Project Name: Park Avenue Triplex

Location: New York

Date Completed: 2016

Architect: Frank Alcock

Interior Designer: Amy Lau

The client’s Upper East Side triplex was not always the clean-lined backdrop to the couple’s museum-quality art and design collection that it is today. Designed in the 1920s by prestigious architect James E.R. Carpenter, every corner of this esteemed Lenox Hill building is adorned with neo-Renaissance architectural details, and this triplex is no exception. Impressed by the incredible light and soaring ceilings, the clients recognized the potential in the space and knew this would be the ideal setting for their lively family to call home.

Determined to find a way to blend the existing framework with their unique tastes and lifestyle, the client asked her brother, architect Frank Alcock, to conceptualize the initial vision for the home, which included distilling the existing structural elements down to their purest expression. They immediately set to work on the transformation of the space, collaborating with Peter Guzy of Asfour Guzy Architects to create a new visual interpretation of the storied history of the building that seamlessly incorporates both the needs of an active family with four children and the couple’s love for entertaining.

The clients have been involved in the arts in many capacities throughout the years, including major philanthropic efforts in collaboration with Carnegie Hall and MoMA. A creative talent in her own right, one of the clients designs her own jewellery line giving her a deep understanding of and appreciation for the design process. Through their combined interests in the arts, the couple has amassed an impressive and diverse collection of works ranging from pre-Columbian antiquities to conceptual pieces by contemporary masters and legends, such as Damien Hirst, Liam Gillick and Vik Muniz. Amy Lau Design worked closely with the clients to curate a home that highlights these meaningful works of art by closely studying the forms, colours and textures presented throughout the collection to use as inspiration for designing pieces in a parallel visual language.

The client has a particular interest in Latin American art, both primitive and contemporary. Some of her favourite pieces in the collection, works by Diego Rivera, Wilfredo Lam and Roberto Motta, are highlighted in the living room. Through close study of the collection, Amy and the client thoughtfully designed furnishings and selected fabrics that would complement these masterpieces, while also presenting a unique story of their own. Grounding the room is the largest bespoke Hechizoo Textiles rug ever created, which under Amy’s direction was hand-woven into a custom colour-blocking design using a combination of indigenous Colombian fibres mixed with metal and nylon filaments.