Thierry W. Despont Architectural Studio

While Thierry Despont (1948 - 2023) was best-known for his architectural practice—for his integral role in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, his re-imagining of the Ritz in Paris, and the interiors of the Getty Center (as well as for his notable private clients like Bill Gates and Calvin Klein)—he was also an accomplished painter, sculptor, author, and furniture maker. 

In his furnishings, often made as one-offs or in small editions, there can be seen evidence of his encyclopedic knowledge of design. He drew inspiration from (and often improved upon) a wide variety of elegant or ingenious works by the many historically important furniture makers he revered. 

This extra-long sofa & two matching toffee-colored leather armchairs graced the architect's office in New York. Inspired by the iconic 1930 design of Jean-Michel Frank, they are nevertheless much larger than Frank's pieces, in keeping with the monumental scale of Despont's residential projects. The superior quality leather is soft to the touch.