PROJECT INFO
Size (tbc)
Completion date 2024
Client Club Quarters
Designer/architect Holloway Li
London-based design studio Holloway Li has designed a relaxed and refined interior for Branch, a private members’ club.
Located six storeys up in the Park Terrace Hotel on Bryant Park, a David Chipperfield-designed building completed in 2021, the member’s club lounge was imagined as a gathering space for local creatives and young professionals.
The clients’ brief focused on infusing vibrancy into the previously understated interior. The studio’s response was one of curated intimacy – introducing an arrangement of seating clusters that animate the open-plan space, leaning into the formal language of columns to shape an environment that balances work and socialising, while encouraging spontaneous encounters.
Holloway Li worked in collaboration with the trade team from Aram, to curate a selection of classic European pieces that complement the interior’s timeless aesthetic.
‘We wanted to infuse this very North American proportioned space with classic European designs,’ says Alex Holloway, creative director at Holloway Li.
Selected furnishings include Eileen Gray’s Bibendum Chair, Zanotta’s William Sofa, and the Acerbis Sheraton Sideboard in a dark green glossy lacquered finish, selected to echo the clean lines and materiality of the space. The selection strikes a balance between heritage and modernity.
Fluted timber detailing along the banquettes subtly recalls the spines of stacked books, while shelving cloaked in a green velvet evokes the hushed opulence of a reading room.
‘We chose to introduce aged brass table lights by New York-based designer Thomas O’Brien to cast a warm, intimate glow throughout the space – an intentional homage to the timeless allure of classic library reading lamps,’ adds Holloway Li project designer Grey Grierson.
Holloway Li looked to complement the existing terrazzo columns designed by Chipperfield, which showcase the diverse aggregates of stone varieties found in the neighbouring buildings’ façades. As such, the studio clad the new bar in a green terrazzo that provides a subtle contrast to the more muted backdrop, and a punchier green and black base colour is used for the terrazzo tabletops. Suspended above the bar, a series of chandeliers illuminate the lofty space, their antique brass petals casting a warm, ambient light.
Holloway Li invited the outdoors in with lush planters that nod to Bryant Park, while a series of back-to-back seating booths upholstered in soft green velvet and bouclé blend with the botanical surroundings.
Holloway Li’s vision for Branch reflects a wider shift in hospitality design – an increased demand for dynamic, hybrid spaces that play host to different atmospheres throughout the day. By day, the seating is relaxed and tranquil, but as evening descends, the bar becomes the central focus.
Drawing inspiration from the double-height and dual- aspect views across the road to the New York Public Library, the design weaves together greenery, classic mid-century furnishings, and polished details, creating an interior that feels connected to its surroundings.
