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Golden hour was descending on the downtown skyline as guests arrived at The Greenwich by Rafael Viñoly for the unveiling of the Artemest Penthouse in New York last Thursday. As the sun set on the 85th-floor model residence, the undulating glass orbs of Silvio Mondino Studio’s Dòry chandelier emitted a warm glow in the home’s main room. On the Galimberti Nino dining table, that amber light danced across a set of polished nickel-plated Petri Firenze candlesticks and La Fucina di Efesto’s Fiore vase. It’s here—at this poetic hour, with panoramic views of a shimmering Hudson River—that project designer MAWD’s vision for the Artemest Penthouse came to be.
“The biggest challenge—and the greatest incentive—in designing the penthouse was how the light continually changed from dawn to dusk,” says Elliot March, cofounder of the AD PRO Directory firm, who sought reflective accents that would “echo and toy with light throughout the day.” The directive also helped narrow his search on Artemest, the commerce platform dedicated to preserving Italian craftsmanship from which the penthouse’s furniture, lighting, and decor was sourced. Natural elements, from the oblong marble side table from Lithea to the nubby wool-upholstered Giopagani armchairs, balance the reflective finishes within the Artemest assemblage, which features the work of more than 55 artisans gleaned from 10 regions across Italy.
Indeed, the home was a grand tour of the country’s craftsmanship—and it drew an illustrious crowd. More than 240 architects, interior designers, and real estate developers turned up for the reveal, AD100 talents Shawn Henderson, John and Christine Gachot, and Young Huh Interior Design among them. Artemest founder and CEO Marco Credendino welcomed guests to the company’s first model residence in New York City, with warm remarks following from March; Mel Studach, senior editor at AD PRO; Stacy Spielman, director of sales at Douglas Elliman; and Niccolò Bizzi, chief commercial officer at Bizzi & Partners. Marveling at the Italian design on display was a lovely interlude between socializing and savoring eggplant parmigiana bites, mini steak tartare, and butternut squash timbale.
In conversation with Britt and Damian Zunino, the Studio DB founders shared how they had just wrapped a project in Italy in which they tapped Artemest’s design service for some on-the-ground support: “They were immensely helpful in making that project happen,” said Britt. Design principals from AD PRO Directory firms Meyer Davis, BoND, Jarvis Studio, and Clive Lonstein were also spotted throughout the Artemest Penthouse.
As the night went on, time’s only tell was the changing skyline view. The descending light sent dramatic shadows of the living room’s walnut Pacini & Cappellini bookcase and Enrico Pellizzoni bar cart gliding across the interior’s sand-colored walls. The glimmers on the nearby gold-leaf-adorned Provasi mirror had faded for the day. As March put it, “There is a person and a story behind every object—the design is deeply personal, expressive, and memorable.” Much like this evening itself.
