The design of Nobu Moscow blends Japanese minimalism with Russian luxury. The restaurant features a sleek, contemporary aesthetic with clean lines and natural materials such as wood and stone. These elements create a warm and inviting atmosphere. The interior is accented with custom art pieces and modern lighting, providing an elegant and sophisticated dining experience that reflects Nobu's signature style while incorporating local cultural influences.

This concise description captures the essence of the Nobu Moscow design, emphasizing its blend of cultural aesthetics and luxurious ambiance.

Designed by Gabriel Piedrahita while at Rockwell Group

The Santa Anita Park Chandelier Room explores how a historic hospitality space can evolve without losing the character that makes it distinctive. Developed while consulting for Woods Bagot, the design builds on the room’s existing architectural identity while introducing a more contemporary lounge experience through layered lighting, rich materials, custom furnishings, and a stronger relationship between dining, socializing, and circulation.

Historic decorative elements are balanced with darker woods, warm metals, reflective surfaces, and contemporary detailing to create a setting that feels glamorous without becoming nostalgic. The goal was to preserve the sense of occasion associated with Santa Anita while making the room relevant to a new generation of guests.

The project reflects an approach to hospitality design that respects legacy while introducing contemporary comfort, performance, and guest experience.

Role: Design consultant to Woods Bagot
Design: Woods Bagot / Gabriel Piedrahita

The transformation of the New York Athletic Club’s 11th floor reimagined its historic dining and lounge spaces for contemporary hospitality while preserving the character of one of New York City’s landmark private clubs.

The project included the Main Dining Room and Lounge on Eleven, balancing the club’s established architectural language with updated dining, social and service experiences. Rich woodwork, decorative ceilings, layered lighting and custom furnishings reinforce the historic setting, while contemporary interventions—including two 14-foot climate-controlled wine towers—bring a new level of performance and sophistication to the space.

Role: Design consultant to Woods Bagot
Design: Woods Bagot / Gabriel Piedrahita

Project: New York Athletic Club, 11th Floor
Location: New York City
Hospitality / Private Club / Interior Design

The Westin Nanjing reimagines the hotel’s public interiors as a sequence of warm, immersive spaces shaped by material richness, sculptural form, and layered illumination.

A monumental stone portal establishes the architectural focal point, framing the bar and creating a powerful sense of arrival. Above, linear walnut ceiling elements organize the expansive volume and introduce warmth, rhythm, and human scale. Dimensional wall panels in restrained shades of ochre, sand, and bronze add depth and visual movement, while integrated lighting reveals the texture and craftsmanship of each surface.

The bar glows from within as the social heart of the interior. Reflective flooring, illuminated shelving, curated planting, and intimate furniture groupings soften the space and support a range of experiences—from informal meetings and quiet conversation to evening cocktails and larger social gatherings.

The result balances the scale and theatricality of a luxury hotel with the comfort, warmth, and intimacy expected of contemporary hospitality.

Set high above Jinzhou, China, the Jinzhou Sky Bar is conceived as an immersive hospitality environment where contemporary glamour meets the atmosphere and symbolism of ancient Chinese culture.

The interior unfolds around a luminous central bar and soaring wine tower, establishing a dramatic vertical focal point against the city skyline. A sculptural overhead light feature follows the bar’s sweeping geometry, while reflective metallic ceilings, backlit stone, richly textured surfaces, and intimate seating areas create a layered experience that shifts between spectacle and enclosure.

References to Chinese cloud formations, lanterns, carved surfaces, and terracotta figures are abstracted into a contemporary architectural language rather than treated as literal decoration. Warm amber illumination, deep red accents, reflective glass, and glowing onyx give the space a seductive nighttime character while guiding guests through the bar, lounge, mezzanine, and private gathering areas.

The result is a theatrical yet sophisticated destination designed around arrival, discovery, social connection, and panoramic views over Jinzhou.

Designed by Volarch, Nightingale is a refined cocktail bar that merges inspiration from the unique design of Lenox Hospital and the natural elegance of tree branches, where a nightingale might perch. Reflective disco mirror mosaics with the "branches" creates an illusion of holding hands, serving as a poignant reminder of the AIDS crisis, with Lenox Hospital as a historical epicenter. The ambient lighting accentuates the bar's curved design, fostering a warm and intimate atmosphere. The centerpiece is a beautifully crafted counter, showcasing an extensive and curated selection of spirits, making Nightingale an ideal spot for relaxed yet upscale socializing.

Emilio's in Saint Petersburg, Florida, designed by Volarch, combines the charm of old New York Greenwich Village Italian restaurants with modern luxurious interiors. The space features wooden beams, and elegant marble accents. An open, covered outdoor area includes bird nest chandeliers, gentle lighting, and a bocci ball court, creating a unique and inviting atmosphere. The design offers a harmonious blend of rustic charm and contemporary sophistication.

