Designing the 21st Century

For French, New York–based interior designer Guillaume Coutheillas, reinventing the staged interior while working within some of New York’s most ambitious new residential skyscrapers became the point of departure for a remarkable career in interior design. Working at the intersection of real estate, architecture, and design has profoundly shaped both his professional identity and his creative vision. Collaborations with design galleries in New York and Paris deepened his knowledge of historical and contemporary objects and naturally led him toward creating interiors rich in meaning, narrative, and emotional resonance, where the object takes a central role. Coutheillas has established himself as a designer who approaches interiors as a form of storytelling, creating environments in which architecture, objects, materials, art, and memory come together to form acompelling and coherent whole. Growing up on Paris’s Left Bank in a family of art lovers shaped his sensibility and cultivated his taste from an early age. That lifelong engagement with art and design has enabled him to create spaces which are distinguished by an abilityto layer objects, materials, art, and design with both intellectual depth and emotional richness. As founder and creative director of frenchCALIFORNIA, Coutheillas has developed a distinctive language that brings together French refinement and American sensibilities. His close relationships with galleries, artists, designers, andmakers allow him to assemble interiors of exceptional character—spaces in which important objects are never merely decorative, but contribute to a larger narrative and a deeply personal sense of place.

We tend to marvel at architecture for its appearance, innovation, ideas, narratives,and the allure surrounding celebrated buildings and their architects. In his new documentary, Five Living Buildings by Renzo Piano ,Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jonathan Goodman Levitt approaches the work of the Italian architect from a very different perspective. Rather than focusing on anarchitectural language, materials, form, or composition, he explores how buildings by one of the most admired and influential architects of our time have come to shape the human experience, how they affect people emotionally andphysically. Traveling across continents, Goodman Levitt visits five of Piano’s buildings—in Greece, Uganda, New York, China, and Paris. Through his beautiful cinematography, he documents the interns, gardeners, doctors and patients, security guards, and visitors who inhabit these spaces, allowing them to describe how the buildings have affected their lives. The film illuminates architecture’s power to inspire, transform, and play a meaningful role in our everyday life. It encourages viewers to look at buildings differently, reminding us that architecture possesses an intimate dimension, even when it is monumental in scale—and that, ultimately, architecture is made for people. Above all, Goodman Levitt demonstrates that in Renzo Piano’s work, people come first.

Robert A.M. Stern, the architect who became synonymous with the affluent architecture of New York City and that of the seaside villages of the Hamptons, passed away on Thanksgiving. To remember him and to illuminatehis contribution to the story of architecture, I have invited renowned architecture critic and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Paul Goldberger. His tribute to Stern published in the New York Times shortly after his death is titled: "The Architect Who Designed New York City Like a 1930s Movie." To remember Robert A.M. Stern is to illuminatehis contribution to the story of architecture, I have invited renownedarchitecture critic and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Paul Goldberger. Histribute to Stern published in the New York Times shortly after his death istitled The Architect Who Designed New York City Like a 1930s Movie. To remember Robert A.M. Stern is to illuminatehis contribution to the story of architecture, I have invited renownedarchitecture critic and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Paul Goldberger. Histribute to Stern published in the New York Times shortly after his death istitled The Architect Who Designed New York City Like a 1930s Movie. To remember Robert A.M. Stern is to illuminatehis contribution to the story of architecture, I have invited renownedarchitecture critic and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Paul Goldberger. Histribute to Stern published in the New York Times shortly after his death istitled The Architect Who Designed New York City Like a 1930s Movie.

The Nakashima Foundation for Peace maintains the architecture and furniture collection which American-Japanese woodworker and architect George Nakashima created and built in New Hope, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most personal and memorable places I have ever visited: apowerful representation of Nakashima’s personal and design vision and of his life story. Now that the foundation has a special mission—to preserve the family home, a National Historic Landmark recognizedfor its innovative design and craftsmanship—I have invited Nakashima’s daughter Mira, now the creative director of the George Nakashima Woodworker, to learn about the legacy of her father, about the greatness of his design, and about theplan to restore the house. Nakashima built it in the 1940s, and it reflects his philosophy about integrating modernism with traditional Japanese principles, and his vision regarding woodworking and craftsmanship. Today, the Family Houseurgently needs help. Thanks to grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission , the Foundation has a comprehensive preservation plan that outlines the work needed to stabilize this important historical House.

My guest today has created some of the most beautiful houses in America. Perhaps I am biased, because if I ever build my own house, I know that Tom Kundig will design it. If he agrees Over the course of his four-decade career, he has built museums, wineries, universities, foundations, retail andcommercial buildings. But the touchstone of his work, and for what he became known, is the single-family house. His houses reflect his passion for the mountains, for the natural world, and for fine art. The private house to him, reflectthe sense of humanity in architecture. If to Le Corbusier the house was a machine to live in, toTom Kundig the house is a sculpture to live in and a place to experiment. His houses are also strongly connected to the landscape and to the surrounding nature in the most organic way, whether it is in an urban fabric or a house in the countryside. Urban or rural, his houses are a reflection of their place. Now that his new and comprehensive monograph—the definitive collection of his 462 residential works —has been published, it is time to explore what makes Tom Kundig’s houses so magical, memorable, and beautiful.

