![an oculus in the grand hall of 550 Madison, with orange and red murals flanking it](https://interiordesign.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Interior-Design-Rockwell-Group-idx230401_roundup18-1024x599.jpg)
5 Giants of Design Craft Artful Interiors
Whether an apartment building in Massachusetts, a Vermont music hall, or a law office in Washington, five top firms infuse their work with the beauty and stimulation of art—and nature.
Marlboro Music Reich Hall in Vermont by HGA
After completing a series of residential buildings for this nonprofit classical music retreat nestled amid 360 verdant acres, the firm returns for a multifaceted encore that is harmonious with the area’s vernacular and environmental stewardship. Presenting as a simple cedar-clad Cape Cod–style cottage, the 12,000-square-foot hall encompasses three rehearsal rooms and an archive library, all outfitted with large, operable windows affording woodsy vistas, ceilings and paneling of locally sourced, acoustically sound white pine, and a passive solar-gains strategy.
See where HGA ranks on three of Interior Design‘s recent Giants of Design reports, including Top 100 Giants; Healthcare Giants; and Sustainability Giants.
Williams & Connolly in Washington by HYL Architecture
The 290,000-square-foot headquarters of a leading litigation firm exemplifies the consideration of setting and sustainability. Poised on the Potomac River, the interiors incorporate sweeping curves and Jae Ko’s Riverine, a commissioned artwork of swirling paper, both reflecting the motion of the water, while the project’s LEED Gold certification resulted from employing such Living Building Challenge–supporting natural materials as limestone, marble, and quartered walnut; daylight harvesting; and lighting controllability, public-transportation access, and a café addition providing healthy snacks for all staff.
See where HYL Architecture ranks on Interior Design’s Rising Giant report.
7INK in Boston by Elkus Manfredi Architects
Somewhere between an upscale dorm room and a boutique hotel is this 14-story rental property that offers Gen Z tenants “inclusive living,” meaning cooking classes in the communal kitchen, lounges, coworking, fitness facilities, and housekeeping services for the 180 furnished apartments. Even though marketed as affordable, an offbeat luxury pervades via white oak millwork, sophisticated wallpapers and lighting, Modernist- inspired furniture, and commissioned contemporary art, while a 15-foot scoreboard salvaged from the former Boston Garden brings local spirit.
See where Elkus Manfredi Architects ranks on three of Interior Design‘s recent Giants of Design reports, including Top 100 Giants; Hospitality Giants; and Sustainability Giants.
550 Madison in New York by Rockwell Group
A repositioning of this landmarked office tower, completed in 1984 by Philip Johnson and John Burgee as the AT&T headquarters, entails a new lobby by Gensler, an enlarged public garden by Snøhetta, plus 35,000 square feet of fitness and amenities spaces by this firm. Joining the latter’s café and lounge is a library and a billiards room encased in bleached European walnut, which surround the grand hall, a sunlit gathering spot featuring the original rose-window oculus, a custom chandelier in bronze and opal glass, and a pair of Dorothea Rockburne murals that bring the project’s total number of artworks by women to 13.
See where Rockwell Group ranks on Interior Design‘s Top 100 Giants and Hospitality Giants reports.
Finance office in San Diego by IA Interior Architects
Archways of quarter-cut American walnut nod to the region’s architecture at this 15,400-square-foot executive center, concepted during the early phase of the pandemic to radically reimagine and anticipate the future of workplace. Free-address desking; flexible collaboration rooms able to accommodate intimate gatherings as well as larger TEDx talks; and lounge and pantry spaces appointed with artworks by local and national creatives, mohair-upholstered seating, and recycled-content watercolor carpets blur the lines between client-hosting and employee zones.
See where IA Interior Architects ranks on three of Interior Design‘s recent Giants of Design reports, including Top 100 Giants; Healthcare Giants; and Sustainability Giants.
read more
Projects
6 Must-Visit Getaways Designed to Reflect Their Locales
Designers play with dichotomy and difference in creating getaways informed by their locales—from the Costa Rican jungle to Ontario’s lake country.
Research
Interior Design Unveils the 2023 Top 100 Giants
Interior Design unveils the Top 100 Giants of 2023. Research suggests the A&D industry is bouncing back after a challenging few years. See the stats.
Projects
A 1920s Home That Doubles as a Work of Art
Designer Alison Damonte did not hold back when updating this 1920s home, bringing to life rainbow stairs and bold geometries.
recent stories
Projects
6 Restaurants and Bars That Inspire Appetites and Awe
Across the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, a fresh crop of restaurants and bars is serving up truly innovative F&B design.
Projects
Immersive Design Greets Visitors in the Flogistix HQ
Rand Elliott Architects engages visitors in the mysterious world of Oklahoma tech company Flogistix with dramatic lighting and high-tech LED elements.
Projects
Inside a Historic Palace Turned Boutique Hotel in Italy
The striped facade of an Italian duomo inspired the renovation of the Palazzo Petrvs, a boutique hotel in Orvieto by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva Architetti.