, allows for a range of uses, from wide-angle workspace illumination to focused bedside reading. The state-of-the-art full-spectrum COB LED provides stunning light, further refined by a high-quality lens or reflector with prismatic diffuser. 

‘W225 Ion’ lamp, price on request, by Dirk Winkel, for Wästberg
wastberg.com

‘Vestige’ table lamp, by Ross Gardam and Peter Kovacsy, for Ross Gardam

This optical device by Melbourne label Ross Gardam was conceived to create a sense of wonderment. Featuring a solid parabolic cone with a concave face that emerges from a rectangular base, the brutalist-inspired sculptural form is made from cast crystal glass by renowned artist Peter Kovacsy, whose work in large-scale cast glass reflects the remote area of southern Western Australia where he is based. Celebrating the allure, texture, and volume of glass (bubbles in the glass create a speckled pattern when illuminated), each cast glassform is coupled with a raw aluminium base and machined conical dimmer, handmade, polished and waxed. ‘Vestige’ is available in a limited edition of five.

‘Vestige’ table lamp, A$39,545 ($25,683), by Ross Gardam and Peter Kovacsy, for Ross Gardam
rossgardam.com.au

‘44T’ table lamp, by Bocci

No two ‘44T’ lamps are identical: each aluminium canopy is variously blown, poured, carved and polished, and is an individual, irregular expression of Bocci’s research. In fact, the dendrite-like shapes were a happy discovery, initially made by pouring discarded molten iron in a bin of broken sand moulds. What’s more, the unique design features spherical light bulbs that glow without the need of electrical cables, as low-voltage electricity flows directly through the cast metal structure. There is of course a main cable to plug it in, but this element is as sculptural as the rest of the design, since its semi-rigid black fabric cord means it can be twisted into a pleasing shape to complement the organic lamp. The series also include an integral dimming system housed within a sleek brass cylinder. 

‘44T’ table lamp, $975, by Bocci
bocci.com

‘Channel’ lamp, by Pelle

Best known for its iconic ‘Bubble’ chandelier, Pelle was founded by Jean and Oliver Pelle in 2011. Its designs often look to nature for inspiration (and include architectural ornaments made from soap), but in the case of the ‘Channel’ lamp, the Brooklyn-based studio’s starting point was a practical concern: how to properly illuminate a large table surface, and brighten the overall room at the same time? The resulting ceiling fixture comprises a sleek horizontal body in waxed brush aluminium that holds four lighting components, with two beams facing upward, and another two facing downward. Completing the design are a pair of thin steel cables that double up as power conduits. 

‘Channel’ lamp, from $10,800, by Pelle
pelledesigns.com

‘Vis à Vis’ table lamp, by Michele Groppi, for Davide Groppi

A translucent UFO landing softly on your tabletop, Michele Groppi’s ‘Vis à Vis’ lamp is designed to perfectly integrate into any environment and décor. Entirely made of glass, it is totally transparent, from the thin cylindrical stem to the circular canopy, and appears to float lightly above the room. Being rechargeable (with a simple USB C charger), it can be moved around and illuminates everything without an electric cable in sight. It is part of a long line of truly stunning designs magicked up by the award-winning Davide Groppi team in Piacenza, Emilia Romagna, which range from perfectly poised, fishing rod-inspired floor lamps to a giant, meditative moon ceiling pendant.

‘Vis à Vis’ table lamp, price on request, by Michele Groppi, for Davide Groppi
davidegroppi.com

‘Bilboquet’ table lamps, by Philippe Malouin, for Flos

Philippe Malouin’s first design for Flos, this new table lamp has a unique concept based on Malouin’s experiments with magnetic elements. Taking its name and shape from the bilboquet, a French game dating from the 16th century, it comprises two coloured cylinders connected through a sleek magnetic sphere that allows the lamp to be oriented as required while also serving as a poetic decorative element. ‘The design is about changing your lighting needs throughout the day,’ says Malouin. ‘It can be used as a desk lamp, but if you just want to have drinks in your living room, you can bounce the light off of the wall to create a soft glow. I have always admired “Parentesi” by Castiglioni and the lamp’s way to change the light to achieve different moods – and this is very much what this light does.’

‘Bilboquet’ table lamps, price on request, by Philippe Malouin, for Flos
flos.com

'Dipping’ pendant, by Jordi Canudas, for Marset

Spanish designers never shy from using bold colours in their creations, and Jordi Canudas is no exception. As an experiment, the Barcelona-based designer once dipped a switched-on light-bulb in paint several times. He liked the result so much that the ‘Dipping’ pendant light was born. Available in three different sizes, it features a brilliant white hand-blown glass globe, hand-dipped in paint several times to create concentric rings of colour, in amber, blue, green, pink, off-white and black versions. The different layers of paint help to moderate the light’s intensity, while a polycarbonate cover at the top completes the spherical shape. ‘

Dipping’ pendant, price on request, by Jordi Canudas, for Marset
marset.com

‘Bijou’ pendants, by Antoni Arola, for Santa & Cole, and ‘Eitie’ table lamp and pendant, by Tobia Scarpa, for Cassina  

Named after the French word for jewel, this gem of a pendant light (pictured in red, centre) provides exceptional lighting and mesmerising reflections. Like all of Barcelona-based designer Antoni Arola’s creations, it is a bold and dramatic design that fits in perfectly with Spanish brand Santa & Cole’s carefully curated, minimalist lighting collection. The latest in a collection of geometric brass lights first launched in 2019, the ‘Bijou’ pendant features two vertical spotlights positioned on either side of a metal plate to create a sense of depth designed to enhance the entire space. Its glossy shade is available in white or red finishes, and two sizes. 

‘Bijou’ large pendant, €1,180; small, €820, both by Antoni Arola, for Santa & Cole, santacole.com

The Venetian designer and architect Tobia Scarpa initially created ‘Eitie’ (also pictured) as a wall installation for the walls of the Benetton Foundation Research Centre, which he has been involved with since its creation in 1987 (working with his wife Afra, he has designed and renovated many buildings for the Italian company since their first collaboration in 1964). Comprising a pendant light, table lamp and floor lamp, the ‘Eitie’ collection riffs on the idea of luminous strokes that can be reconfigured thanks to unique black metal circular connectors. Each seemingly simple design is composed of two or three linear lights that can be moved around and rotated 360 degrees to create different visual effects.

