Remembering architect and designer Jeffrey Beers, Adjaye Associates restructures following accusations, and New York museums get the Beyoncé treatment. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Award-winning architect and designer Jeffrey Beers has passed away
The new iteration of Café Boulud in New York, designed by Jeffrey Beers International; photo by Bill Milne
Jeffrey Beers, founder and CEO of New York-based Jeffrey Beers International (JBI), died on March 18th at the age of 67 following a battle with cancer. A pioneering force in the hospitality design industry, Beers’ work spanned four decades. His firm is recently known for crafting new icons such as the updated Café Boulud from chef Daniel Boulud, the Hard Rock Hotel New York, its work on the Fontainebleu Las Vegas, and much more. Beers, an HD Platinum Circle honoree, was recognized with HD’s 2016 Visionary Award and spoke about his passion for the industry in a 2021 “What I’ve Learned” podcast episode.
Las Vegas bets big on weed lounges
Smoke and Mirrors cannabis lounge in Las Vegas; photo by Lee Pettet
Thrive Cannabis Marketplace has opened Nevada’s first state-licensed marijuana consumption lounge in Las Vegas, writes Chris Casacchia for HD sister publication MJBizDaily. Located adjacent to its retail store off the Strip, the 1,200-square-foot Smoke and Mirrors Cannabis Lounge leans into midcentury design. “Anything that you do in Vegas has to be stepped up a notch,” said Chris LaPorte, managing partner at Reset, a local cannabis hospitality firm that consulted with Thrive on the space. LaPorte notes that they first introduced the concept to the Las Vegas market in 2017, but regulatory approvals, building delays, and the pandemic slowed progress. Nearly 20 other consumption venues are nearing completion, potentially in time for HD Expo + Conference, which takes to Las Vegas April 30th–May 2nd.
Adjaye Associates appoints new CEOs
A rendering of the Adjaye Associates-designed Kingsboro Psychiatric Center Campus in New York; rendering courtesy of Adjaye Associates
Following last year’s allegations of sexual misconduct by founder David Adjaye (which he refutes), Adjaye Associates has named new CEOs who will helm its studios, Dezeen reports. Kofi Bio will head up the Accra, Ghana office; Lucy Tilley will lead London; and Pascale Sablan, a 2023 HD Wave of the Future honoree, will oversee the New York studio. Adjaye, in a new role as executive chair, will remain the firm’s principal architect and in charge of overall design direction, while Bio, Tilley, and Sablan “will have sole executive leadership of the studios, in charge of all operations [while] continuing to lead projects and business development,” according to a statement from Adjaye Associates.
Promo for Beyoncé’s upcoming album projected onto New York museums
The exterior of the Guggenheim Museum in New York; photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Projections promoting the release of Beyoncé’s forthcoming Cowboy Carter album appeared on several notable museums in New York this week, including the Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum, New Museum, and the Museum of Arts and Design, details Artnews. The Guggenheim’s Frank Lloyd Wright-designed rotunda, for instance was emblazoned with recent quotes from the superstar’s Instagram account: “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album”—a reference to her not being welcomed by the country music genre when she released the track “Daddy Lessons” in 2016. She is now celebrated as the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. For its part, the Guggenheim said in an official statement to Artnews that it “was not informed about and did not authorize this activation” but welcomed the singer and her fans to the museum.
ICYMI: The 20th annual HD Awards finalists have been announced!
2024 HD Awards finalist Hotel Palau Fugit in Girona, Spain, designed by El Equipo Creativo; photo by Salva Lopez
The finalists for the 20th annual HD Awards have been revealed. The yearly event, honoring the best in design across 30 project categories and 13 product categories, recognizes the best and most innovative achievements in hospitality design, along with the creative teams behind them. From the record-breaking 930 project entries and more than 375 product submissions, HD will reveal the winners during ceremony on April 30th at the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas during HD Expo + Conference. Purchase tickets for the event here. Congrats to the deserving finalists!