Barzola in Astoria, designed by Volarch, is a vibrant Ecuadorian restaurant and bar that marries contemporary design with cultural elements. The space features a warm and inviting interior with natural wood finishes, colorful finishes, and ambient lighting. The open layout includes a central bar, communal tables, and cozy nooks for intimate dining. Custom artwork and mural reflect the Latin culture, adding a unique character to the space. The design emphasizes comfort and social interaction, creating a lively yet relaxed atmosphere ideal for dining and socializing.

While at Rockwell Group

The Mohegan Sun Earth Concourse expansion concept was developed while I was working as a Senior Designer at Rockwell Group, exploring how a major entertainment destination could extend its existing design language into a new hospitality and social experience.

The concept uses fluid geometries, sculptural ceiling forms, custom lighting, reflective surfaces and water as organizing elements. Rather than treating circulation as simply a way to move through the casino, the design creates a sequence of gathering spaces, bars and visual landmarks intended to draw guests through the expansion and encourage exploration.

At the center, a reflective water feature becomes both an orientation point and a dramatic focal element, while layered lighting and organic forms create transitions between intimate hospitality areas and the larger public concourse. The result is a contemporary entertainment environment shaped around movement, discovery and guest experience.

Project: Mohegan Sun, Connecticut
Role: Senior Designer, Rockwell Group

Astir Palace was a master plan concept I developed while working as a Senior Designer at Rockwell Group, exploring how underused areas between the existing hotels on the Astir Palace peninsula could become a new leisure destination for both resort guests and residents of Athens.

The strategy was to expand the life of the peninsula beyond the traditional hotel experience while creating new sources of revenue. A series of private retreat pods were distributed through the landscape as an alternative to booking a hotel room—places that couples, families, or groups could rent for a day, weekend, or holiday. Each retreat offered its own pool, lounge and wellness amenities, with food, beverage and other services provided from a central hospitality pavilion.

At the top of the site, a larger social and aquatic destination brought the experience together through terraced pools, restaurants, bars, shaded lounges, waterfalls and gathering spaces overlooking the coast. The master plan was conceived as a progression between privacy and community: guests could spend the day in their own retreat, move through the landscape, or join the more active social areas above.

More than a collection of amenities, the concept explored how design could activate existing land, broaden the audience of an established luxury destination, and create additional hospitality experiences and revenue across the peninsula.

Project: Astir Palace, Athens Riviera, Greece
Role: Senior Designer, Rockwell Group

Volarch's entry for the Tokyo Vertical Cemetery competition is situated at a bustling intersection in Shinjuku. The design begins with a spiral staircase at street level, symbolizing the present. As visitors descend, they encounter a tranquil pond representing the past, with its endless reflections symbolizing the interplay of past, present, and future. The path meanders through arches serving as milestones, leading to small, serene gardens that symbolize moments of joy and stability. The journey culminates in a "bridge to nowhere," confronting the visitor with the concept of existence, without a clear beginning or end. The entire cemetery program unfolds along the stairs, creating a poignant and reflective experience. This project stands out as one of Volarch's most meaningful and enjoyable design experiences, blending profound symbolism with innovative architectural design.

Bhena Footwear, designed by Volarch, is a retail building that captures the vibrant local culture with a distinctive and memorable design. The facade features sexy, curved lines and a striking blue entrance that invites customers in. Inside, the space is characterized by open, bright areas filled with natural light. An open atrium visually connects all interior spaces, enhancing the unique shopping experience. This design not only reflects the economic and cultural transformation of the city but also establishes a strong brand signature for the client's brand.

While at Woods Bagot

D_parture Spa is a built airport wellness kiosk designed by Volarch as a compact retreat within a busy terminal concourse. Developed within a 6 x 6-foot footprint, the project combines wellness services, retail display and passenger experience in an open environment that remains visually connected to the airport around it.

The design draws inspiration from New York City. A Central Park mosaic by Michael Palladino is framed by a rigid graphic grid that gradually transforms into flowing sculptural lines wrapping the kiosk. Integrated lighting, product displays and open sightlines create a strong visual identity while maintaining the sense of calm and privacy essential to the spa experience.

As the first off-grid spa kiosk in a U.S. airport, the project demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform a highly constrained footprint into a distinctive hospitality and passenger experience.

Design: Volarch / Gabriel Piedrahita

Location: Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey

Airport Retail + Wellness Concept explores what happens when travel retail becomes part of the passenger experience rather than simply another transaction along the concourse.

The concept combines retail, wellness and hospitality within a fluid airport environment, using sculptural forms, integrated lighting, warm materials and open sightlines to create a destination that attracts passengers while remaining connected to terminal circulation.