In recent years, there has been a great emphasis on the supreme beauty and quality of the handmade in contemporary design. I am confident that we are currently at the heights of a craft movement and it carries a particular 21st century identity, which combines traditional fabrications of craftsmanship with methods rooted in new technologies and materials. It is no longer a secret that bronze, which was largely absent from contemporary design in the years leading to the end of the past century, has taken a key role in contemporary design like no other time in history, with much of it being fabricated in Italy.Osanna Visconti, my guest today, has become the ambassador of Italian bronze in contemporary design. Working in Milan, she has made cast bronze her sole tool. Now that her work is exhibited at Maison Gerard in New York, the time has come to explore her incredible vocabulary by journeying from jewelry to furniture design; or, as she calls it, “jewelry for the home.”Her furniture has personality, and her objects have the power to transform contemporary spaces, making them a favorite among interior designers today. Visconti's pieces are rooted in the natural world as she regularly collects leaves, branches, and flowers, turning them into the primary subjects of her bronze objects.

Today I would like to discuss the level of furniture that can be found in shops and department stores. It is a sensitive issue that is rarely brought up in public but remains a hot subject in the architecture and design communities. I have heard people describe it as ordinary, mediocre, poorly made, and less inspiring and innovative than it has been at any other time in history. It should not be forgotten that furniture design has always had a tremendous impact on the taste of the time. In the 20th century, manufacturers were motivated in producing avant-garde furniture, and this why it became available to consumers. The Primavera department store in Paris, for example, was the source for high end Art Deco furnishings in the 1920s. American department stores Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and Abraham Strauss offered the American public the most up to date and daring furniture available. During the mid-century years, it was Herman Miller and Knoll that were famously investing and responsible for the some of the iconic furniture of the century. The Japanese department store Takashimaya was the source for art furniture in the 1950s, and it is particularly memorable for the benchmark exhibition of French design curated by Charlotte Perriand. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was Bloomingdales that became the lead tastemaker by exhibiting chic, fantastical space age furniture, brilliantly curated. What really happened to furniture design and why the best of it is found only in galleries and museums, but not in shops? For this discussion I invited Sami Reiss. He writes the bestselling newsletter Snake, covering auctions, design, vintage furniture and fashion. Sami’s articles have been published in GQ, the Wall Street Journal, ESPN and the New York Times.

Myron Goldfinger was an American architect who, during the height of his career in the 1970s and 1980s, devised a distinctive style in trophy homes for the rich powerful seeking to live in contemporary houses. He reinterpreted American vernacular architecture into an entirely new language that responded to the spirit of the time: the Disco Age. Inspired by Louis Kahn, his teacher at the University of Pennsylvania, Goldfinger was an architect of volumes. His houses were composed of bold compositions of cubes, cylinders, and triangular blocks. Like Kahn, he believed that only basic geometry has the power to achieve timelessness. His language was highly influential, with many other architects building in the suburbs around New York and in the Hamptons copying his style. Having grown up in a humble working-class environment in Atlantic City, Goldfinger said that he sought to create the type of glamourous houses that he never had. To remember Myron Goldfinger, who passed away in 2023, and to see how his legacy is preserved in the 21st century through fresh interpretation, I invited interior designer June Goldfinger, his widow and eternal partner, along with Kelvin Dickinson, President of the Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture.

As I am preparing to attend what is certainly the most anticipated architecture event of the year, Expo 2025 Osaka, I invited New Orleans architect Trey Trahan who created the American Pavilion as my guest today. The World Expo events, also known as World Fairs, have always showcased the most cutting-edge inventions of their time. Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 Paris Expo, and the Seattle Space Needle, for the 1962 Expo. It is where architecture is experimental, where it is shown at its best, where narrative and symbolism have been expressed in the built form. Expo Osaka has a particularly glorious legacy. In 1970, it was the first world fair held in Asia, featuring some of the most futuristic and visionary architectural expressions of their time. It was remembered by so many icons, including Isamu Noguchi’s series of floating fountains. Expo 2025 Osaka is no less exciting. The American Pavilion comes to enable visitors to experience the American spirit. The innovation, culture, and industry of the country, as well as contemporary themes of sustainability, space exploration, education, all shine a light on what makes the American experience so special and wonderful.

If you are a New Yorker, even if you are not interested in architecture, you should certainly know the name of architect Rosario Candela. In the 1920s, Candela shaped Manhattan with the most celebrated and influential apartment houses of the time, which would become the crown jewels of the New York’s skyline. In fact, even a century later, these are still the most desired, legendary, the most luxurious buildings in New York.While you won’t find Candela’s name in the classical books on 20th century architecture, this gifted architect, an Italian immigrant who graduated from Columbia in 1915, invented the visual built fabric of residential Manhattan. While creating the best apartment houses in history—majestic, with formal galleries, grand scale rooms, high ceilings, and perfect classical proportions—he gifted New Yorkers a unique collective memory. They are the ultimate expression of New York living, capturing all of what we think of as classic New York.A new book titled Rosario Candela and the New York Apartment was recently published, and I invited its author David Netto here today. David is a design connoisseur, writer, and interior designer who has cultivated an expertise in art, design, and architecture history, as well as a keen eye for historic buildings.