‘Eitie’ table lamp and pendant, both price on request, by Tobia Scarpa, for Cassina cassina.com

A version of this article appears in the October 2023 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

The Boca Raton Resort in Florida was originally opened in 1926 as the Ritz-Carlton Cloister Inn, built by Boca’s city planner and architect Addison Mizner. As its 100th anniversary approaches, the venue unveiled a redesign of some of its key areas, led by Rockwell Group and merging modernity and the hotel’s original design codes. 

Rockwell worked on several of the 200-acre waterfront property’s areas, with the project including a redesign of the Boca Raton Tower’s guestrooms and suites and a series of public spaces, from the Palm Court lobby lounge to four restaurants across the hotel, led by Major Food Group. 

Boca Raton Resort redesign by Rockwell Group

‘We were inspired to create cohesion and luxury, embracing Mizner’s original Mediterranean Revival style and embracing indoor-outdoor connections,’ says the design studio. By stripping away elements of previous renovations, the team took great care to uncover the building’s original features, including them in the new design. ‘Our design team highlighted historic features and added warmth and timeless modern luxury.’

Among the studio’s interventions is a redesign of the lobby and a new vision for the hotel’s Palm Court,serving as a bar and main social space for the resort. The latter is defined by a series of glazed arches framed in black steel, which reference the original architecture and offer great views of the lake. 

‘Rockwell Group stripped away previous renovations of the storied Palm Court to re-center it as the heart of the property – an inviting lobby and lounge serving as a bar and flexible common space.’

Other elements of the new design include interiors for some of the property’s restaurants by Major Food Group. These include the minimalist Japanese Bocce Club and tropical Flamingo Grill, as well as Principessa Ristorante, fashioned like an Italian villa.

Among Rockwell’s interventions is a redesign of the Tower, the resort’s luxury waterfront hotel. Originally built in 1969, the 27-storey building has views over the Atlantic Ocean and the South Florida coast: the design team reimagined the tower’s guestrooms and social spaces with a coastal inspiration. 

‘The bright and spacious rooms and suites have a casual luxury, with linen fabrics and bleached wood accents that emphasise the spectacular 360-degree views,’ they say. The design includes travertine tiles that reference the sand from the beaches below, while artworks inspired by Florida pay tribute to the location and create an intimate environment. 

thebocaraton.com

The skyscraper at 550 Madison Avenue, Philip Johnson and John Burgee’s wonderfully weird postmodern gem dating to 1984 and once known as the Sony Tower, can now be experienced by all New Yorkers, thanks to the creation of a new public garden, designed by Snøhetta. The landmarked building has been renovated and transformed into an epic office tower by investment firm Olayan Group, featuring a redesigned lobby, overseen by Snøhetta and Gensler, and an incredible amenity floor designed by Rockwell Group. The architectural garden itself, which occupies a previously enclosed mid-block passageway, adds half an acre’s worth of new green space that's been propagated with local trees, bulbs, plants and shrubs to provide a respite for tenants and the surrounding community alike.

The 550 Madison garden

Covered by a dramatic glass canopy that also captures rainwater to irrigate the garden naturally, the new public park also boasts a water feature, heated benches and plenty of seating for passers-by to take a breather. It is beautifully framed by a soaring new 65ft arched window in the building’s lobby, where a dramatic mix of terrazzo flooring and marble panels is made all the more awesome by the fact that they surround a monumental, site-specific artwork by Alicja Kwade (whose Au cours des mondes, 2022, took over Place Vendôme in Paris this autumn during  Paris+ par Art Basel). Kwade’s work, titled Solid Sky, is a 24-ton sphere of blue Azul do Macaubas quartzite, suspended by stainless steel chains from the vaulted, triple-height ceiling. It’s a glorious reference to the building’s iconic Chippendale curved roof pediment – a circular cut-out that frames the sky, which inadvertently inspired Kwade’s choice to use a blue stone for the piece. 

The 550 Madison amenities

The homage to the building’s former life continues on the newly constructed amenity levels, where almost 30,000 sq ft of real estate has been dedicated to redefining what being at work can and should mean. Rockwell Group has designed the building’s club level, just one level above the building lobby, with multiple social gathering spaces. 

In the Grand Hall – which is flanked by Philip Johnson’s original rose-window oculus and a pair of Dorothea Rockburne murals – an oversized, constellation-like chandelier, a communal interlocking table and custom-designed sofas, side tables and lounge chairs create a space that easily transitions from day to night. In the café, scalloped mesh walls and a European walnut canopy create warmth and intimacy perfect for dining. 

There is a large variety of more private meeting spaces, from four smaller meeting rooms, including one with a pool table, to a library, a hearth room, and a screening room, which can be cordoned off according to the size of the group. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and digital canvases, which project specially commissioned artwork from Lab at Rockwell Group, these are a far cry from your typical conference rooms. 

550madison.com 

snohetta.com 

It’s not easy to keep up with the flurry of New York City hotel openings in recent months, but the Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad should not be overlooked. Set back from a well-trafficked corner of 28th Street and Broadway, the glamorous hotel pairs a newly constructed 50-floor building with top-to-toe culinary offerings overseen by chef and humanitarian José Andrés. Andrés’ hand can be felt everywhere from the hotel’s in-room dining to its swanky lobby bar and lounge, as well as a sprawling rooftop bar serving light Spanish fare alongside its panoramic views. But it's his gleaming tribute to Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisine, Zaytinya, that is proving to be the most unexpected.

Zaytinya NYC restaurant by Rockwell Group

Designed by Rockwell Group, Zaytinya is a buzzing, 140-seat restaurant named after the Turkish word for olive oil. Inspired by Andrés’ deep knowledge of Mediterranean cuisine, the menu combines fresh takes on traditional mezze dishes alongside more inventive fare that whisks visitors away to the region. Andrés first opened the concept in Washington DC in 2002; New York is the restaurant’s second location, 20 years later. 

‘I have a deep love for the city of New York, and it has long been a dream of mine to bring Zaytinya here,’ says Andrés. ’For the last two decades, Zaytinya has been a place for shared meals between friends and families, celebrations, and countless momentous events, and we cannot wait to continue that story here in New York.’

