craig benton nealy / aia ncarb

craig benton nealy / aia ncarb

craig benton nealy offers

complete architecture and interior

design services as well as master

planning, graphic and branding

services. the firm is active in the

United States, Western europe,

the gulf States, and South asia.

craig nealy, the firm’s founder,

is a registered architect with over

twenty-five years of experience

and a global reputation for design

excellence. His academic

background includes two

degrees in architecture from

cornell University and a Fulbright

Scholarship in rome. He was

a visiting artist at the american

academy in rome and taught

architectural design and theory

at yale University. Mr. nealy is

represented in the Museum of

Modern art’s graphic design

collection.

craig nealy has worked in eleven

countries and is a recognized

leader in the world of innovative

design. the firm distinguishes

itself by establishing close

working relationships with each

and every client. an ongoing

dialogue is an intrinsic part of

the firm’s working methodology

so that client requirements are

impeccably met and the design

work remains unique and of

unparalleled quality.

FirM / DeScriPtion

DESiGn / PHiloSoPHy

our inspiration comes from the

masters of 20th century modern

architecture and design. in the

work of louis Kahn, Mies van der

rohe, and le corbusier one finds

architecture nearly a century old

which looks as fresh today as it

did on the day construction was

completed. this architecture’s

timelessness lies in its seeming

effortlessness.

like any accomplishment of

magnitude, the work involved is

considerable, as it distills a broad

spectrum of ideas. Japanese and

chinese architecture and design,

the latter from the Sung Dynasty in

particular, provide us with further

guidance and are apparent in

our work.

our intent is to create volumes

and spaces which lie outside time

to the greatest extent possible.

our work is immune to the ebb

and flow of fashion. Fashion is by

its nature a function of time.

We by nature occupy a plane of

awareness apart.

Within this timeless realm we

strive to create a transformation

of consciousness, however subtle.

We focus on positive shifts: to

pleasure, to wonder, to comfort,

to serenity.

hotEl / SanctUary aHMaDabaD

this select service hotel was one

of three properties designed for

sites in ahmadabad, Jaipur and

trivandrum in india. the buildings

are sustainable: their glazed

exterior walls greatly reduce solar

heat gain through low-e coatings

and the employment of a ceramic

frit. Palm groves on the roof and

around the buildings’ bases

off-gas oxygen and consume

the carbon dioxide of automobile

exhaust. the reflecting pools at

the base of each structure have

sinks that harvest monsoon

water in tanks below grade

for use during the dry months.

inside, reception, a shop, the

lobby lounge and the dining

room are all one space and

mixed use, encouraging guests

to socialize. the finish materials

are architectonic yet low cost;

an innovative lighting system

transforms the spaces at

different times of day.

hotEl / SanctUary lobby loUnge

hotEl / SanctUary all Day Dining rooM

hotEl / SanctUary gUeSt rooM

hotEl / HaleKUlani vera Wang SUite

this 1500 square foot suite at

the Halekulani was branded vera

Wang and is “all about the bride”.

the crescendo of the space is

the all white bed, featuring

passmenterie by vera and a

mirror found in Palm beach that

reflects a spectacular view of

Diamond Head. the custom

furnishings and fixtures all allude

to the Hawaiian islands and the

Pacific region, where many of the

guests of the Halekulani live. this

is underscored by the statue of

quan yin that greets the guest in

the suite’s foyer upon her arrival.

hotEl / HaleKUlani vera Wang SUite living rooM

hotEl / HaleKUlani vera Wang SUite aMenitieS

hotEl / river benD lobby loUnge

this hotel study, done at

JcJ architecture, is for a

contemporary 5 star hotel which

takes cues from fine art for its

decorative motifs. the lobby

features interwoven wood panels

and a large tapestry hand loomed

in the style of Harry bertoia. the

Japanese restaurant occupies a

spectacular, skylit three story

space and is accented by artwork

from the russian constructivist

school. the French restaurant

takes Monet’s giverny paintings

as inspiration. the rooms

themselves feature classic italian

lighting by achille castiglioni,

designed in the 1960s.

