Since launching his own practice in 2016, New York-based designer Giancarlo Valle has quickly evolved a distinct style that interprets history and craft in contemporary yet unexpected ways. With a variety of residential, commercial and hospitality projects that demonstrate this approach under his belt, as well as a growing product line, it was time for Valle to find a showroom space to exhibit his products, welcome visitors, and host events.
Giancarlo Valle Annex, Tribeca
When an opportunity arose to take over the former Patrick Parrish Gallery space at 50 Lispenard Street in Tribeca, a mere stone’s throw from Valle’s Canal Street studio, the team jumped at the chance. With soaring ceilings and a long narrow footprint typical of the cast-iron buildings in the area, the gallery encompasses 3,000 square feet across ground and basement levels. The designer’s intention is to use the space, named Annex, as an ever-evolving expression of his brand, which will slowly be updated, reorganised and added-to over time.
As with all of the studio’s projects, Valle and his team deeply researched the history of the neighbourhood from the outset, in order to gain contextual insights that could inform their approach to the interior design. Going back to pre-industrialized New York, they learned about the marshland origins and waterways that once occupied the stretch of land between what’s now Tribeca, Chinatown and City Hall. 'A lot of people don't know, but there used to be this huge pond called the Collect Pond in the middle of this area,' Valle tells Wallpaper*. 'And there was an entire little community built around it.'
Specifically, a small 18th-century dwelling recorded beside the pond caught the designer’s attention, and became the muse for the Annex interior. Based on a historic photo found in the New York City Library archives, Valle commissioned ceramic artist Matt Merkel Hess to create tiles for a fireplace surround that depict the house beside the pond. Also in keeping with this spirit, white clapboard panels line the walls of the upper floor, though arranged in a more haphazard pattern than would be traditionally. 'The idea was to recreate a clapboard house that’s very humble, but then blown up to an industrial-sized gallery space,' Valle says.
At the entrance to the Annex is a scale model of the space beyond, which demonstrates the studio’s love of creating physical models when designing interiors. Offering insights into the process used by Valle and his team, several more maquettes depicting past projects are presented throughout the gallery, which itself has been treated like a giant model of sorts. 'We wanted to treat [the Annex] as an extension of the way we design our projects,' Valle says. 'This is almost like a one-to-one model.'
Meanwhile, 'the ghosts of Patrick’s gallery layout' remain visible across the concrete floor, in reverence to its former life. Valle’s furniture pieces, many of which are fabricated locally, are overlaid through the space alongside vintage cast-iron vessels from Sweden and a variety of other early 20th-century antiques that the designer has amassed—many of which will be rehomed in future interior projects.
In the basement, where the ceiling height is much lower, cedar panelling accentuates the more intimate vibe. A central area is arranged like a living room, with soft seating positioned around a vintage Josef Frank table that’s topped with a historical map of the world. Models, material experiments, ceramics and sculptures are displayed on narrow shelves either side, while the ceiling is painted by artist Marion Kadi to evoke a stormy sky. At the back, a glazed sunroom hosts a metal bar counter that can double as a conference table. Pale green-grey stone covers the floor and lower portions of the walls, detailed with hand-painted 'rivets' that add a touch of whimsy.
Throughout the gallery, Valle plans to exhibit the work of other contemporary makers, slowly introducing them in the same way that he is gradually developing his own furniture range—as opposed to adhering to the typical cycle of seasonal or annual launches. The opening of the Annex also comes as Tribeca is experiencing a boom in design studios, showrooms and galleries. Valle this puts down to many 10-year leases expiring in the area at once, as well as a critical mass developing around the existing creative community. “There's an energy that seems to have shifted here and become more consolidated,” he says. “There’s always been some design studios around here, but it feels like it’s received an injection.”
Giancarlo Valle Annex is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday
50 Lispenard St
New York, NY 10013