In New York, Rockwell Group has created sophisticated, yet familiar interiors that blend warm bronze finishes with white oak wood. Accents of blue punctuate the light and neutral setting – a nod to the Mediterranean’s azure waters, while softly curved furniture, gauzy blue ombre drapery, linen acoustic panels and bands of blue tiles inset into the chevron-patterned wood floor create an enticing atmosphere that complements the space’s wedge shape. 

Despite being located on the Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad’s ground floor and boasting glass frontage on two sides, Zaytinya’s vibrant interior retains an intimacy, thanks to a bevy of thoughtful and inviting touches, whether it's the exposed wood ceiling beams, familial groupings of woven textile pendant lamps, each handpainted by The Alpha Workshops with illustrations custom-designed by Rockwell Group’s graphics studio, or textured walls that allude to the fluting in columns. The bar, however, delivers a high-octane moment, with a blue lava-stone top and a custom-made backbar screen comprised of dual-tone blue glass discs that curves up towards the ceiling – a nod to the evil eye. 

INFORMATION

rockwellgroup.com
zaytinya.com

ADDRESS

Zaytina NYC
Ritz Carlton New York, Nomad
25 West 28th Street
New York, New York

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

American architect and designer David Rockwell designed the set for the 2021 Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles.

The awards took place at LA’s Art Deco Union Station, an iconic hollywood venue that has been used as the backdrop for movies such as Blade Runner, The Dark Knight Rises and Pearl Harbor. Rockwell’s design for Steven Soderbergh’s intimate Academy Awards ceremony transformed the venue into ‘an indoor/outdoor supper club’ for nominees and their guests, a design referencing ‘the intimacy and understated elegance of the Academy’s very first ceremonies.’

Oscars 2021: discover the David Rockwell-designed set

The Oscars set design featured four separate spaces taking over the station’s Ticket Concourse, Waiting Room, as well is its North and South Patios. The design concept for the Oscars set offered a nod to the early awards ceremonies, which were often staged as seated dinners inside some of LA’s most iconic ballrooms.

This was Rockwell’s third Oscar set design, following his collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 81st and 82nd Oscars at the Rockwell Group-designed Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

The eclectic set design was defined by a rich material palette featuring wood, metallic touches, saturated colours and textures, which came together to celebrate the building’s Art Nouveau architecture. Integrated technology throughout the space brought the old school Hollywood set into modern times and gave it added flexibility.

Throughout the set, Rockwell created a series of custom-designed café tables and chairs placed on the multi-tiered seating balconies, with custom-built wooden banquettes in blue velvet for the lower, stage-facing seats. Oscar-inspired lamps offered illumination throughout the set and functioned as centrepieces for the bistro-style tables. 

The room was framed with a series of art-deco inspired screens, installed along a raised promenade and equipped with a series of live picture frames exhibiting historical photographs from past Oscar ceremonies (during the ceremony, these screens also delivered live content that mirrored what appeared on the main screens onstage to give an immersive experience).

The Oscars stage this year featured a circular podium in rich, inlaid wood with an asymmetric tiered design for accessibility. Two screens flanking the stage featured the same art deco motif found at the back. Completing and anchoring the stage was a blue velvet drape with oversized matching tassels.

INFORMATION

rockwellgroup.com

Summer climes are made for being outdoors, but with the proliferation of heat waves and inclement weather, sometimes staying indoors simply works. The National Building Museum in Washington D.C. brings the best of both worlds together with its latest Summer Block Party installation, which this year, comes courtesy of Lab at Rockwell Group.

The New York firm’s design and innovation studio, which blends interactive technology, architecture and storytelling, has created Lawn, a sprawling and sloping green space, right in the heart of the museum’s iconic atrium.

Visitors first arrive to purchase their tickets via a reception area, featuring a building-scale mural of the sky. They then venture down a sloping trail, set on a gentle incline, where deck chairs are arranged in clusters, along with a series of interactive hammocks that are equipped with hidden speakers that spout recordings from prominent American figures, such as Venus Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler, restaurateur Danny Meyer and more, recalling their summertime memories. The hammocks hang from a 100 ft tall ceiling grid, suspended above the building’s atrium, while the lawn itself sits on a specially built scaffolding superstructure to achieve its dynamic topography.

‘When we were invited to dream up this year’s Summer Block Party installation, my immediate goal was to transform the Great Hall into a space that pulls visitors in physically and emotionally, tapping into their curiosity and desire to connect with others,’ says David Rockwell. ‘As we delved deeper into the design process, it became clear that so many of the summertime activities that we look forward to enjoying with friends and family each year take place on a “lawn”—whether it’s a yard, a public park, a playground, or a rooftop. Lawn is our celebration of this iconic idea.’

In addition to taking a breather, visitors to Lawn will be able to enjoy summertime refreshments as well as classic lawn games such as bocce ball, dominoes and croquet. One final perk of being indoors: Lawn also boasts a scaffolding tower at its top, which reaches the museum’s third floor and offers visitors an unprecedented look at the Great Hall, its recognisable columns in detail and the sculptural busts lining its roof.

INFORMATION
Lawn, 4 July - 2 September, National Building Museum. nbm.org

ADDRESS

401 F St NW
Washington DC
20001

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

One of New York's most highly anticipated new neighbourhoods, Hudson Yards has been in frenzied construction for a few years now; and results are slowly starting to show. Ahead of the opening of some of the area's key publicly accessed areas, such as The Shed and a big chunk of the retail element, the new area's first residential tower, Fifteen Hudson Yards, is also nearing completion. 

Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (who was the lead architect) and the Rockwell Group (who led the interiors), this elegant high rise is already over 60 per cent sold and making fast advances towards a grand opening. In the meantime, the developers, Related and Oxford, have just unveiled the interiors for the first time, matching sophisticated residential spaces with lush amenities for the residents and their guests.

The entire 50th floor at Fifteen Hudson Yard is dedicated to wellness, including an aquatics centre, gym, yoga and beauty facilities, set against a backdrop of the water and the city skyline. One floor up is the development's entertaining offering, featuring a club room, private dining, screening and performance room, golf club lounge, wine storage and tasting room, business centre, and a collaborative work space.