hotEl / river benD all Day reStaUrant

hotEl / river benD Fine Dining

hotEl / river benD gUeSt rooM

hotEl / SotHeby’S neW yorK Foyer

this restaurant, located in

Sotheby’s new york

Headquarters, was designed to

offer respite from the frenetic

pace of the auctions going on in

the building above it. inspired by

a gentleman’s club, the

restaurant has a bar of backlit

alabaster and custom lighting,

furniture and carpet. the foyer

has a screen of east indian

laurel and the dining room is

wrapped in a channel tufted

palomino leather bar.

hotEl / SotHeby’S neW yorK bar

hotEl / SotHeby’S neW yorK Dining rooM

hotEl / Pierre Hotel MUgHal Urn

this competition entry was done

when the taj Hotel group took

the hotel over in 2007. research

unearthed the buildings design

drawings from the 1920s, which

describe its original english

regency interior. our proposal

was to restore the original

cardroom lobby and other spaces

using that vocabulary, but

inserting indian iconography into

it. these anglo-indian regency

spaces are set off by a series of

completely modern rooms,

including two bars and the Fifth

avenue entrance to the hotel.

hotEl / Pierre Hotel lobby

hotEl / Pierre Hotel lobby bar

hotEl / Url Hotel entrance

this hotel design was created

for a developer interested in

celebrating the vitality,

sensuality and ambition of new

york city. this, combined with the

constantly evolving

technological infrastructure that is

a key engine of Manhattan

commerce, were expressed in

the hotel’s fusion of hypermodern

form and idiosyncratic textures

and surfaces.

hotEl / Url Hotel lobby

hotEl / Url Hotel gUeSt rooM

hotEl / granD Hyatt MUMbai

the large retail atrium at the

grand Hyatt Mumbai was

resplendent in polished granite

and curved storefronts following

the contours of its oval shape in

plan. it had no tenants however.

We noticed the fact that there

was nowhere for families to

gather and wait for shoppers.

our proposal just finished the

space with furniture and a

carpet, and included food and

coffee service. the atrium is fully

tenanted, and the space one of

the hotel’s most popular.

hotEl / carlyle SUite Foyer

this apartment was designed for

the fashion photographer Wayne

Maser in the carlyle Hotel.

a mixture of shopped and

custom furniture populates the

three rooms. the foyer was

completely upholstered in white

muslin. the carpet and walls

are monochrome beige. called

“l’amourl’apres midi” by aD

France, the apartment has a

laconic air.Furniture by Florence

Knoll, Serge Mouille, toyo ito,

Paul Kjerholm and Jean Michel

Frank mixes with a custom

silk tufted headboard and

linen roman shades to make a

space that combines distinction

and anonymity. a projection

television throws images onto

a blank wall in the living room.

in the studio, a venetian glass

parsons table stands in relief

against a custom work space of

ebony and polished nickel and a

gio Ponti chair.

hotEl / carlyle SUite StUDy

hotEl / carlyle SUite beDrooM

StorE / oPtx rHoDe iSlanD Selling tableS

optx rhode island is a luxury

eyewear store attached to an

ophthalmologic practice in

Johnston, ri. Part waiting room,

part retail space, the design

conveys a sense of drama and

excitement using utilitarian and

durable finishes. a variety of

display systems create micro

environments within the store,

enabling display of the small

product by brand. Seated

try-ons encourage the purchase

of multiple pairs of glasses; a vip

try-on is used by the store’s best

customers. craig nealy also

designed the logo, packaging,

website and the first season’s

ad campaign for the facility.

StorE / oPtx rHoDe iSlanD Selling tableS

StorE / loUiS vUitton SHangHai

the iconic French luxury goods

house called upon us to continue

the work craig nealy started

at Peter Marino. twelve stores

were created for the house in

five years. located in bal Harbor,

Palm beach, chicago, las

vegas, San Diego, carmel, banff,

Hamburg, Sydney, Melbourne,

Hong Kong, and Shanghai. each

of these takes the language craig

developed with Mr. Marino and

creates theme and variation of

these elements. economies were

also devised through a redesign

of the standard light fittings area

rugs throughout.

