RR Interiors’ latest furnishing project – 61A at 53 West 53 – highlights art, architecture and city views inside Jean Nouvel’s monumental New York skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan

Living space at 61A. Artwork, clockwise from top left: Elizabeth Ibarra, Ladee Skipping, 2021. Jasper Johns, Flag I. Chen Obogado, Untitled, 2021. Cameron Platter, Untitled (Slush 16), 2017. TJ Boh, Untitled (oil and wax on paper No. 030), 2020. TJ Bohm, Untitled (oil and wax on paper No. 074), 2020. Ross Iannatti, E.C.E no. 34, 2016. Elizabeth Ibarra, Roadrunner Ladee, 2021. Image credit: Evan Joseph

Taking her cues from MoMA’s outpost, which sits next door to this 82-storey skyscraper, Rebecca Robertson of New York design studio RR Interiors has crafted a new composition for one of the apartments inside Jean Nouvel’s iconic 53 West 53. Making the most of the building’s Thierry Despont interior design, Creative Art Partners’ (CAP) art curation, and the slender, eye-catching architecture of the Nouvel-designed building, this newly released, carefully considered residence is a real showstopper.

53 West 53, which reaches 1,050 ft high, is defined by its height, and its external collection of tapered glass façades and crisp edges. Featuring an exposed structural system, which translates visually into reflective surfaces with distinctive diagonal beams over the grid of windows, the building balances Nouvel’s expressiveness and the iconic New York cityscape. Meanwhile inside, luxurious residences meet amenities that span 30,000 sq ft, including a restaurant, sports and library facilities, vertical gardens designed by botanist Patrick Blanc, and the 53W53 Wellness Center.

The environment’s powerful art and architecture have guided the decisions made by RR interiors in apartment 61A. This is combined with CAP’s artistic vision, which brings together abstract swathes of colour by Gracie DeVito, Flora Hauser’s minimalist landscapes, and modernist sculptures sourced by the curators. The impressive overall collection of artworks in this project comprises a striking 34 original pieces originating from 12 different countries.

The extensive views towards the New York skyline were also key to the internal composition in this expansive, 3,670 sq ft home. North-, east- and west-facing windows overlook the greenscapes of Central Park, as well as the surrounding architecture of the city. The diagonal supporting beams create varied angles in the living and bedroom views, cutting shapes and framing the landscape. Robertson worked with these vistas to select the products and furniture used inside, and describes how the team wanted 61A’s interiors to feel ‘like a bird’s nest in a tree, using soothing tones and gentle curves’, contrasting with the more structured city view. 

Further contrasts elevate the space when the gaze turns inwards. The elongated curve of a custom RR Interiors travertine dining table and the soft edges of the chairs in the living space are balanced neatly by the geometric angles of a Thierry Despont coffee table.

A variety of textures across the furnishings, spanning grasscloth, alpaca wool and silks alongside rich, warm wood, offer softness and comfort. Custom lighting by Despont for Schwinghammer, Dornbracht nickel bathroom fixtures and a marble-topped kitchen by Molteni are amongst the design-led, luxurious fittings in the home – making this an artfully curated, highly refined New York apartment. §

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