Designed around dwell time and changing traveler expectations, the project explores how airport retail can become more experiential, comfortable and memorable without compromising visibility or commercial performance.

Volarch provides hospitality, transportation, retail and interior design consulting in New York City and across New York.

Airport Wellness | Passenger Experience | Hospitality + Interior Design

Life-Spa is an airport wellness concept by Volarch that brings together an open lounge, juice bar and express spa within a fluid passenger environment. Designed around the realities of airport dwell time, the concept transforms waiting into an opportunity to relax, recharge and engage with wellness before a flight.

Curved forms, warm natural materials, integrated lighting and semi-transparent elements create privacy without disconnecting the experience from the concourse. The result is a hospitality-driven environment that combines wellness, food and beverage, and passenger experience within a compact airport footprint.

Design: Volarch / Gabriel Piedrahita

Hospitality, transportation, experiential and interior design consulting — New York City and New York State.

The concept design for this arcade around a pair of metal warehouses in Aruba aims to create a vibrant and engaging pedestrian experience. The exterior corridor serves as a dynamic transition from the surrounding parking lot, enhancing the overall aesthetic and functionality of the buildings. The design emphasizes a seamless connection between the warehouses, offering a lively and enjoyable path for visitors. This thoughtful integration not only creates a distinctive building image but also fosters a unique and fun pedestrian journey, transforming the warehouses into a cohesive and inviting destination.

The New Yorker Hotel lobby, blends Art Deco elegance with modern sophistication. The space features a grand entrance with high ceilings, intricate moldings, and polished marble floors. A stunning chandelier serves as the focal point, casting a warm glow over the plush seating areas. The design incorporates rich textures, including velvet upholstery and metallic accents, creating a luxurious yet welcoming atmosphere. Contemporary artwork and stylish decor elements add a touch of modern flair, while the layout ensures a smooth flow of guests. The overall design harmonizes historical charm with contemporary comfort, making the lobby a timeless and inviting space.

Designed for a young family in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada, the Nevada City Residence explores how architecture can provide protection, connection, and a deeper relationship with the natural world.

The residence is conceived as a series of sculpted, earth-integrated forms that follow the contours of the wooded site. Curving ferrocement walls create a fire-resistant envelope while extending into planted terraces, sheltered pathways, courtyards, and outdoor gathering spaces. Geothermal energy supports an efficient and stable interior environment, reducing the home’s operational demands throughout the changing seasons.

At the heart of the residence, a garden atrium and communal hearth form a spiritual and social sanctuary—a place for reflection, family rituals, and gathering. Warm walnut interiors, natural stone, abundant vegetation, and expansive glazing soften the protective architecture and connect everyday life to the surrounding landscape.

The result is a resilient family retreat in which sustainability extends beyond energy performance to embrace well-being, community, and a lasting sense of belonging to place.

The design of 80 Washington Place is a stunning blend of historic charm and modern luxury. This 8,750 sq ft townhouse in New York's Greenwich Village features meticulously restored original details alongside contemporary amenities. The interior spaces are thoughtfully crafted to balance elegance and comfort, with high-end finishes, custom millwork, and sophisticated lighting. The result is a harmonious residence that offers a unique and luxurious living experience in one of Manhattan’s most iconic neighborhoods.

Designed by Gabriel Piedrahita while at Clodagh Design

A house renovation that blends the historical charm of a landmarked Greenwich Village townhouse, 80 Washington Place in New York, with the serene beauty of a picturesque property in Centerport, Long Island. This fusion highlights the distinctive architectural elements and cultural heritage of the townhouse while embracing the tranquil, natural scenery of the Long Island location, offering a unique and harmonious setting that connects urban sophistication with suburban grace.

Platte Clove Residence is a 4,800 SF residential concept in the Catskills, conceived as two connected homes within one architectural composition: a main residence and a smaller home with a ceramics studio, linked at the second floor.

The design is shaped by mountain views, natural light, water, and a strong connection between indoors and outdoors, bringing together warm natural materials, Scandinavian influence, and the character of the Catskills landscape.

Volarch provides residential, hospitality, and interior design consulting across New York City, the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, and Upstate New York.

This 2600 sq ft Catskills residence, designed 18 years ago, exemplifies sustainable and environmentally friendly design with a minimal footprint to preserve trees and land. Oriented along a north-south axis, it features large windows that capture sunlight from dawn to dusk. The residence boasts a Snap-On-seam metal roof and fiber cement siding and trim, crafted from sustainable raw materials. Inside, radiant heated bamboo floors, and an open layout on the first floor create a spacious and inviting atmosphere. A central peninsula fireplace, adjacent to the stove and facing the living room, enhances the cooking and entertainment experience while offering picturesque views.