StorE / S t DUPont SHangHai

Won as the result of an invited

competition by Dickson Poon,

this project created boutiques

for the brand’s iconic lighters,

pens and ready to wear in

Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai,

taipei, and Dubai. a palette of

French polished walnut, venetian

plaster and terrazzo strikes a

balance of simplicity and luxury,

supplemented by rugs tufted to

depict algorithmic diagrams and

curved, retro freestanding

vitrines.

StorE / S t DUPont SHangHai Plan

StorE / S t DUPont SHangHai loUnge cHairS

StorE / loUiS vUitton bal Harbor

the iconic French luxury goods

house called upon us to continue

the work craig nealy started

at Peter Marino. twelve stores

were created for the house in

five years. located in bal Harbor,

Palm beach, chicago, las

vegas, San Diego, carmel, banff,

Hamburg, Sydney, Melbourne,

Hong Kong, and Shanghai. each

of these takes the language craig

developed with Mr. Marino and

creates theme and variation of

these elements. economies were

also devised through a redesign

of the standard light fittings area

rugs throughout.

StorE / FaceS DUbai

this multibrand cosmetics,

skincare and fragrance store

is skewed to a feminine

sensibility. Fragrance displays

line the perimeter walls. in the

center is a makeup area with a

fashion show/movie set vibe and

glamour. this zone is flanked

with the cosmetic and skincare

barges that house product for

makeover and sales. immediately

beyond this is an area for

skincare demonstrations, housed

within an oval space swathed

in voile. Floor to ceiling glass

makes the entire store visible to

shoppers outside.

StorE / SUlKa MaDiSon avenUe

this menswear store has a

longtime product offer of

european tailored men’s clothing

rendered in classic style with

luxurious fabrics. the street level

of the boutique offers sportswear

in rooms clad with French

polished anigre. a helical stair

leads to a cherry clad enfilade

of rooms offering Sulka’s iconic

dressing gowns, shirts and

neckties, suits and haberdashery.

StorE / SUlKa SPortSWear

StorE / SUlKa loUngeWear

StorE / viSion exPreSS MacyS HeralD SqUare

this 600 sf eyewear boutique,

our first, is located in Macy’s

Herald Square. the atmosphere

is cool and modern, with 600

skus in secure vitrines around the

store perimeter. Seated selling

was a first for this brand in this

location, and resulted in an uptick

in sales of 40 percent.

StorE / S t DUPont ave Montaigne

Won as the result of an invited

competition by Dickson Poon,

this project created boutiques

for the brand’s iconic lighters,

pens and ready to wear in

Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai,

taipei, and Dubai. a palette of

French polished walnut, venetian

plaster, and terrazzo strikes a

balance of simplicity and luxury,

supplemented by rugs tufted

to depict algorithmic diagrams

and curved, retro freestanding

vitrines.

StorE / S t DUPont ave Montaigne rtW

StorE / S t DUPont ave Montaigne viP tryon

StorE / SaKS briDal DUbai

this bridal Salon in the hyper luxe

Saks burjumon is housed in a

glass cylinder that is embedded

in the facility’s perimeter wall.

a sculpture created to resemble

snow-frosted tree branches found

in northern climates is the central

feature of the space. it creates an

arc descending from the space’s

glass roof to a point just above

the head of the bride when she

stands in front of the full length

mirror for the first time, acting like

a vast, floating crown. lounge

seating is arranged behind her for

her family. the decorative motifs

of the space recall stylized branch

forms.

StorE / tag HeUer MaDiSon avenUe

this store concept for tag Heuer

invokes the glamour of futurist

travel. the store superstructure

is inspired by the interior of

private aircraft. Satin stainless

and carrara marble are

juxtaposed in the main cabin.

the vip try-on area at the back

has quilted leather banquettes

mounted on cast-in-place

concrete. cast resin vitrines

throughout the store showcase

the product; stop-action videos

of sporting events sponsored by

tag run continuously on screens

at the stores south wall.