‘Over the past decade, we’ve had the opportunity to shape an urban ensemble comprised of a recreational, cultural and residential project for three diverse clients – working with the city on the High Line, with The Shed on a new cultural start-up, and now with Related on the first residential tower at Hudson Yards,' said DS+R Founding Partner, Elizabeth Diller, whose firm is involved in more than one key Hudson Yards projects.

INFORMATION

For more information visit the website of Diller Scofidio + Renfro and the website of the Rockwell Group

Manhattan is often difficult to navigate with its sheer abundance of urban hangouts, especially during New York Design Week when schedules are tightly packed. The Big Apple has always had a high turnover with numerous bars and restaurants opening up on a daily basis, so finding the right places to nourish and repose often becomes a gruelling task. That’s where our unique guide comes in. We asked some of New York’s leading creatives for the inside track of where to eat, drink and play during New York Design Week...

La Mercerie at Guild, selected by Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams

There’s nothing better than designing your own favourite hotspot. Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, co-founders of Roman and Williams select Roman and Williams’ Guild, an emporium of boutique, library, gallery, and in particular the newly opened café, La Mercerie. ‘It’s the first restaurant we have designed for ourselves, and we wanted to create something comfortably lavish that evokes both the refined and earthly aspects of French cuisine – while also dining with table top items that are available for purchase in our shop.’ 53 Howard St, New York, NY 10013, USA

Café Altro Paradiso, selected by Gabriel Hendifar of Apparatus

Located in Soho, Italian restaurant Altro Paradiso is where Gabriel Hendifar goes for a no-fuss meal with the team; ‘we love Café Altro Paradiso. The food is delicious, the design is clean, and it’s not too much of a scene. Famous last words.’ 234 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, US.

The Dead Rabbit, selected by David Rockwell

Named after an Irish-American gang from the 19th century, Rockwell fell in love with The Dead Rabbit for many reasons. Following a collaboration with mixologists Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, the Rockwell Group were hooked. ‘Their cocktails are sublime, but what I love most is the bar’s backstory, which is reflected in its design and menu’ Rockwell muses. ‘The owners obsessively researched every facet of the origins of mixology from cocktail recipes to the perfect ice cube. Their bar is a contemporary nod to a prohibition-era grocery and grog, a neighbourhood place that served beer in a more casual storefront pub, and refined and potent cocktails in a more elegant upstairs parlour.’ 30 Water Street, New York, NY 10004, US

Maialino, selected by Bec Brittain

The lighting designer heads to the elegant Maialino in the Gramercy Park Hotel for an after-work tipple: ‘it feels solid, cozy and timeless, and has a great wine list,’ she says. 2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010, US. 

Coco Pazzo Trattoria, selected by Jean and Oliver Pelle of Pelle

It is the outstanding food that makes the duo constantly return to Coco Pazzo Trattoria, located on the corner of Prince and Thompson Streets. ‘It’s a homey, but contemporary Tuscan-style restaurant in a very convenient location – perfect for the times you are running around Soho and want to end the day with a great meal. The entrees and antipasti are incredibly delicious and the pasta is just perfect,’ they say. 160 Prince Street, New York, NY 10012, US.

Everyone loves to party at Salone del Mobile, there’s no doubt about it. But over the last couple of years, we have noticed that the party has definitely started to feed into the exhibitions themselves. New launches are getting paired with a negroni, brands are popping up with culinary installations, and furniture is getting a disco makeover. We invite you to party on with us via our top dinner, drink and disco exhibitions at Milan Design Week...

elit Proun bar, by Carmody Groarke and elit vodka at Wallpaper* Handmade

Inspired by Russian Constructivism and the work of artist El Lissitzky – both references for the vodka brand elit – the Proun bar offered a retox opportunity amid all our Wellness + Wonder. Named after a series of paintings by El Lissitzky – Proun being a Russian acronym for ‘project for the affirmation of the new’ – Carmody Groarke’s totemic composition of aluminium modules is a spatial experiment as much as a fully functional bar space. Its modular composition nods to El Lissitzky’s work and will allow the bar to be disassembled and reinstalled at future art events.

17-22 April; Via della Moscova 28

Make A D(w)ish at 28 Posti

During Milan Design Week at Navigli-side restaurant 28 Posti Chef Marco Ambrosini and industrial designer Odo Fioravanti ask: what makes a dish a dish? The duo has created a six-course tasting menu conceived as a tongue-in-cheek meeting of food and design that pits Fioravanti’s obstacle course-like tableware against Ambrosini’s inventive Campanian-style fare. The menu included patisserie-style macarons flavoured with anchovy, a Duchamp inspired ‘ready-made’ Pasta al Pomodoro, and a course simply titled ‘empty dish’ — a nod to the dwindling portion sizes in upscale restaurants. The outcome is a cleverly thought out concept menu that, thankfully, doesn’t take itself too seriously. Writer: Laura Todd

17-22 April; Via Corsico 1; www.28posti.org

Disco Gufram at Mediateca

We partied with the likes of ‘Charly’, ‘Betsy’, ‘Stanley’ and ‘Tony’ in Milan this year with Gufram’s soul-powered furniture collection at the Wallpaper* Handmade Mediateca space this year. These Disco-going characters hark back to the Italian brand’s disco design past for a playful new collection that is imbued with typical Gufram exuberance. Each collaboration is developed organically: beginning with Dutch artist duo Rotganzen, whose signature disco balls (originally created for site-specific installations) feature on a series of lacquered cabinets (pictured). Read about the rest of the collection here

17-22 April; Via della Moscova 28; www.gufram.it

Chez Nina by India Mahdavi at Nilufar

Puppeteer of immersive wonderlands India Mahdavi masterminded a refined exclusive club environment inside the coveted gallery. Taking its name from Nina Yashar (founder of Nilufar Gallery), the space is all wrapped up in textured De Gournay wallpaper, complete with Mahdavi-drawn geometric patterns on a sweeping silk mural. Opulent furnishings by Gio Ponti, Martino Gamper and more from Yashar’s collections pepper the space, alongside bespoke acid candy table tops. This spot was a place for after dark tipples, rumour swapping and relaxation.

