This month, 15 design professionals hailing across continents and sectors will evaluate the top projects in interior design right now. Learn more about each of them, below.
Alex Yang, partner and creative director at Moc Design Office
Partner and creative director at Moc Design Office in Shenzhen, China, Alex Yang holds a degree in environmental art and design, earning qualifications in architecture and engineering management. With a wealth of experience in the design field and a diverse range of interests, Yang brings a multifaceted perspective to projects. Throughout his career, he has actively contributed to and spearheaded the design of diverse projects, spanning hotels, cultural bookstores, brand showrooms and commercial spaces.
Andreas Weidner, head of retail at Silhouette Group
A brand, retail and interior design expert in the sport, fashion and premium and luxury industry, Andreas Weidner has a proven track record of maximizing store profitability and boosting the shopping experience through customer-centric retail concepts. After studying interior design in Mainz, he worked in various management positions at smart/DaimlerChrysler-Swatch, Montblanc, Adidas, Swarovski and most recently at Fissler in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He is currently the head of retail at Silhouette Group.
Anthony Gargiulo, senior vice president of design innovation and space transformation at Envision Group, Compass Group NAD
Having spent the past 30 years transforming the food and space experience in both Canada and the US, Anthony has extensive experience in all facets of the food service industry, design and space transformation. He leads a team of strategic thinkers and creators at Compass Group, who spearhead design innovation and space transformation. Gargiulo is driven by initiatives and innovations that put people and planet first – that focus on community, quality of life, meaningful work and a culture of care.
Cheng Gong, studio director of Snøhetta China
Cheng Gong is the studio director China of Snøhetta and one of the earliest members of the practice in the Asia. He recently established Snøhetta's new studio in Shenzhen. Gong plays an important role in Snøhetta's major Chinese projects, including the Shanghai Grand Opera House, Beijing City Library, Hangzhou Concert Hall, Jaeger-LeCoultre Shanghai flagship and several mixed-use commercial projects. He completed his education at Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles.
Gerrit Vos, founder of Workshop of Wonders
Gerrit Vos founded Workshop of Wonders in 1993 immediately after his architectural design studies at the HKU University of the Arts in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The interior design studio focuses on translating the DNA of their clients spatially into comfortable, highly functional and communicative interiors that often have a timeless quality. In 2009, Vos helped set up the Interior Design Master programme at the HKU – the first of its kind in the Netherlands.
Hilde Francq, founder of Francq Colours
Antwerp-based trendwatcher Hilde Francq is a colour pioneer. She started out as a marketing expert in the bicycle business, where she introduced intense colours and prints to children's bicycles. They were a huge commercial success. For Hilde, this was the proof of the immense power of colour. A fascination that ended up in a very own business: Francq Colours, specializing in trend reports, trend consulting, seminars, workshops and marketing advise for companies in various branches: from interior design over fashion to hospitality and retail.
Jacques Chevrant-Breton, UX lead and architect at Revalu
UX lead and architect at Revalu, a material database for architects, Jacques Chevrant-Breton is particularly interested in exploring tools, methods, and practices that can enhance both practice-based efficiencies and knowledge sharing, improving and supporting the development of not only the people that make up organizations but also more effective solutions. He has held numerous leadership and mentor-like positions, from being elected National President of the Student Organised Network for Architecture (SONA) to mentoring students within educational institutions and helping on-board employees.
Jing Ju, founder of JUJU Studio
Jing Ju is the founder of JUJU Studio, a New York-based spatial design practice creating both temporary and permanent spaces that push the boundaries of sensorial and immersive experiences. She is also the senior designer of global creative visual merchandising at Tiffany & Co. Throughout her career, Ju’s work has spanned various scales and creative disciplines, blending sculpture and architecture to create unique and exceptional brand experiences that are both functional and visually stunning.
Karim El-Ishmawi, managing director and cofounder of Kinzo
German architect and cofounder of international architecture and design firm Kinzo, Karim El-Ishmawi studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and the Technical University Berlin. He has been involved in many of Kinzo’s projects, for clients including Axel Springer, SoundCloud, Zalando, Universal Music and more. His work is characterized by attention to detail and ability to create spaces that are functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Mélanie Murata, founder and principal of Karu
Based between Los Angeles and Milan, Mélanie Murata is the founder and principal of architecture, interiors and collectible design studio Karu. She creates atmospheric and intellectually driven hospitality design projects and product collections. Murata has worked with some of the world’s most renowned firms in architecture, including Gensler, Lissoni & Partners and HBA. She holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s in interior architecture and design.
Pinar Harris, vice president and principal at SB Architects
With over 19 years of experience at SB Architects, Pinar brings a well-rounded perspective that has been instrumental to the firm’s strategic growth in the mixed-use and multi-family markets. At SB Architects, she’s focused on urban mixed-use, high-rise residential, destination resorts, and civic structures. From China to the Bahamas, her portfolio spans the globe, as she has helped the firm build strategic client relationships in developed and emerging regions. She is based in Miami.
Sheng Wang, founder and design director at Informal Design
Sheng Wang founded Shenzhen studio Informal Design in 2018. He focuses on the thinking and practice of the overall space design for brands and is good at integrating different fields with his collision of mind to form the diversified and mixed design methods. He hopes to break through traditional thinking to seek innovation based on brand, space and operation, and sticks to the combination of nature and space, as well as the in-site nature of design.
Sneha Divias, founder of Sneha Divias Atelier
Hailing from Portugal, Sneha Divias leads her namesake boutique architecture studio in Dubai, specializing in commercial, hospitality and residential projects. She holds a Master’s degree in architecture from the Lusiada University of Porto and has taken courses at the Delft University of Technology and Istanbul Technical University. After gaining experience as an architect, she furthered her skills in interior design at New York University.
Valentina Mariani, journalist and art curator
Valentina Mariani lives and works in London, corresponding for Italy’s Elle, Elle Decor and Harpers’ Bazaar, as well as working as an independent art curator and communication consultant for several clients in the design and art world. She is also the design and art editor at large for the Arab magazine HIA. Studying diverse disciplines in diverse countries, ranging from international management to creative journalism, provided her with the chance to explore different perspectives and gain a comprehensive understanding of how things operate on a global scale.
Wayne Turett, founder and principal at The Turrett Collaborative
Founder and principal of The Turett Collaborative in New York City, Wayne Turett leads a creative team with a design vision that has defined his work for nearly four decades. Turett plays an active role in all TTC design assignments and supervises the firm’s general operations. Engagement with the city and with his neighbours is a hallmark of his design work. Turett started TTC in 1991 as a truly collaborative enterprise: a multi-disciplinary office including architecture and interior design, graphics, custom product and furniture design.