StorE / tag HeUer MaDiSon avenUe Plan

hoME / boMbay PentHoUSe living rooM

this five bedroom, seven

bathroom apartment is located

on the 54th floor of the

imperial, considered the most

exclusive apartment tower in

Mumbai. completed in 2012,

the apartment was voted “best

in asia” by the MSbc property

awards in 2011 and 2012 and is

owned by cyrus Mistry, chairman

of the tata companies.

the entry provides access to a

double-height living room

fronted with a curved balcony

on the apartment’s upper level.

the living room fronts a two story

glass wall and a 600 square foot

terrace.

the entry level’s public rooms:

living, library, dining and foyer-

are finished in pale neutral colors

to bring the sky into the interior

spaces. White polished

cararra marble slab floors are set

off by white venetian plaster on

the vertical surfaces. cerused oak

and wenge furniture is paired with

upholstered pieces covered in

archival indian textile patterns.

a curated collection of vintage

bollywood photography and

perimeter rooms all done in vivid

jewel tones at the perimeter of the

apartment recall the vivid

spectacle of urban life in the city

below.

hoME / boMbay PentHoUSe SWiMMing Pool

hoME / boMbay PentHoUSe library

hoME / boMbay PentHoUSe beDrooM

hoME / boMbay PentHoUSe beDrooM Detail

hoME / boMbay PentHoUSe batH

hoME / ScarSDale HoUSe

this 6000 gsf house was created

for the dancer Jamie bishton

on a site in Westchester county.

very refined and rustic surfaces

are juxtaposed within a modern

idiom throughout the project.

hoME / cocHin HoUSe living rooM

this 2100 sf apartment is in a

complex built in cochin for the

large nri market there. Keralans

have a fondness for color and

contrast in addition to a deep

reverence for nature. Here,

every one of the six rooms is

punctuated by a single saturated

hue surrounded by neutral tones

and colors. Statuary and artwork

of western origin, wall treatments

and accessories gesture to east

asia, gold leaf surfaces speak to

the indian affection for opulence.

hoME / cocHin HoUSe batH

hoME / cocHin HoUSe beDrooM

hoME / olyMPic toWer aPt Foyer

this 12oo sf simplex apartment

was created for the president of

vera Wang. an avid collector of

museum quality mid 20th century

French furniture, he requested

a refined and neutral palette of

ivory honed limestone and hand

finished wall pigment. custom

upholstered pieces by craig

nealy for Jansen set off andre

arbus chairs and gueridons from

the 1820s.

a large dressing area finished

entirely in Sycamore timber and

veneer panels has a low key

luxury. the custom master bath

has asatin stainless steel and

carrara marble palette set off by

storage compartments finished

in beveled mirror.

hoME / olyMPic toWer aPt living rooM

hoME / olyMPic toWer aPt DreSSing rooM

hoME / olyMPic toWer aPt batH

hoME / WeSt enD HoUSe living rooM

this 1600 sf Manhattan residence

was designed for an active family

of three. it is really a storage

system; every wall is thick with

concealed cabinets which contain

the family’s belongings. in the

living room, a wall of cross grain

strie panels trimmed with anigre

conceal a home office, flat screen

television and winter clothes,

while in the master bedroom,

a wall to wall armoire dresses up

a large closet.

in the master bath, beige crackle

glazed tiles line the walls of

both the sink and bathing

compartments. a matelassé floor

to ceiling shower curtain adds

a touch of glamour. all of the

furniture was designed by craig

nealy for the apartment with

the exception of a 17th english

lounge chair and a table by tH

robesjohn-gibbings. the photos

are by chris beard.

hoME / WeSt enD HoUSe KitcHen

hoME / WeSt enD HoUSe batH

architEcturE / g t toWer Manila

this 50 story building was

designed at Kohn Pedersen Fox

associates.