17-22 April; Via Della Spiga 32; www.nilufar.com

Gabriel Scott at Bar Basso

Montreal-based design studio Gabriel Scott was inspired by Bar Basso’s fierce Negroni Sbagliato for his exhibition at the iconic haunt. Working together with its prolific owner, Maurizio Stocchetto, the pair realised a lighting installation in blown-glass and new custom satin copper, alongside copper hardware and alabaster glass to compliment the original 1960s decor. Courtesy: Gabriel Scott

17-22 April; Via Plinio, 39; www.gabriel-scott.com

Daniel's Café at Swarovski Palazzo

The crystal giants bought a hint of its hometown to Milan this year with a pop-up Daniel’s Café. The Wattens-based eatery served up Viennese patisserie to go alongside its glittering new collections. Menu highlights included a twist on Daniel Swarovski’s personal favourite, a cake with almonds, chocolate and blackberry jam, and flavoured macarons and praline chocolates.

17- 22 April; The Courtyard at Palazzo Serbelloni, Corso Venezia 16; www.atelierswarovski.com

Bar Anne by Space Encounters

Part exhibition, part bar, and (say its creators) part ‘fun happening’, Bar Anne was a space ‘by designers, for designers’. Amsterdam’s Space Encounters presented interactive work from the likes of Mae Engelgeer and Sabine Marcelis, alongside an immersive installation from Children of the Light. This was a place to be at home: guests were free to try and test each design as desired. ‘Sit on them, jump on them and even sleep on them’. As the week drews to a close, the latter was necessary.

17-21 April, Corso di Porta Ticinese, 95,; www.klaaskuiken.nl
 
The Diner by David Rockwell

Over in the vaults of Ventura Centrale, the New York-based architect channeled his skills in hospitality and set design for an all-American diner concept. The Rockwell Group teamed up with studio 2x4 and Surface magazine for the venture that recreated four different environments, within one space. The culinary pop-up took guests on an American road trip that travelled from an Airstream-inspired coffee and pie bar to West Coast lounge via an East Coast-style classic diner.

17-22 April; Via Ferrante Aporti 15; www.rockwellgroup.com

Club Unseen by Studiopepe

Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto of Studiopepe realised a conceptual ‘members only’ space at a concealed Brera location. Club Unseen bought together historical and contemporary design with products from global brands including Tacchini, Dedar, Atelier de Troupe and Pulpo. The club continued the Milan-based creatives’ exploration of hospitality which last year saw them create The Visit, a sophisticated styled apartment. Read more about Club Unseen here.

By appointment only; www.clubunseen.com

Vino & Design’s EustachiORA

Tree-lined Via Eustachi was transformed into a district of wine and design during Salone del Mobile – all in the spirit of sharing. With the aim of overturning natural compeition between traders, EustachiORA united a selection of designers and wine makers in a week-long knees up. Guests were invited to taste, for example, a red ‘Natissa’ DOC at Polpetta D.O.C, together with the works of artist Paolo Anselmo, all the while learning the insider tricks and traits of Italian wine culture.

17-22 April, via Eustachi

Seletti’s Design Pride

Parading around the 5VIE district for the 3rd year on the trot was Seletti’s political party of music, dancing and design. Joining forces with Paridevitale agency, Toiletpaper, Gufram, Heineken, Saviola, Hospitality Truck and a whole host of designers, the trail included special rap performances and fabulous floats for individuals to let loose with their creative flair.

6PM on 18 April; Piazza Castello (corner with via Minghetti); www.seletti.it

Lavazza x Toiletpaper bar

Italian coffee experts Lavazza joined forces with Toiletpaper magazine for a graphic pop art-inspired bar inside the Wallpaper* Handmade space this year. The immersive space served Aperitivo treats and reworking’s of traditional Italian dishes, while giving guests a taster of its new vibrant coffee machine collection

17-22 April; Via della Moscova 28

Nonostante Marras

Building on the success of last year’s pop-up restaurant Italian fashion designer Antonio Marras hosted up to 60 diners again in the events space neighbouring his atelier. This time his Nonostante Marras bistro was created in collaboration with the restaurateurs behind Domus Rana. Dining chairs were upholstered in Saba ecru linen hand-painted like canvases with faces and figures by Marras. Meanwhile vases, tiles and tableware was co-designed specifically for the project by Marras and Vincenzo D’Alba, and made by Kiasmo. Above diners heads a canopy of floral motifs by Wall & Deco added to the decorative, flamboyant feel. Canadian lighting designer Matthew McCormick hosted a dinner at the restaurant, among others.

INFORMATION
Salone del Mobile runs from 17-22 April

‘As a firm, we have not tended to do a ton of products,’ says David Rockwell, whose 250-person strong design and architecture studio, Rockwell Group, has worked on everything from hotels, to set designs, hospitals, offices and nightclubs.

But when The Rug Company – now a longtime collaborator – first approached them about producing a collection together, ‘it was an unexpected gift’, recalls Rockwell. That first collection, released in 2010, featured four abstract pattern designs that each explored, with technical rigour, ‘the way light transitions onto materials’, he says.

For his latest releases with the company, the designer was inspired to draw from scenes in his personal life, among them a several month-long spell he spent with his family in Guadalajara, Mexico, aged twelve – a colourful sojourn, miles away from his Jersey Shore upbringing, that has continued to be formative.

‘Mexico was so responsible for me getting into design and appreciating the physical world the way I do – visiting the country just opened up whole new worlds for me,’ says Rockwell, who felt it fitting to launch his two new designs at The Rug Company’s Mexico City flagship. ‘I think of Mexico as making my mind and eye come alive with colour and intensity. There, I became more interested in public space and the public theatre of the everyday.’ 

One of the two new designs, ‘Tidal’, revisits an earlier pattern, ‘Moonlight Tidal’, transposed with cooler grays to evoke a shimmering pool of water, an ephemeral effect that he would often try to capture on his photographic excursions around the vibrant city. The other new release, called ‘Misty’, features a deep indigo blue that fades to an ombre white at its edges. ‘Almost like sfumato,’ the designer muses, referencing the smudge technique used by Da Vinci to blend colours.

The two releases will be joined by a third, ‘Lola’, later this spring. It’s named after Rockwell’s daughter, and features a pattern based on designs they had developed together, with the ceramist Pascale Girardin, for Nobu Downtown. From Mexico to Manhattan, the trio of rugs are a swatch of personal histories manifest in warp and weft. ‘We get to create beautiful things,’ says the designer. ‘The world needs more beautiful things right now.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit The Rug Company's website

When it comes to sophisticated tiled surfaces, Bisazza’s offering is the one to beat. The Italian design company’s latest undertaking is an inspired collaboration with the designer David Rockwell – the first American on Bisazza’s books. Comprised of a suite of graphic patterns that is available in four colour families, Rockwell’s 'Tonal' collection brings a contemporary slant to Bisazza’s artistic 'Cementiles' collection.