Sebastian Errazuriz is an artist and activist who celebrates design’s presence in every part of our life. He works with many disciplines. He is a craftsman, thinker, and creator who makes beautiful objects and fun things but also making provocative statements. His work is bold, ambitious, and experimental, touching on his own personal experience while connecting to the spirit of the age. It is always surprising, unexpected, and exciting, and if you know how to read it, you will discover layers and layers of meanings. They include themes of morality, religion, political and social statements, and the discovery of design as an agent of change. To Sebastian, design is a means of communication, questioning, and as a way to engage with the world. He is a brilliant storyteller, and today I am having him as my guest to speak about those stories and about how he conveys them in social media. While the world of design is currently struggling with the changing modes of Instagram, wandering between reels and posts, and navigating between AI and the authentic while questioning what makes Instagram influencers successful, it seems that he found the right formula.

I am a long-time admirer of the work of architecture firm Sawyer Berson because I can see myself living in every one of the houses they create—every apartment, every interior, and every garden. Their homes, whether modernist, Federal, or traditional, are always so airy, beautiful, chic, and inviting. They are dazzling in their elegance as they make your heart drop, because Sawyer Berson have mastered all fields of architecture. Their homes are thoroughly researched, beautifully executed, and meticulously furnished to the smallest detail, with landscapes that are simply divine. They have famously created homes for stars, but it is lesser known that they have also built community gardens for Bette Midler’s NY Restoration Project and the kitchen garden for the God’s Love We Deliver which provides meals for the needy. Brian Sawyer, co-founder of the firm, is my guest today. He received his Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Virgina and worked with the Central Park Conservancy in restoration projects before joining Robert AM Stern, rising to the head of the landscape architecture department.

The design world has lost one of its most important and brilliant legends. Gaetano Pesce died last month at 84, leaving an enormous legacy behind. During his six-decade career, he held a special position in contemporary art and design; always remaining provocative, surprising, and interesting. He was an architect by training, but devoted his life and career to design, creating innovative furniture and objects that were at times eccentric, at times radical, and always colorful. They may appear to be playful and whimsical at first, but if you know how to read them, you’ll find that they are filled with social, political, and contemporary narratives. Participating: Marc Benda and Sara di Gangi. Follow Daniella Ohad: Facebook Instagram

Have you ever asked yourself what is the lifespan of furniture copyright? Whether design objects are protected as intellectual property? As the market becomes flooded with copies and fakes, and the web is filled with design masterpieces of the past, poorly produced and sold inexpensively, this question has become more and more relevant. Mark Masiello knows the answer. He founded a company called Form Portfolios and its mission is to preserve, guard, and advance furniture through licensed reeditions.

Frank Gehry, the architect we all love to love. Even since he completed his Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997, Gehry became a favorite architect by everyone. By the public, by architects, and by the architecture criticism community, a true celebrity, who turned architecture into popular enterprise, and at 70, Gehry launched a second and super successful chapter of his long career, the leading architect of the millennium. Jean-Louis Cohen, the award-winning French architect, architectural historian, and curator, has published the latest monograph on Gehry, which comes to illuminate some of his best buildings.

Recent years have witnessed a growing attention to the study of female artists, architects, designers and their contribution to the story of modern design. Jane Hall’s book Woman Made: Great Women Designers comes to tell the story of 200 pioneering female designers from 50 countries, who have worked in the past 100 years in furniture, textiles, and lighting design. Some helped shaping the industry, some made history, some created work that has been recognized as groundbreaking despite difficulties to express their voices, and together they formed an enormous body of work created exclusively by women.

Swiss industrial designer and innovator Yves Behar has created a global and influential career in product design always fusing design, technology, and sustainability. He has worked with endless brands in various industries and the products he created throughout his career are the topic of a new monograph Designing Ideas, published by Thames and Hudson. It brings us to the forefront of the world of industrial design, where robots, technologies, futuristic solutions, and new materials have pushed the field to its 21st-century identity.

The Billionaire’s Row is a series of ultra-luxury tall residential towers built along 57th street, turning the area into Manhattan's new center of developments. Each one of these towers was designed by a star-architect, and they have come to offer a new way of New York lifestyle. Architecture critic Martin Filler has published a remarkable article in the New York Review of Books, where he analyzes the politics, zoning, aesthetics, and everything that has made this phenomenon possible.

The Carnegie Museum of Art has opened a new show that comes to celebrate and define current architecture through the work of 10 practices from around the world. The exhibition is called The Fabricated Landscape, and it explores some innovative minds working in contemporary architecture today. What defines the projects is not a common style, but rather relationships, to local communities, to natural environments, awareness of cultures, but also cutting edge perceptions and sustainable solutions.

Tom Kundig is a partner in the award-winning firm Olson Kundig Architects, based in Seattle. I have discovered his incredible, immaculate, elegant houses years ago and fell in love. Tom's buildings are engaged with their landscape, and their strong relationship with nature has come to define their identity because context is highly meaningful to him.