located in Makati city, the tower

has a skin that wraps its entire

volume, “cracking open” at the

primary corner to reveal its inner

volume. the skin culminates in

a ten story blade at the tower

crown, creating the skyline

signature which makes this one

of the Philippines most iconic

towers.

the base volume has been

pulled off the building columns

to create a covered plaza at the

corner. a thirteen story lobby

reached via escalator has a

sculpture by craig nealy and

offers views of ayala avenue

and the plaza three stories

below.

architEcturE / g t toWer baSe

architEcturE / g t toWer lobby

architEcturE / MetrobanK HeaDqUarterS

this project won a international

competition for a new

headquarters project to be

built on reclaimed land as

part of a mixed use project.

the architecture of the building

is inspired by the continuous

information stream that

dominates world commerce

today.

the structure is efficient and

low cost to build. conventionally

poured concrete slabs rise 17

stories in identical 20,000 gsf

floor plates with a constant

core to outside wall distance

of 40 feet. one elevator bank

serves the building. there are

no interior columns. the skin is

one module of insulated glazing

unit in two colors repeated

throughout. the modulation

of the skin comes from one

standard module of break

formed and painted aluminum.

the building sits on a double

height concrete podium

containing the public areas and

parking.

architEcturE / WorlD banK i bUilDing lobby exterior

this project won an invited

competition to reconfigure

the public spaces in the eye

building in Washington. Housing

the latin american divisions of

the bank, it brings a fresh look

to its 1970s vintage building

envelope. the once dark, north-

facing space was brightened

through wide use of low voltage

lighting and sandblasted glass

panels inspired by the work of the

guatemalan artist carlos Merida.

the entrance canopy recalls that

of the main complex one block

away.

architEcturE / WorlD banK i bUilDing lobby

architEcturE / WorlD banK i bUilDing HanDrail

architEcturE / lKg toWer Manila

the lKg tower is a 40 story

building located on ayala avenue

in Makati. inspired by Philippine

vernacular architecture, it has a

modernist cladding that takes sun

screening cues from rural

buildings found in the nearby

countryside.

the lobby elevators are octagonal

in plan and decorated with

modernist interpretations of

vernacular forms. the glass brick

elevator floor gets brighter as the

cab travels upwards towards the

buildings’ penthouse offices.

architEcturE / lKg toWer exterior Wall

architEcturE / lKg toWer elevator cab

architEcturE / WorlD banK H Street elevation

Won as a result of an invited

competition entered with

William Pedersen at KPF in

1990, the World bank Main

complex is 2.1 million square

feet of new construction and

renovation located at 18th

street and Pennsylvania

avenue in Washington Dc.

the building is an allegory for

the banks’s mission.

comprised of over 185

member nations from all parts

of the world, the institution

has an architecture comprised

of a collage of interpenetrating

volumes whose clarity results

from viewing the ensemble as

a whole. a simple palette of

board formed concrete panels,

white painted aluminum and

reflected glass comprise the

seven wall systems which clad

the building’s roof, walls and

courtyard.

the building sought economies

by adapting two of the existing

structures on the site, rather

than demolishing the whole.

Further economy came from

the use of post tensioned

concrete slabs, which allowed

for the insertion of a thirteenth

floor into the building, netting

an additional 100,000 gsf of

floor area.

the building courtyard,

considered a liability before

the renovation, was covered

with an arc of glass held up

by a graceful, curving space

frame. reflective glass on the

walls and a reflecting pool on

the north side of the building

combine to amplify the play

of light and shade in the

space over the course of the

day, creating a fluid sequence

of visual cues that help make

the space one of the most

popular in Washington.

architEcturE / WorlD banK entrance canoPy

architEcturE / WorlD banK coUrtyarD

architEcturE / WorlD banK coUrtyarD PyraMiDS

architEcturE / WorlD banK boarD rooM loUnge

architEcturE / WorlD banK boarD rooM

architEcturE / WorlD banK boarD rooM cHarger

244 FiFtH avenUeneW yorK, ny 10001

212 877 5600

cnealy@craignealy.com

craig benton nealy / aia ncarb