‘Last year [when] we started working properly on a collection, [David] decided to go with the Cementiles,’ recalls Rosella Bisazza. ‘We gave him freedom to design and select the patterns that he wanted. He just asked us to add a new colour. David loves blue and we didn’t have enough blues in our palette, so we were happy to add this blue that we now call the "David Rockwell Blue".’

David Rockwell is no stranger to Bisazza and has been using its tiles for years, ‘the first question I had was how can we make a contribution that feels unique?’ he says. ‘The Cementiles interested me because it’s a material I’ve always loved, and it brings me back to early days in Mexico when I was a kid.’

‘With all of Bisazza’s product, the thing that intrigues me is the combination of craftsmanship and the way it interacts with light. In the Cementiles, each tile is slightly different. We started to imagine a way to combine the notion of ombre because the idea of transition links my work in theatre and architecture. The in-between spaces are the most interesting spaces and ombre-ing from one colour to another has always felt like a kind of illusion.’

Within these parameters, Rockwell created a set of graphic patterns, ranging from bold chromatic stripes to a vivid end grain, which can be combined in a myriad of ways. The colour palettes – a sepia-toned warm neutral, a charcoal cool neutral, a family of rust and then the blues – enhance the matte finish of the tiles to provide a latent energy and sense of movement to the larger environment.

‘In some ways, the simpler patterns emphasize the quality of the material; they don’t distract from the material,’ says Rockwell. ‘[There is] a kind of boldness that felt (in a world of lots of elaborate details) like something that would stand out.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Bisazza website

Argentinian property developer Carlos Rosso is completely transparent in his devotion to Miami, hailing the ‘tremendous growth of its cultural institutions, public parks and retail and entertainment offerings.’ This, he says, was the impetus for the aggressive output of ‘top-tier residential projects’ by his company Related Group – projects like the Philippe Starck-designed SLS Brickell, 11o0 Millecento and One Ocean.

Rosso's latest gambit is Brickell Heights, twin residential towers in the midst of, well, Brickell, for which he tapped the wonder team of Arquitectonica and interior designer David Rockwell.

Lead architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia found inspiration for the towers' soft-angular shape in the sharp edges of the immediate surroundings. Indeed the financial district might feel sterile were it not unaccountably heaving with some of Miami’s best restaurants, retail and street art. With Brickell Heights, The Related Group boosted the lively factor by commissioning a 35,000-square-foot series of hand-painted colour-block murals by Argentine artist Fabián Burgos along the base of the tower.

‘This is an intensely urban site,' says Fort-Brescia, by way of explaining why the organic shapes of the towers ‘fade into the sky asymmetrically and taper to the side to create southeast-facing terraces toward Biscayne Bay.’

David Rockwell counterposed interiors for the one- to four-bedroom units and two rooftop pools, on the 47th and 49th floors, with views over the new Frost Museum of Science and Miami Beach. They layer mid-century design with judicious lashings of stone, wood and metal, while orienting the eye outward towards Miami’s winning trifecta of skyscrapers, sky and sea.

The facilities are equally impressive, ranging from a screening room, spa, and community vegetable gardens to a putting green, SoulCycle studio and a sprawling outpost of the Equinox gym.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Brickell Heights website

ADDRESS VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Brickell Heights
850 South Miami Avenue
Miami
 

Be it a personal butler or an attendant who takes parking the car off your hands, a valet is synonymous with notions of luxury, decorum and personal attentiveness. In furniture form, a valet stand exudes efficiency of a similar vein, discreetly offering a way to cast off the day that is steeped in old world charm.

Both these notions come in to play in the first complete furniture collection from celebrated American architect and designer David Rockwell, on show in Milan at the Wallpaper* Arcade, via San Gregorio. Entitled ‘Valet’, the 14-strong range – from a valet incorporating a mirror, a clothing rack, a leather holder for shoes and a shelf for odds and ends, to a sleek walnut coffee table with a leather pocket for remote controls and other devices – caters to the demands of modern living with discreet, added functionalities. 

‘The word “valet” has a historical resonance,’ explains Rockwell. ‘I thought we could reinterpret it for the 21st century, but imbue it with a crafted point of view. I feel like we’re living in a time when so many things are blended – our work time, play time and living time – so there is a new typology emerging that we could create furniture for.’

The range also includes seating (a love seat, an armchair and a club chair, all framed in blackened steel and brass detailing); space-saving designs, such as a leaning secretaire and a compact shelf unit accompanied by saddle leather bins to reduce clutter; plus a couple of showstoppers – a bar cart and its wall-mounted sibling, the mixology center. 

The cart, a refined two-tier piece made from walnut, features an elegant work surface on top, while supplies of alcohol can be stored below. A leather-sling wine rack allows bottles to be neatly displayed, while a leather bag conceals the mixologist’s tools. Finished with custom brass casters and leather-wrapped handlebars, the cart also has a bottle opener, attached by a leather cord for easy access.

‘The word “valet” also implies someone being of service, it’s not just hardware. A valet can be help, so it’s one of the reasons many of these pieces have multiple functions,’ says Rockwell. ‘We started the collection with the valet piece, which in a very simple way leans against the wall. I think it addresses [the idea of] transition, so when you come into a room, [in a] house or hotel, there’s that moment when you want to put down your keys, your phone, pick up a newspaper. That moment of transition, and creating a piece of furniture that helps choreograph that, was where [the collection] emerged.’

The collection’s modernity is emphasised by its elevated material palette. American walnut, blackened steel, grey upholstery, brass accents and cognac leather elements inspired by old-fashioned postman’s bags are refined, yet invitingly tactile. 

Production is by manufacturer Stellar Works. Known for utilising French, Japanese and Chinese craft and production expertise to bring its collections to life, the brand has collaborated with design practices such as Neri & Hu and Yabu Pushelberg. 

Rockwell couldn’t be more pleased with the results. ‘I’d always been impressed with Stellar Works’ ability to bridge the gap between craftsmanship and manufacturing, and I was intrigued by their East meets West capability,’ he recalls. ‘They kept pushing us to go further and create more iterations, which I found interesting, and I think their ethos of cross-cultural sampling and mixing of design elements was a way to push us. While the furniture is largely made in Shanghai, they do have the ability to craft and finish wood at the high end of French furniture making.’ 

He continues, ‘For 30 years, we’ve done a lot of custom furniture as one-offs. We haven’t done lines of furniture, partly because of all of our diverse interests. What I look for in a client is someone who is both inspiring and welcomes our participation, so everyone feels like they’re growing and being challenged. Given how great this experience has been, I’m now more interested in furniture than I was before.’ 

As featured in the May 2016 edition of Wallpaper* (W*206)

INFORMATION

The ’Valet’ collection debuts at the Wallpaper* Arcade in Milan, 12–16 April. For more information, visit the Stellar Works website

ADDRESS

via San Gregorio 43
Milan

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Sky proudly claims the spot for New York City's largest luxury rental residential building and this is no mean feat in a city chock-full of impressive high rises and dramatic building outlines that constantly compete for the spotlight in its iconic skyline. 

Designed by Goldstein Hill & West with interiors, amenities and lobby by the Rockwell Group, the glass clad complex on West 42nd Street and 11th Ave – sitting at the junction of Hell's Kitchen and Hudson Yards – spans 71 storeys, housing a grand total of 1,175 units for rent. These range from smaller studios, to two bedroom flats and a penthouse collection. The expert hand of the studio's founder, David Rockwell, led the interior design at Sky.

'The material palette for the residences at Sky is a fresh and contemporary interpretation of modern loft living,' says Rockwell. 'Given that the building's amenities and residences are extraordinary in scale and diversity, we crafted a design vocabulary of natural and handcrafted finishes and features to create a more informal luxury. In the lobby, a custom Czech glass chandelier floats above a carved marble reception desk. In the residences, warm wood and white lacquer cabinets define the open kitchen, and sculptural basins mounted on custom mirrored black steel and walnut vanities and striped floor-to-wall tiles create a striking and dynamic space.'

And it is not just about the apartments. There's indoor and outdoor pools, a yoga room, beautifully landscaped private gardens, a blow-out salon, a tech concierge, and artworks, masterfully placed in various indoors and outdoors locations; including a custom sculpture by renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. A separate members club will include from a gym to a professional basketball court, catering for the residents' fitness and wellness needs. 

'Collaborating with David Rockwell, who is one of the foremost designers in the world today, has been integral to the realization of our building, as the caliber of his work is in line with every aspect of Sky,' adds Mitchell Moinian of the property's developers, the Moinian Group. 'His ability to translate luxury experience into chic, functional design is evident throughout our amenity spaces, just as it is thoughtfully crafted into our David Rockwell model units.'

Construction for this impressive project has just been completed and residents have begun moving in.

For more information on the Rockwell Group visit the website

Photography: Ines Leong / archphoto

When NeueHouse first opened in New York in September 2013, it effortlessly spun the co-working space archetype on its head. Armed with elegant interiors courtesy of Rockwell Group, custom-designed office furniture, an in-house restaurant, broadcasting studio and a host of special programming, the community-oriented workspace seems more like a member’s club than an office.

The formula proved so successful that for its second location, which recently opened in Los Angeles, NeueHouse chose a seven-storey building, almost double the size of its Manhattan original. An icon in itself, the 1938 landmarked building was previously home to CBS’ radio and television studios until 2007 and designed in the international style by William Lescaze, a Swiss-born architect. It also happens to be steeped in media history; Orson Welles broadcasted radio programmes from there, while the pilot for Lucille Ball’s I Love Lucy was filmed on the premises.

Take an interactive tour of NeueHouse

Rockwell Group has reprised its role again here. Collaborating with NeueHouse’s in-house design studio, the firm has drawn from the site’s creative history and channeled it into a dynamic hub that will serve a growing breed of creatives and entrepreneurs in Los Angeles’ entertainment industry.

Thanks to an abundance of space, NeueHouse LA offers a full breadth of amenities. On the ground floor, a variety of work areas are carved out, along with the preservation of the building’s historic lobby, the addition of a coffee shop and cafe, plus a flower shop that will offer seasonal, freshly cut blooms. The working environments offer a range of privacy levels, from communal stations that facilitate collaboration, to secluded hideaways, clusters of meeting rooms and a listening room for more focused sessions.

In addition to preserving period features, such as original staircases and elevator dials, the two firms added white marble accents and board-formed concrete walls to break up the austere space. Moroccan rugs, which are strewn casually, reference the way modernist architects furnished and added warmth to their homes.

On the higher floors, beautifully composed office studio spaces are peppered with lounge areas and views of the Hollywood Hills and downtown LA. On the second floor, a library lounge decorated with vitrines filled with studio artifacts opens on to a sprawling terrace, where cabanas offer another work environment while making full use of the Californian climate. There’s yet another terrace on the third floor, best suited for hosting events.

The Paley Penthouse, an 18-seat boardroom named after CBS president William S Paley, might seem pretty hard to beat with its Bauhaus-inspired furniture, piano finished millwork and French doors, but the building’s real winning feature is Studio A – a two-storey theatre with bleacher seating that can be configured to host a variety of screenings or music events. 

INFORMATION

By membership only. For more information, visit NeueHouse's website

Photography: Emily Andrews

ADDRESS

NeueHouse
6121 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California

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A new partnership between the Fisher Brothers, Witkoff and New Valley - the developers behind 111 Murray Street - and BlueStar Jets is set to give a whole new meaning to the word 'luxury'. The development, a flared glass tower in New York's Tribeca planned to house over 150 residential units, has carved a rather unique deal with the on-demand private jet charter provider, and come 2018, the residents of 111 Murray Street will be able to receive exclusive access to private jets, helicopters, car service and hotels around the globe. 

A specially designed SkyCard available to tenants, 'will entitle them to a certain number of hours on any of BlueStar Jets 13,500 private planes or helicopters', explain the developers. This will be easily arranged via the building's concierge service. 

'At the touch of a button, residents of 111 Murray Street will be able to book private travel anywhere in the world,' says Steve Witkoff, chairman and chief executive officer of Witkoff. 'As developers, we're always looking for the next generation of service, amenities and luxury.'

Combining this with the scheme's modern design - the 800-ft tower is designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox with residential interiors by David Mann, luxury amenity interiors by David Rockwell and landscaping by Ed Hollander - and this surely makes 111 Murray one to watch.

From delicate and muted minimalism to eye-popping, era-hopping fancies, here are the designers who know how to mix, match, edit, illuminate, decorate and otherwise create sublime spaces… 

To celebrate our 200th issue, we decided to take our Power 100 and transform it into a meaty, two-ton Power 200; an upscaled calibration of design achievement. Or rather 100+100 (normal disservice will be resumed next year) – including the top 20 interior designers we who time and time and again create and compose the most seductive of spaces.

Kicking off our envy-inducing line up is the work of industry legends like Christian Liaigre, Dimore Studio, David Rockwell, Stéphane Parmentier and Roman & Williams. And it wouldn’t be a Wallpaper* celebration without a nod to minimalism, precise edits and arresting ideas. For that, we turn to Dorothee Meilichzon, Peter Marino, Chahan Minassian, Joseph Dirand and Gwenael Nicolas, the latter of whom is a Fendi favourite.

We’re not all about muted colours and clean lines though. India Mahdavi injects life through vivid hues and Mathias Kiss brings an artistic perspective to the table. And then, of course, there are those dedicate themselves to the world of hospitality, making those hotels and restaurants we can’t wait to visit and can’t bear to leave… Hong Kong-based Andre Fu, Toronto’s Yabu Pushelberg and London’s go-to man Martin Brudnizki, we’re blaming (and thanking) you.

Rounding off our selection of sumptuous space makers is queen rich materials Fiona Barratt-Campbell and big budget boho guru Francis Sultana. When the day is done and we need respite from the world or a cosy hideaway we turn to Ilse Crawford, Kelly Wearstler and Rose Uniacke, naturally. Who else?

See the Power 200 in full here

INFORMATION

See the Power 200 in full

Location has played a significant role in the Edition Hotels’ winning formula thus far, but it takes pride of place in the group’s New York iteration, which opens in Manhattan’s NoMad district this month. Housed inside the iconic Met Life Clock Tower, a landmark skyscraper built by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons in 1909, the storied structure was once the tallest in the city, until the Woolworth Building popped up. In its new life, the tower will house 273 rooms, including three 1,500 square foot penthouses on its 29th, 30th and 31st floors, offering rare views of the city. Hospitality legend Ian Schrager and architect David Rockwell have overseen the hotel’s design together, choosing to pay homage to a classic American aesthetic in both its guest rooms and communal areas. Each space is a blend of rich textures in neutral tones and dark wood that evoke the feel of a well-heeled apartment, of which the NoMad has many. Of course, it wouldn’t be an Edition without the eye-popping facilities; from the 39th Floor gym, which comes complete with two spa treatment rooms and a yoga studio, to the Jason Atherton-helmed restaurant and the all-important lobby bar, the Edition New York is somewhere all New Yorkers can call home.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

5 Madison Avenue

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The first thing you see as you walk into Chefs Club is a giant rock of suspended salt- Himalayan sea salt to be exact. Weighing in at an impressive 1,395 pounds, the conversation-starting art piece betrays the hand of designer Murray Moss, who has curated a number of works in the already engaging space. Conceived by Food & Wine magazine, together with Chefs Club USA, the restaurant promises the changing roster of rising American chefs a brightly lit stage in New York City. Located in the iconic Puck Building in Manhattan’s Nolita neighbourhood, the brick-walled restaurant with its cast iron columns, vaulted ceilings and sprawling windows has been given the David Rockwell treatment, to feature cosy midnight blue banquets, offset by marble countertops and brass details. Moss meanwhile has installed a wall of sketched portraits that showcase the culinary talents- a cheeky nod to the traditional American Italian eateries in the city. Equally exciting, the first cycle of chefs includes Food & Wine’s Best New Chef winners from Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland, to Linton Hopkins from Holeman & Finch Public House in Atlanta. All menus feature dishes created specifically for the restaurant.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

275 Mulberry Street
New York
USA

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Since designing the first ever W Hotel – the W New York – in 1998, David Rockwell and his team at the Rockwell Group have seen the brand’s portfolio swell to include almost thirty properties across the globe (or something that points to the global footprint). Along the way they’ve designed the landmark W Union Square and more recently, W’s newest retreat on the Caribbean island paradise of Vieques.

Click here to see more of W Retreat & Spa, Vieques Island

‘When you’re talking to a director the ideal input is to get an inspiration but not a prescription,’ says Rockwell, who also designs for theatre. ‘That’s how W is. They gave us a lot of creative autonomy, while expressing a desire for W Retreat & Spa - Vieques Island to be inspired by its unique local culture and context.’

The island’s landscape is wild and pristine – a 55 square mile tropical oasis surrounded by clear white beaches and lush greenery. Rockwell’s design concept celebrates the wilderness and the breezy informality of island living. ‘People go there to really get away,’ he says.

The incorporation of local materials, colours and themes was central. The entry pavilion is a grand, modern abstraction of a traditional Vieques home. A courtyard enveloped in thick green planted walls and roped canopies guide visitors through to the lobby, with its stunning views of the sandy coast and the turquoise sea beyond.

‘One thing we noticed throughout the island, on gateways to homes and on walls, is the beautiful use of metal grill work with specific types of patterning and scale,’ says Rockwell. The design team, led by Diego Gronda, incorporated the motif into the reception area, the hotel’s ‘living room’, and the signature restaurant and bar.

Other standout features include a 40-foot bookshelf made from blackened steel framing the living room area, and the two spectacular light fixtures above, crafted by Foscarini from bent white metal tubes.

But the ‘most special place’ at Vieques, in Rockwell’s opinion, is the property’s world-class spa. Set in a sunken garden on the edge of the ocean, the facility is comprised of six individual treatment villas, complete with pools, opulent communal areas and private outdoor showers. Two of the villas were designed slightly larger with couples in mind.

‘W understands the notion of the brand being consistent from location to location without being cookie cutter,’ says Rockwell. ‘The sense of luxury and informality at Vieques is quintessentially W – modern design, easy luxury, hand-craftsmanship, and the buzz of everything working seamlessly together.’